He Pronounces it “Caribou”

Carabao is the national animal of the Philippines. My hubby usually pronounces it “caribou”. That is not correct. A caribou is a type of deer that can be found in North America where it is quite cold. There are many caribou in Alaska and other Arctic countries.

Carabao and caribou are totally different animals. In English, carabao is a water buffalo. The one pictured is a photo of a carabao in the Philippines. My younger sister took this picture of one of the carabaos that my father is raising.

There is a short name for carabao just like Americano. In the village, a short name for Americano (which applies to any foreigner) is “cano”. The short name for carabao is “kabaw”. My hubby thinks they bare a strong resemblance to a cape buffalo which can be very aggressive and dangerous in the wild. The carabao, on the other hand, is a very docile and gentle animal.

Why is a carabao named as a national animal of the Philippines? Because this animal helps Filipinos in everyday life, especially the farmers. The carabaos are used in transportation and plowing the farm fields. You can find a lot of carabaos in the countryside in all farming areas of the Philippines.

A carabao is especially useful in the rice fields for poor farmers who can’t afford to buy machinery. Using tractors are more efficient because they are much faster but they don’t work very well in the rice paddies. Besides, not too many farmers are able to afford that kind of machinery there. Consequently, the carabao is still very common, especially in upland regions. If not working, the carabao can be seen resting in cool places like water or mud.