LYR, that’s Larry Y. Rubinos, owner of a chain of motorcycle and appliances stores all over Mindanao, is known among cockfighting aficionados as a gamefowl breeder and owner of the biggest arena in Tagum City.
But nearing 73, he has made a monumental decision to abandon gamefowl breeding and shift instead to Wagyu Breeding, a farming activity which he believes will help more farmers and contribute to the country’s food security.
“I will still operate the Tagum Sports Arena but I will totally give up gamefowl breeding,” he said.
Yesterday, when I visited his gamefowl breeding farm in Tagum, all the teepees, the concrete roosting structures for the gamefowls, stood without any birds.
“This is where I would like to build the paddocks for my Wagyu Breeders,” LYR told me pointing to the former cording area of his fighting birds in his 80-hectare property.
With the help of young engineer Renato Borda, LYR will build the first paddocks for 14 heifers and two bulls which he will import from Australia.
The extra bull, he said, will be used in upgrading local cattle owned by farmers and following the Piddig, Ilocos Norte Model, he will buy back the upgraded Wagyu Calves from the farmers.
“Our long term plan is to establish a modern slaughterhouse complete with cold storage so we could build the Wagyu Industry in Davao del Norte,” he said.
“Mas maayo ni kaysa mag-breeding manok pang-sabong. Sa Wagyu Breeding wala gid pildi, pirme daug,” he said laughing.
(This is better than gamefowl breedng. In Wagyu farming, you will never lose, you always win.)
