Filipino Tractor

These are pictures of Carabao - the "Filipino Tractor". They are used for plowing, hauling, carts and more. (I got these pictures from some of the missionaries). They are strong enough to be used singley rather than in teams. We saw them at a distance out in the rice paddies when we had a road trip north to Angeles. They are even seen in Manila occasionally pulling a cart to market/bazaar. Alan bought a great painting by a local artist of a little boy with a carabao.

Carabao are in the water buffolo family and love pools of water and mudpuddles. They like to cool off after a day of work.

The horns are polished and used to make belts and jewelry. Alan has a carabo belt.

They are so gentle, they can be ridden by children (and missionaries)

This is a rare albino carabao. They get alot of attention.

More Philippines Floods

These pictures are from the local news service. They only tell part of the story of the devastation on the northern end of Luzon (our island). This is the satelite photo of PePeng as it hit the island, stalled then hit it again twice.



These rice paddies are completely flooded. The loss to agriculture is over $1 billion.

Funerals have started already even though the area is still flooded. Coffins are carried on bancas (boats) to the church.

The mud in many areas is 3"-12" thick. Leptospirosis (a parasite in mud and dirty water) is a problem in al the flooded areas (including Manila).

The Baguio campus of the Univ of Philippines was completed flooded.

One of the many landslides in the region. Houses just slide down on top of one another.

The raging waters washed many villagers down stream. Here is a valiant rescue!!

Even the rescue equipment was under mud and water.

This hut in the rice field shows the water level.

The villagers in the mountains came down to the area below.

The main road completely washed out. An alternate road had to be cleared.

Broken shacks and vendor stalls are cleared to the side so a path could be made through one of the villages.

The villagers in Rosales had to walk down the mountain to get to safety - the mountain continues to have landslides.

In some areas they have given up looking for bodies and have declared mass graves