carabao

vesipuhveli A domesticated subspecies of water-buffalo, (taxlink).
(quote-book)
2001, Greg Nickles, Philippines: The Culture, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=sRP_AShe2cEC&pg=PA30&dq=%22carabao%22%7C%22carabaos%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-C0PUq_TFIjuiAexy4CgDw&redir_esc=yv=onepage&q=%22carabao%22%7C%22carabaos%22&f=false page 30,

Filipinos tell several stories about the carabao. The Tagalog, who live mainly on Luzon, tell the following story about how the carabao, one of the largest animals in the country, is tricked by one of the smallest animals, a hummingbird.

The Malay people who arrived in the Philippines between 1500 B.C. and 500 B.C. introduced the carabao as a work animal. Today the carabao, also known as the water buffalo, is a very important animal in the Philippines. Carabaos are popular farm animals.