They came in droves, in all colors, from all walks of life ogling and giggling at the Braveheart Farms boer goats which they all said are among the biggest goats they've seen in their whole life.

       "Mommy is that a cow?" I heard an innocent child ask his mother pointing to the 17-month-old buck Riggin who weighs 98 kilos. "No, it's a goat," the embarrassed mother answered.

       A man who looked like a farmer said the goats were big enough to pull a plow or a sled. "I could use him to plow my field," he said pointing to 18-month-old buck Renegade who weighs 95 kilos.

       Farmers, housewives, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and just plain people came to the display area of the Kadayawan Festival agricultural exhibits when they heard over the radio and television that the big goats from the province of North Cotabato were at the exhibit area.

       But the most prominent personality who came to look at the Braveheart Boers was the Mayor of Davao City, the colorful Rody Duterte who brought along Philippine actor Phillip Salvador.

       "I can't believe there are goats as big as these," said Mayor Duterte who came to the display area on the prodding of his wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, who saw the goats earlier.

       Beth had earlier asked Rody to buy her a pair of the Boers for her farm in Calinan District in the City of Davao.

       No Boer goat was sold to the Mayor, who happens to be the godfather of my youngest child, Bernhart Immanuel. Instead, I gifted mayor and his son with a 5-month old buck out of Rocky and a 6-month-old doeling out of the Tehachapi Seguaro.

       The young buck was named BHF Rody while the doeling was named BHF Elizabeth after the Mayor and his wife.

       When informed that the buckling was named after him, Mayor Duterte quipped: "If that buck is named after me, then you will have to find more does for him. One is not enough." It was a joke that elicited loud laughter from the huge crowd that milled around the Mayor, Phillip Salvador and the goats

Judging from the reaction of the people, it appeared that the Boer goat has gained a niche in their minds and it will not be a surprise that in the months to come the goat craze in the Philippines, especially in the Island of Mindanao will reach new heights.