24/07/2025
HOME OF THE COUNTRY’S FINEST COWBOYS
Impasugong’s story of policy to pride and how it carved out a national legacy on horseback
Some titles are given. Others are earned with calloused hands, dust-covered boots, and decades of quiet, deliberate work. For Impasugong, Bukidnon, being known as the “Home of the Country’s Finest Cowboys” isn’t a label crafted in a tourism office, it’s the result of a living, breathing system that continues to serve its people.
In the early 1990s, while most towns were drafting visions, Impasugong was already executing one. It started not as a tourism idea, but as governance.
Then-Sangguniang Bayan Member Mario Okinlay was appointed Ranch Manager, one which could’ve been only a ceremonial role, became the driving force behind transforming the communal ranch into one of the region’s most iconic tourism destinations.
The Impasugong Communal Ranch, now the only LGU-owned and managed ranch in the Philippines, wasn’t initially intended for tourists. It was built for the people. And over thirty years later, it’s still doing exactly what it was meant to do, serve. Only now, it serves with tourists overflowing, drawn to something real, working, and loved for its rawness, peace, and unpretentious way of life.
This ranch is a working ecosystem. Cattles from residents across thirteen barangays are raised within its grounds. The local government provides veterinary services, technical support, grazing infrastructure, and management, all anchored in real governance. In return, the people gain livelihood, training, and a sense of shared ownership which showcase what real inclusive development looks like: practical, grounded, and deeply rooted.
By 1995, Impasugong’s rodeo team began competing in local and national events. They didn’t just join for representation but they excelled. Their discipline and skill made them a standout presence. Eventually, Impasugong became a trusted host of rodeo events across the Philippines. Why? Because we had what it takes: trained horses, seasoned riders, operational facilities, and the credibility to lead.
Our identity as the Home of the Country’s Finest Cowboys is not just a claim we make, it’s a truth we live. It functions in our daily lives, shaping how we work, how we celebrate, how we raise our families, and how we welcome the world into our community. It is woven into the routines of daily life and expressed in every act of care we show for our land, our animals, and one another. This is a functioning identity…alive, visible, and deeply felt.
This also makes Impasugong a living model of cultural sustainability in action. From the way we pass down skills and stories, to how we create opportunities through agri-tourism, education, and entrepreneurship, we make sure our heritage stays relevant and resilient. In doing so, we protect more than our past, we protect our future. Through a strong sense of place, purpose, and identity, we continue to ride forward with pride, proving that when culture is lived with intention, it not only survives but flourishes.
