I was clueless about cockfighting in the Philippines.
In Malaysia, we often refer to someone “quarrelsome” who quarrels just for the sake of fighting – as a Fighting Cock.
We have encountered some people who quarrel just for the sake of fighting.
I was at this peaceful “barangay” or village about 50 km from Metro Manila.
Calumpit is where the action takes place.
The riverside resort where I stayed at Calumpit was next door to a sprawling rural property -A cockfighting arena.
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Cockfighting plays a vital role in the lives of many Filipino men.
Calumpit is a predominantly Tagalog-speaking town, with about 96.3% of its people being fluent speakers.
Other residents speak Kapampangan, with a minority speaking other Philippine languages.
In the simplest sense, a cockfight is a fight between two roosters in a caged ring.
During a cockfight, the birds will likely fight to their deaths during “coliseum-style gladiator fights” in the arena building.
Cocks generally possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species.
Who introduced cockfighting in the Philippines?
Cockfighting has a long history in the Philippines.
National hero José Rizal, martyred by the Spanish in 1896, once pointed out that the average Filipino loves his rooster more than his children.
What is a Cockfighting game?
A cockfight is a blood sport between two cocks, or gamecocks.
Cocks generally possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species.
However, these are roosters specifically bred for their aggression.
They equip the birds with either metal spurs (called gaffs) or knives tied to the leg during a cockfight.
To agitate the birds, the Cockers place them beak to beak in a small ring and encouraged to fight to the death.
To many outside observers, cockfighting is a ruthless and bloody sport.
Cockfighting in the Philippines
In the Philippines, Cockfighting Is a Billion Dollar Industry.
The 6,000-year-old sport of cockfighting, known locally as “sabong” takes place in over 2,500 dedicated stadiums nationwide.
To many outside observers, “sabong” or cockfighting is a brutal and bloody sport.
Compared to cockfighting in most Asian countries, by large, Filipino roosters only live to fight one or two matches before death or injuries retire them from the sport.
And as luck would have it, I stayed next door–to the Cockfighting Arena.
Sabong is one of the Philippines’ national obsessions.
It also kills about 30 million roosters a year.
Cockfighting Arena in the Philippines
The arena is a large structure with a roof over it.
There are no walls but wire mesh, metal partitions, and a gate as a barrier.
Outside, there is a bar to find many crates of the local brew, San Miguel Beer.
This Filipino pale lager, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, was produced by San Miguel Brewery in 1890 and is the most extensive selling beer in the Philippines and Hong Kong.
We saw some men set up a small stove BBQ, grilling meat on bamboo skewers over hot charcoal.
I gingerly stepped into the arena, closing the metal gate without latching it.
Daisy led the way and spoke briefly in Tagalog with some men.
She gestured that we should take the higher-level seats away from the punters.
I looked around, half expecting to find some police officer coming in to raid the place.
Daisy reassured me, “It’s normal here. Everything is fine.”
The fights occur in the cockpit (ruweda) on a raised glass platform in the arena.
Superstitions during Cockfighting in the Philippines
Many rural sabong devotees take these superstitions seriously.
I found out later why there are no women at ringside.
It was the no. 1 taboo.
Luckily for us, the villagers took kindly to us as we were tourists.
We left immediately after the first match.
(1) A female visitor on the day of the cockfight is inauspicious.
(2) Do not sweep the house floor on sabong day.
(3) Avoid cockfighting on Fridays.
(4) Avoid going to the cockfight with a hole in one of the pants pockets.
(5) Don’t look back when walking to the cockpit arena.
(6) Bet on the “mayahin” and white cocks on days with moonlit nights.
(7) It is an unlucky day if one runs into a funeral procession on the way to the cockfight.
(8) Shaving is avoided on sabong day because it might cause the game cock’s blade to break.
(9) Avoid having sex the night before.
Godofredo U. Stuart Jr., in his blog, the Philippines for the Intrepid Traveler, writes in graphic detail about the sport from start to finish.
Cockfighting in the Philippines – A BloodSport
It forces Cockfighting roosters to fight to the death.
Cockfights are illegal throughout the United States.
However, in the Philippines, this is widespread and not illegal.
They place the birds in a ring.
The roosters are forced to fight as punters and bookies make their bets.
Cockfighting in the Philippines is a billion-dollar business.
Why do men enjoy Cockfights?
The Filipino men are macho.
They have always been “fighting” the fight.
They fight for their beliefs.
They fight for the land, and they fight for women.
Naturally, this is reflected in cockfighting.
For the Breeders and Punters, cockfights are all about courage and bravery.
It is like no other sport in the entire world.
How are these Roosters raised?
Owners or Breeders are called “Cockers.” Roosters are born, raised, and trained to fight on “game farms.”
It is a selection and survival of the fittest; Cockers will kill inferior birds and only keep those who are “game” and willing to fight.
They also breed the roosters for aggression.
The fighting cocks are a source of revenue.
What are the Roosters fed?
They treat the Roosters like boxers.
They must weigh about five pounds and be considered within two ounces of one another to fight.
So their diet is essential, and the Breeders feed the cocks a combination of oats, wheat, split peas, long-grain rice, corn, popcorn, and barley.
Grooming the Roosters
Roosters are game birds. The Breeder doesn’t think it is cruel to animals because it breeds them to fight.
Most of the birds are well taken care of by the top Breeders.
The cocks are pampered and treated like boxers.
Breeders often pluck the birds’ feathers.
Adult gamecocks have their wattles and combs trimmed tight to their heads to prevent injuries when they fight and other roosters from tearing them off in the ring.
The trimming is done first to the wattles to let them heal before trimming the comb.
As the comb and wattles have blood vessels, trimming them causes some bleeding and pain to the roosters.
Since roosters do not have sweat glands, losing these body parts deprives them of the ability to cool themselves.
Some “cockers” cut off the birds’ spurs, which are the natural bony protrusions on the legs so that more deadly, artificial weapons can be strapped to their legs.
The grooming routine includes massaging mustard seed oil to keep the rooster’s claws and beak moistened and in good shape.
Law enforcement officials have found performance-enhancing drugs during raids.
The young roosters are groomed.
The young roosters are groomed.
They train the cock Fighters to Fly
Breeders “condition” the birds to fight through physical work.
Weights or blades to their legs for “practice fights” with other roosters.
This process is what cockfights call being “tested with steel.” Our friend was troubled to know that these birds spend most of their lives tethered by one leg.
Their shelter is a small cage or even a plastic barrel.
They train the cocks to fly to develop their muscles and wings because that’s where they get their speed and prowess.
The Breeders do this by putting a female on the other side of their cage so the roosters can’t see her.
So, the roosters will need to fly up to take a glance at the female.
There is a narrow perch to rest, so the cocks learn to exercise their wings and target the opponent.
The young roosters are trained to fly.
The young roosters are trained to fly.
What Happens at Cockfights?
Cockfights are held in round or square enclosures called “cockpits” or only “pits.”
The one I went to was in a covered building built like an arena with raised seating.
The fight occurs in the central enclosed glass-caged platform raised from the floor.
Punters are seated right upfront or on elevated seating.
The Bookies and Punters
The handler introduces the birds.
The bookies will go around waving their fingers to take bets.
As Daisy gallantly whispered sharply, “This is not a high five-time, Dory!”
The Kristos
A bookmaker called the Casador announces, “Larga, no!”
Kristos takes over.
The “Kristos” are betting managers sacrilegiously named for their Christ-like crucified stance, arms stretched out, beckoning the spectators.
The arena erupts into a deafening din of Kristos calling out and beckoning bets, their hands, and fingers in a frenzy of motions and signals.
Hand Signs are made because of distance and the loud noise; Kristos relies on hand signs to communicate their bets with other Kristos.
The Cazador has a remarkable memory for faces; bets are taken in a split second.
The cockfight is over in minutes, and the ‘doctors’ perform skilled surgery on the injured birds.
It is a fascinating display of memory, as some Kristos, with their mnemonics system, are known to take in as much as 8 to 10 or more bets.
On the sidelines, there is a fast and furious buying-and-selling bet.
Reading the Language of Fingers
The arithmetic language of fingers facilitates communication with your Kristo and adds a fascinating facet to the sabong experience.
I saw fingers furiously flying without understanding the quantum of the math.
According to the Philippines, this is for the Intrepid Traveler writer.
Upward fingers:
In the small arenas, especially in the rural and boondock hack fights where small bets are not uncommon, each finger signals 10 pesos; five fingers, 50 pesos.
An upward finger could mean 10,000 or 100,000 pesos in big cockpits or derby events.
Downward fingers:
Each finger is equivalent to a 1000-peso bet; 7 fingers, 7,000 pesos.
Caution is given in pointing the fingers downward twice, which will be interpreted as a 14,000-peso bet.
Sideward fingers:
Each sideward finger is equivalent to 100 pesos. In the figure, the four fingers denote 400 pesos.
It’s just as well that I didn’t raise all ten fingers upwards in a High ten gesture.
That would have cost me over 100 pesos (10 pesos per finger).
In the derby events, that would translate to 1,000,000 pesos! YIKES!
The fight occurs in the central enclosed glass-caged platform raised from the floor. Photo: Doris Lim
The Cockfight
The handler agitates the rooster to work the birds into a frenzy.
Both roosters are armed.
With neck feathers fanned and wings whirring, the birds jump and parry at each other.
They kick and duel mid-air, striking each other with feet and beaks.
Whenever the fighting wanes, handlers pick up the birds to agitate them. They will
- Blow on their backs
- Yank at their beaks
- Hold them beak-to-beak
The birds are then returned to the pits, and the fight continues.
They were clawing at each other with razor-sharp steel blades attached to their leg.
It doesn’t end until one rooster is dead or nearly dead.
I didn’t realize this at first.
I had naively thought that the losing bird just crouched and hung its head in shame.
“The cocks try to kill each other with a bladed spur. It’s over. It’s dead,” Daisy said flatly to my stunned look.
The handlers picked up the dead bird to discard in a trashcan and removed it from the game pit.
I was shocked.
“What happens if it’s still alive?”
“A freak accident?” I asked again.
“No. It’s like that. Just dead. I don’t know, throw, or maybe they cook it in a pot?” Daisy continued.
I hung my head in shame.
I was too naive.
“Cook. Eat.”
One of the men beside us said in halting English before conversing in rapid dialect with Daisy – to translate.
“Stew for a long time as the bird is very muscular, and the flesh is very tough,” Daisy explained before quickly leading me away.
The other men were eyeing us.
We didn’t know that we were considered “bad luck.”
I figured it was as good a time as any to run for it.
The Criminal Connection
In addition to animal cruelty, cockfighting is often linked to other crimes.
Although the setup looks pretty decent, and no one looked brutal or drunk/
We knew that such activities with exposure to violence might promote insensitivity to suffering and enthusiasm for bloodshed – no matter the version of cockfighting.
Where some money is involved, it’s generally a men’s sport.
We were lucky that most ignored us and let us sit in to watch and take some photos.
The Gruesome and Cruel Facts of Cockfighting
Cocks naturally fight with each other in the wild to establish territory or mating rights.
In these instances, the loser backs away and leaves the area when they accept defeat.
Severe injuries are rare.
At an illegal cockfighting event, the cocks are routinely armed with blades or spikes attached to their feet.
We were told that the birds that died had severe injuries to their extremities – they had been sliced by these razor knives that are put on their claws.
Cocks are mutilated in preparation for fighting.
As part of the training and preparation process, cockerels often have their combs and wattles cut off to prevent injuries during fights.
This practice aims to protect the birds from potential harm in the arena.
Some also have the spurs cut off their legs so that sharp gaffs can be attached.
Cocking means only the “toughest” survive.
The life of a fighting cockerel is tough, from the moment they hatch until they die.
The birds endure a lengthy training program to weed out the weaker ones.
Only the most robust, ferocious birds survive and make it to the fight to endure a painful and cruel death in the ring.
Those who do not cut are killed.
Other illegal activities often surround cockfighting.
One of the major reasons people attend cockfights is to gamble on the outcome.
Yet, evidence shows that underground cockfights are a common occurrence and that there is a large-scale illegal circuit of trainers and fight organizers.
According to the Philippines Travel Guide, compared to cockfighting in most Asian countries, by large, Filipino roosters only live to fight one or two matches.
The cocks typically succumb to their injuries or die fighting.
Cockfighting is not illegal in the Philippines.
There is no nationwide ban on cockfighting in the Philippines. However, it has been prohibited every Rizal Day on December 30 since 1948.
Violators can face fines or imprisonment under Republic Act No. 229.
While cockfighting is illegal in the U.S., it is not considered a serious crime.
This lack of seriousness does not provide adequate deterrence or protection for the animals involved.
Birds that survive the fights often suffer severe injuries and exhaustion, leading to their eventual death.
There is no way for the cocks to escape when hurt and want to back down from the other cockerel.
They have no choice except to fight to the death.
Some common injuries that cockerels receive include
- Punctured lungs
- Pierced eyes
- Broken bones
- Deep cuts
Cockfighting in the Philippines is almost an everyday event.
Cockfighting in the Philippines is almost an everyday event.
Exposure to highly lethal bird flu virus
The World Health Organization has linked cockfighting to the spread of the highly lethal bird flu virus from birds to humans through contact with blood and feces.
While I haven’t witnessed it myself, I recall seeing owners scrub the blood off their birds with their bare hands.
According to a report from the Washington Post, owners sometimes relieve severe injuries by sucking out the blood from the birds’ wounds.
At an illegal cockfighting event, there are no winners.
The men don’t just lose; don’t lose money.
They lose their faith and, in many solutions, their manhood.
You lost your cock. You lose your manhood.
Cockfighting in the Philippines Last Thoughts
The Sabong is one incredible window to Filipino culture.
For an intrepid traveler with the stomach to venture into one, go to a rural cockpit.
Cockfighting in the Philippines is not the pretty sanitized ambiance of the big urban-suburban venues for wealthy Filipinos.
I had a numinous experience at Calumpit, fearful yet fascinated, being overwhelmed by cockfighting.
The noise absorbed me. I was shocked by the brutality.
I was astonished by everything that Filipinos accept as normalcy.
The “ruweda,” everything- by this raw, larger-than-life slice of fringe Filipiniana.
The image of the dead and discarded cock is seared in my memory.
I read up later before writing this blog post article.
Cockfighting is “one of the cruelest blood sports,” where roosters were likely given performance-enhancing drugs.
I will never go back to find out.
Sources:
Unreal Photos of Cockfighting’s Deadly Appendages
5 Shocking Things You Didn’t Know About Cockfighting – One Green Planet
