Cockfighting or sabong in the Philippines has been called the country’s national pastime, an obsession even.
It’s a male-oriented blood sport that is as wild as men can be – loud, boisterous, and testosterone-driven. Aficionados can spend hours on end in the arena; others even give more loving attention to their gamecocks than to their wives.
Animal rights activists are against it. But millions of Filipinos – rich or poor – love it because for them, sabong word wide is insanely entertaining, a diversion from everyday stressors and a source of easy money – if one gets lucky, that is.
Royal pastime
In the Philippines, this bloody and brutal pastime is as old as time, dating back to the pre-Spanish era. In 1565, the natives of Butuan were already watching cockfights when the Spaniards came.
It’s even more ancient in other parts of the world. Julius Caesar led Rome in enjoying the sport, while King Henry VIII allowed cockfights to flourish in England. Ancient Syrians considered the fighting cock as a deity.
Here, kings and kingmakers alike are also into the blood sport – Joseph Estrada, Chavit Singson, and the late Danding Cojuangco.
For the rich, sabong is a royal pastime; bets run into millions and breeding is expensive. But for millions of ordinary folks, sabong is a means to eke out a living.
Electronic sabong soars
When the pandemic struck and the lockdowns started last year, people dependent on sabong for their livelihood were adversely affected, some of them tell me in an interview on the sidelines of a three-day e-sabong derby in a licensed cockpit in Laguna.
Gaffers
Gaffers, for instance, are gods. They are high up in this livelihood chain because it is literally in their hands if a fighting cock wins or loses.
They are the ones who attach the deadly blades to the legs of the fighting cocks. While the job looks easy, gaffers say otherwise.
Cock doctors
Equally crucial are the fighting cock doctors. They are not doctors and veterinarians by profession, but are licensed by the Games and Amusements Board to treat injured gamecocks.
They stitch, patch, and treat the bloodied fighting cocks soon after a fight, guided by instinct and years of experience.
Fighting Cock doctors earn P500 per gamecock. Here in Laguna, there are about 30 of them waiting to tend to injured fighters. On any given day, each attends to at least four gamecocks. That’s P2,000 a day or P60,000 a month.
Meron o wala
Indeed, the essence of Sabongworldwide casino is starkly different for different people, depending on which side in life they are sitting on. The two sides of a cockfight – meron o wala (the favored cock or the underdog) – make for the perfect metaphor to this disparity.