Cockfighting is constantly under attack by animal-loving people.

Nevertheless, this ancient sport has a fanatical following in the Philippines

that cuts across all class barriers. Cockfighting is democratic in the sense
that the poorest cocker can pit his rooster against the most prominent town
official and win, although the introduction of expensive imported breeds
has changed the quality of cockfighting.

Virtually every town in the Philippines has a cockpit or sabungan, and

cockfighting takes place every Sunday, on public holidays, and at fiesta,
the place was quite noisy with boisterous spectators. Gambling can be
extremely heavy. It’s not unusual, in a rural area with few visible sources
of substantial income, to see thousands of pesos changing hands.

Cockfighting is legal, but the sport must be held in a place away from the
general business area. There is no nationwide ban of cockfighting in the
Philippines but since 1948, cockfighting is prohibited every Rizal Day on
December 30 where violators can be fined or imprisoned due to the
Republic Act No. 229.

Cockfighting, locally termed sabong, is a popular pastime in the

Philippines, where both illegal and legal cockfights occur. Legal cockfights
are held in cockpits every week, whilst illegal ones,
called tupada or tigbakay, are held in secluded cockpits where authorities
cannot raid them. In both types, knives or gaffs are used. There are two
kinds of knives used in Philippine cockfighting: single-edged blades (used
in derbies) and double-edged blades; lengths of knives also vary. All
knives are attached on the left leg of the bird, but depending on agreement
between owners, blades can be attached on the right or even on both legs.

The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first
documented use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a
“game”, a sport, pastime or entertainment, was recorded in 1634, after the
term “cock of the game” used by George Wilson, in the earliest known
book on the sport of cockfighting in The Commendation of Cocks and
Cock Fighting in 1607. Cockfighting was already flourishing in pre-
colonial Philippines, as recorded by Antonio Pigafetta, the Italian diarist
aboard Ferdinand Magellan’s 1521 expedition.

The country has hosted several World Slasher Cup derbies, held biannually

at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, where the world’s leading
game fowl breeders gather. World Slasher Cup is also known as the
“Olympics of Cockfighting”.

Good fighting birds are very valuable and get first-class treatment,
including high-quality feed and vitamins, plus regular baths and massages.
It’s common to see an owner strolling around his village caressing a fowl
nestled in the crook of his arm. On Sundays, owners meet in a section of
the cockpit to match their birds, which are paired by weight, like boxers.
Then the gaffer chooses a spur of appropriate length and curve from his
selection and, with the owner’s approval, ties it at a prescribed angle and
height behind the rooster’s leg.

Many Filipino families raise fighting cocks, and it is common to see one of
these birds tied by a leg-rope outside a house. Rearing a good fighting cock
is no easy task, and the bird’s owner lavishes constant care and attention,
often treating the bird almost as one of his children. It takes four to five
months of daily training to bring a good bird up to the standard required
for a public cockfight. Training begins in the morning, with a bath of
vinegar and wine. The bird is then exercised, and at least each day is made
to fight other birds.

Cockfighting – An Ancient Sport in the Philippines

Posted on February 9, 2020 by SCLMRose
https://subliblog.com/2020/02/09/cockfighting-an-ancient-sport-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 he does
his children.

Contrary to received wisdom, cockfighting was not introduced to the country by the Spanish.
When conquistadors landed in Palawan shortly after the death of Magellan, they discovered
native men already breeding domestic roosters to fight, putting them in shared cages and letting
them scrap over small amounts of food.

Social scientists say cockfighting is popular in the Philippines because it reflects the national
passion for brevity or a quick payoff, the trait of ningas cogon (cogon being a wild grass that
burns ferociously and quickly).

Part of the appeal is the prize money. For a P200 entrance fee, a struggling farmer from the
backwoods could finish the day with P300,000 in his pocket, all thanks to a trusty rooster he has
groomed and trained assiduously for months.

Cockfighting is the Filipino passion few Westerners get to see or understand, for obvious
reasons. It’s a brutal blood sport where fighting cocks literally peck and jab each other to death
as onlookers make bets
on the outcome.

The fight begins when the two roosters are presented to each other in the pit. Both have a
razor-sharp curved blade three inches long strapped to their leg.

The fight is over in a burst of feathers in no more than a few minutes, when one rooster is too
bloodied and wounded, or simply too dead, to peck back at its opponent when provoked. To
make the evening last, most
major cockfights feature seven contests. Anyone who likes animals should definitely stay well
away.

If you do attend a cockfight (sabong in Tagalog), you’ll be experiencing Filipino culture at its
rawest – at the very least it might make you think again about how much “American influence”
dominates the culture. It’s best to start at one of the major cockpits in Manila, or ask your hotel
for the nearest place to see one.

Entrance fees are minimal, but you’ll rarely see women attending – the cockpit is the exclusive
preserve of men, who see it as an egalitarian refuge from the world’s woes, a place where class
differences are temporarily put to one side and everyone wears flipflops and vests.

In Manila foreign females should be OK at the main venues, but in the provinces you’ll probably
feel more comfortable with a male companion.

COCKFIGHTING AND THE FILIPINO TRADITION

BASIC INFORMATION
http://storya-pilipinas.blogspot.com/2014/06/cockfighting-and-filipino-tradition.html

The spectacle of fighting animals has long been a part of human history. From
bullfighting all the way down to cockfighting, the fighting has existed across many
cultures in some form. In many countries, however, animal fighting, particularly
cockfighting has been banned due to its violent and cruel nature. Despite this
controversial standing, for many, it’s still seen as a competition just like any other
In the Philippines, cockfighting has climbed to a whole new level. Cockfighting in the
Philippines is a booming Billion-Dollar Industry that has not only captured the heart of
the entire nation, but also the world at large.

Popularly known as Sabong, cockfighting isn’t just legal in the Philippines (yes, that’s
right, cockfighting in the Philippines is totally legal), it’s also a national obsession. The
popular cockfighting competition takes place in approximately 2500 dedicated stadiums
across the country where an estimated 30 million roosters are killed each year. Much to
the dismay of animal rights organizations in the country, who continue to oppose the
practice.

But this has not dampened the spirits of the fans. Watching the sport is more or else
seen in a similar vein as watching football during the weekend. But who can blame
them? Watching things/people fight has a certain gravity to it.

Sabong – A 6000 year old tradition

Sabong is more than just entertainment. The sport is considered as a very important
culture to the Philippines people. Cockfighting in the country dates back 6000-years ago,
which could have a played a big role in its legalization. In fact, the sport is considered to
be the country’s national sport, second to basketball.

Cockfighting is a billion-dollar industry in the Philippines

Sounds too hard to believe, right? Well, beyond the cultural and other traditional
aspects, cockfighting has become a lucrative sport. As of now, cockfighting in the
Philippines is estimated to be worth billions of dollars. It’s an industry that generates
astonishingly massive revenue.

There is a lot of money to be made on bets. In other countries like America and Europe,
bets are made on football games, horse races, car races, and even soccer games. In
the Philippines, the majority of bets are made on cockfights. The only difference is bets
are made by word of mouth and through precise hand signals—there are no betting
counters or any tickets sold.

Bets usually range from 10 to 100 dollars for the spectators sitting in the cheap seats
and from 1000 to 10000 dollars to the VIP bleachers seated next to the ring. Betting is
an integral part of the process, many Filipinos regularly bet on fights hoping to attain an
extra income.

Besides the betting, selling gamecocks is a multimillion business. Americans travel all
the way to the Philippines to sell their fighting roosters. It’s quite a lucrative business
since, according to The United Gamefowl Breeders in the US, a good number of its
members raise hundreds of gamecocks where they make around 1000 dollars or up to
2500 dollars for a single rooster.

Clearly, it’s a game that has attracted loads and loads of investors, which has, in turn,
contributed to a boost in the country’s economy.

The roosters’ eligibility for participation

To participate in the competition, the cocks must be properly trained by their owners.
The training usually involves teaching the rooster proper fighting skills. The owner must
also feed the roosters with a strong, healthy diet, especially one that contains vitamins,
and supplements. Vaccines and antibiotics are incorporated as part of the roosters’
growth life.

After a fight, the owners often slip cayenne pepper up the roosters’ anuses in a bid to
revive them. However, most cock owners are resorting to faster and more effective
methods of reviving their birds like steroids and other energy enhancing drugs.

The World Slasher Cup Cockfighting Super Bowl

The World Slasher Cup is the cockfighting Super Bowl, which is basically a 5-7 day
series of about 648 cockfighting matches that are held in downtown Quezon City,
Manila. Famed as the coliseum where Joe Frazier battled it out with Muhammad Ali, the
20,000-seat arena now hosts thousands of cockfighting fanatics.

The stadium features several screens which broadcast the fight. Inside the ring are two
referees with the fighting cocks. As the game continues, thousands of spectators
become increasingly immersed in the spectacle.

The fighting roosters are extremely aggressive. Each fighter is brought inside the ring
and “touches gloves” with the opponent. They are then taken to the corners of the ring.
The first whistle blow by the referee signals the start of the first round. As the spectators
cheer on, the roosters jump on each other with their sharp claws, this is soon followed
by clouds of feathers flying through the air.

Bringing excitement to the cockpit

To make the fights much faster and more aggressive, the roosters are fitted with sharp
3-inch blades that are generally attached to their left legs. The main purpose of the
sharp blades is to strike the opponent and then finish the job with their beaks. The
trainers often train their birds to attack with their legs and feet first before making the
final, killer blow. Besides making the fights faster and aggressive, the blades are
attached to make the matches “more interesting and fun for the trainers/owners and
gamblers.”
To make the bird even more aggressive before the fight, the trainers often spit on the
cock’s head in order to anger it before going into the fight. During the fight, the more
powerful and aggressive bird will forcefully rip away some of its opponent’s features. If
the blade doesn’t do extensive damage on the opponent, the opponent will live to fight
another round.

Right before the second round, the fighters only get a 15 seconds recovery period. The
short recovery time is often given to leave no chance for the injured birds to regain their
strength. If one bird is severely injured, it will only take a few blows to kill them during
the subsequent round, making the fights even faster and more fun.

When the fight comes to an end, bets are exchanged as the spectators cheer on. Most
fights take approximately 15 minutes. The fast-paced matches are accompanied by
noise from the spectators, which can be deafening.

The wrap-up

While some consider cockfighting as a “disgusting and outdated practice”, it’s a popular
sport and past-time fun activity for the people of the Philippines. Considering
cockfighting is a billion-dollar industry, most have hailed it as a great source of revenue
for the country. Watching the game can be disturbing for some, it still maintains massive
support from a large sector of the population.

Cockfighting in the Philippines: The billion dollar industry and

national obsession
05/14/2018 PhilLife

https://www.phillife.co/cockfighting-philippines/

Cockfighting reportedly has a 6,000-year history in the Philippines. In 1521, Ferdinand

Magellan’s chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, documented modern cockfighting when he
first witnessed it in 1521 in the kingdom of Taytay, Palawan. Jose Rizal dedicated an
entire chapter of his 1887 novel Noli Me Tangere to cockfighting culture.

Prior to the introduction of American sports to the country in the 20th century,
cockfighting was the top sport. Today, it still remains legal, popular and a billion-dollar
industry with approximately 2,500 dedicated stadiums across the country where about
30 million roosters fight and die every year.

In the 19th century, cockfighting culture was so ubiquitous that it appeared in a lot of
visual art. Men holding, training and fighting roosters was a very common sight in those
times. The sport was so widespread that it transcended class. Often one would see rich,
poor and everyone in between watching and participating in cockfights. Cockfights were
usually held on Sundays and holidays to ensure high attendance, so many of the
spectators and participants were dressed up in their best Barong Tagalog, pants and
hats.

“Sabungan” (cockfighting) from the book Album, Islas Filipinas, 1683-1888 by Juan
Maria Cariño and Sonia Pinto Ner (2004). The men here are likely middle to upper class
because their barongs are striped and embroidered all over, they wear pants made of
good material and European hats.
“Yndios adesirando los gallos de pelea; Yndios comiendo”. Painting by Jose Honorato
Lozano circa 1857. The men on the left wear white barongs, patterned pants and either
putongs (head wraps) or hats while they fight their roosters.
“Interior de la Gallera” painted by Jose Honorato Lozano circa 1847. The inside of a
crowded cockfighting arena (or cockpit) is depicted. Everyone is dressed up in either
striped or solid Barong Tagalog and European hats.

Journey of the Barong Tagalog,

Addendum Part 5: Cockfighting in 19th
Century Art
https://pineappleind.com/blogs/about-us/journey-of-the-barong-tagalog-addendum-part-5-
cockfighting-in-19th-century-art

History and General Background of Sabong in the Philippines

Origin

The history of cockfighting trace back to the time period before Christ. During the middle ages, the
Persians brought cockfighting to Greece, although most experts believe that the tradition itself
originated from Southeast Asia. The Greeks practiced it before battle to encourage their warriors to act
courageously. It became widely known across the countries in Europe especially in England as a gambling
activity which can be enjoyed by all social classes from the nobles to the commoners. Soon, the tradition
spread across the world including the New World colonies as it was brought by the English settlers.

In the Philippines, cockfighting which is also known as sabong, was first witnessed during Magellan’s
voyage of discovery of the country in 1521. It is considered to be a popular pastime in the country as it
has been existing for more than a hundred years. Filipinos from all social classes partake on this gambling
sport which has been integrated into the Filipino culture. Due to its popularity, cockfighting has become
a billion dollar industry with thousands of arenas and an estimated of more than a million cocks killed
across the entire country. In many countries, this activity has been banned due to its violent and cruel
nature, but cockfighting in the Philippines is considered to be legal. During 1974, President Ferdinand
Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 449 creating the “Cockfighting Law of 1974” which governed the
establishment and operations of cockpits in the country. As stated in the law, cockfighting is a vehicle for
the preservation of Filipino culture which may enhance the national identity. However, cockfighting will
only be allowed to occur in licensed cockpits which means other unlicensed venues that hold cock fights
are illegal. Most legal cock fights are held in stadiums or arenas while illegal cock fights are usually held
elsewhere. Recently, due to the rise of digital technology, Filipinos can bet on fighting cocks without
having to be physically present in the cockpit through e-sabong or online cockfighting.
General Background of the Game

Roosters normally go through proper training that involves teaching fighting skills in order to participate
in the competition. On the day of the competition, owners would stay in a designated area outside the
cockpit called ulutan where the cocks are paired together based on physical qualities such as height,
weight, and wingspan. After the cocks have been paired, a gaff, locally termed as tari, and a leg band
with specific numbers for each cock are attached on the leg of the cock. The length of the gaff is
determined by the size of the cock’s leg and it must be set at the right angle and height to inflict
maximum amount of damage with minimal movement.

In the cockpit or sabungan, the owners and cocks are assigned to a specific side: Meron – the cock that is
favored to win which means the odds of winning in this side are higher, but the betting multiplier is
much lower as compared to the other side, and Wala – the less popular cock or the underdog with a
higher betting multiplier. A cock can be placed in the meron side of the arena if it has survived past fights
or the owner may have a huge influence in the cockfighting community. The odds as well as the
multiplier may vary depending on each fight. Before the competition begins, the owners hold both cocks
close to each other until they start pecking to provoke aggressiveness and competition between the two
cocks. The cocks are also given time to walk around the area for the betting spectators to observe the
cock’s stance, movement and boldness.

Once the announcer or casador gives the cue, the spectators will begin yelling their wagers out to each
other. Due to the deafening noise in the arena, the betting manager known as the kristos rely on hand
signals to communicate their bets with the audience. The direction of the fingers signal different
denominations. In particular, fingers pointed upwards would mean bets are accepted in denominations
of tens. When pointed sidewards or horizontally, it would mean that bets are accepted in hundreds. If
fingers are pointed downwards, bets are accepted in denominations of thousands. For instance, four
fingers upward would signal forty pesos, two fingers downward for two thousand pesos and three
fingers pointed horizontally for three hundred pesos. Spectators can make two types of bets among
other people in the arena and through the kristos. Betting usually lasts around three to four minutes
before the match begins and bets can go as high as thousands of pesos and are immediately paid after
each fight. These cock fights are judged by a referee also known as sentensyador or kyome, who
normally has the final verdict which is not subject to any appeal. After the competition, winners not only
collect their prizes, but they also take the losing cock which is intended to be the celebratory dish.

Sabong Day: General Observations

The cockfighting event or sabong took place within a building called Texas Cockpit Arena. Before
entering, the group was able to observe the exterior and surrounding of the building. The building’s
exterior appeared to be quite old. The color of the paint and the glass on the building’s walls and
windows gave the impression that the building was aged. Outside the building, there was no orderly
form of parking as there was only one pathway within the area that served as both the entrance and
exit. This proved to be difficult when the group’s vehicles initially entered the parking area. It is worth
noting that there were noticeably more motorcycles parked than cars, this was easily observed as the
motorcycles took up far more space than the cars did. This can be seen as an indicator that a majority of
the attendees were from Class DE.

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The entrance had two openings for guests to enter into, one for regular attendees, and one for the VIP
guests. Upon entering the establishment, the group noticed that the area inside smelled of sweat, beer,
and cigarette smoke; these items seemed to be staples for the bettors. The building appeared to be old
and poorly maintained as there was discolored paint chipping from the walls. Different areas of the
building were poorly lit while others were well lit, depending on whether or not that area was popular.
The arena wherein the cocks were made to fight one another had two separate viewing areas, one for
regular guests and one for VIP guests. The former were seated above the arena took up a large space as
they were many regular guests. The latter was seated somewhat below the arena, but positioned in a
way where the viewers were eye level with the cocks fighting. The room for VIP guests was significantly
smaller and had good lighting with air conditioning. The group was able to observe 3 rounds of sabong in
the VIP area. Based off the appearance of the bettors, a majority of the people there did not seem very
well off, most of them appeared to be treat sabong as a pastime. However, there some were outliers
noticed as some individuals were seen betting P20,000-P30,000 per match. It shows that sabong appeals
to both the upper and lower classes of society.

Feelings as a Participant of the event

As participants in the event, we experienced a setting where we felt inappropriate and unbecoming. In
other words, we generally felt out of place from the start of the event up until we left the venue. After
synthesizing thoughts and feelings after the event, we had a common sense of nervousness even before
we entered the Texas Cockpit Arena. This feeling was caused by the odd and strange looks that we were
given by crowds of men outside the venue the moment we stepped out of our vehicles. Given that the
type of crowd who usually participate in the cockpit fighting arenas are mostly grown men, we then
realized that a group of teenagers participating in a gambling arena was unusual or unconventional for
those men who are usually accustomed to the same crowd every day in the cockpit fighting arena.
Despite the sense of edginess before entering the event, we still felt safe and secure the whole event
since we were accompanied by the owner’s son who was well-known and well respected in the arena. In
addition to this, our group was assigned to kuya Marlon who guided us through the whole process of the
sabong arena. He guided us through the ulutan area and tari room where we continued to feel out of
place because of the similar looks the group received upon entering the venue. However, the
intimidating gazes of the people inside the arena lessened because our group felt more welcomed by the
warm greetings and smiles of the other participants in the event as we were being guided by our key
informant.

We were then accompanied to the VIP viewing area where we would observe and participate in the cock
fights or sabong. Upon entering the VIP area, old men in the age range of 40s to 60s gave us the same
intimidating looks and stares. As participants of the event, members of the group wagered a hundred
pesos in each sabong fight that the group observed. As we brought out the money and handed them
over to the key informant, the people in the VIP viewing area smiled and produced faint laughs or giggles
at us because of the amount of money that we put out. It is also worthy to point out that the
bookkeepers of the arena were stunned that students were required to gamble because they anticipated
that our group was only present for observations. After this, we felt surprised and shocked after most of
them brought out huge amounts of money as compared to the miniscule amount that we wagered. The
VIP area was for people who normally gambled tens of thousands of pesos for each cock fight or sabong
fight. In spite of this, we did not feel discriminated at all since we realized that these people eventually
figured out that the group were students who were observing for school purposes. Before each fight, our
group felt overwhelmed by the noises of the people shouting for bets and wagers in both the general
seating and VIP areas of the arena. Even though the group was informed about the rules of the fight, we
experienced a sense of confusion and uncertainty in choosing which cock or rooster to gamble on. The
people around us only took seconds to decide the rooster for their bets without assessing and evaluating
the situation. We felt overwhelmed again upon realizing that people are only given a couple of minutes
or even less in deciding which side to wager on.

As mentioned before, the group’s participation in the activity is composed of three consecutive cock
fights. In the first fight, we wagered a hundred pesos each and won a return of an additional one
hundred pesos. All of the members of our group were smiling and laughing after the shock of winning in
the first fight. Since the first sabong fight ended quickly, we decided to participate again by gambling
another one hundred pesos. The duration of the second fight was longer than expected but the cock that
our group chose won again. Everyone in our group felt ecstatic for winning another fight which also
meant winning another one hundred pesos. In the third and final fight, a couple of members in the
group did not participate anymore but the rest tested their luck again by wagering our total winnings in
the hopes of doubling our prizes. Unfortunately, the cock that we chose put up a great fight at the start
but it could not finish its opponent which cost us all of our winnings. Overall, the gambling aspect of the
sabong activity provided us an exhilarating feeling when watching both roosters fight that would result
to either earning or losing money.

The group’s key informant, Marlon, explained the rules and process of sabong. He guided us through the
process and steps that each cock must go through before proceeding to the sabong arena. Firstly, we
were brought to the ulutan area where different cocks are observed to see if they have hostile behavior
with one another. This is a major step before entering the arena because cocks are tested if they are
suitable to fight against other competitors which would also give bettors an entertaining show. After this,
the key informant led our group to the gaffing room where competing cocks would be equipped in with a
blade called the tari. Marlon also explained to the group that the gaffers or people who attach the tari
earn a fraction of the prize money if the cock they prepare wins the fight. The last step of the process
was to finally bring the competing cocks to the arena for the sabong fights. This whole process was a
certain surprise to all of us since none of us knew that cocks had a blade attached to them for the fights.
In other words, the whole process behind the sabong fights was a learning experience for our whole
group.

Significant Insights

Many cultures in human civilization find entertainment in animal blood sports, such as dog fighting and
bullfighting. In Philippine culture, the animal blood sport that remains popular today—despite being
outlawed in several other countries—is cockfighting. As the group was made to observe and participate
in sabong by betting on the winning cock, victory meant sure death for the opposing animal in the ring.
Out of the three matches we observed, we bet on two of them and won both times. We felt ecstatic and
entertained whenever we saw the opposing cock’s body slump into a heap on the ground. We couldn’t
help but rejoice as the referee lifted the loser’s lifeless carcass and announced the winner. It is no
surprise that gambling is addictive, but another element that makes sabong so entertaining on top of the
gambling, is the thrill from the action of knowing that animals will kill one another in the stadium.

After We collected our winning money and left the stadium, We couldn’t help but feel a sense of
bittersweetness. We couldn’t understand why the cocks were subject to such a cruel fate. We began to
wonder if simply being animals degraded them to lower forms of life, and thus, made it socially
acceptable for them to be subject to living for the purpose of fighting for entertainment. We understand
that the legalization of cockfighting in the Philippines has certain economic benefits and allows people to
make a living, but it comes at the cost of approximately 30 millions cocks a year in the Philippines alone.
We realized that people will always find entertainment in bloodsports. History is littered with humans
finding entertainment from bloodsports. However, not all of them need to involve animals. We see many
people entertained by the MMA and boxing industry, and fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd
Mayweather making successful careers out of it. We also wondered why cockfighting remains legal in the
Philippines while it is outlawed in many other Asian countries. Is it because the animal rights movement
in the Philippines isn’t concrete and large enough to make large scale actions? And if it was as large as
other countries, would cockfighting remain as a socially acceptable pastime? People fail to recognize the
sanctity of animals’ lives simply because of how we allow ourselves to treat them, and if we continue to
disregard the immorality of the sport and make a difference, this dehumanization will continue to persist
as well, turning more animals into victims for mere entertainment.

These realizations came as we placed the money in our pockets. The true value of blood money can’t be
measured by numerical figures or the cost it’s worth, but by the sacrificed lives of the fallen roosters, and
one cannot put a price on that.

Effects of having a Key Informant

In the whole span of time the group spent in Texas Cockpit Arena, we mostly relied on our five senses in
critical observation. However, key intelligence from the game itself as well as the habits and principles
behind it was all thanks to our key informant, Marlon. Marlon was assigned to us by the owner to tour us
around the premises and advise us with insider information on the routinely processes related to the
game as mentioned beforehand.

Heading into the parking lot, we were immediately given priority and special attention as all the cars
veered away for us to park with ease. Afterwards, Marlon introduced us to the waiting and gaffing area
and narrated to us the detailed preparation that each cock had to undergo. As we watched each fight,
our key informant would give us keener explanations on the game that the normal civilian eye would not
be able to witness, especially students like us who had no experience on the cockfighting scene. As
mentioned beforehand, we were mainly taught on how the betting system works in directions and
denominations of hand signs. Marlon also described to us the various types of people who take up the
arena, especially the VIP seating. With this, we were able to understand these people on a better scope
whether they were there as a pastime or for the sole reason of clout amongst their other acquaintances.

All in all, having a key informant gave us a brand new perspective to the environment we assigned
ourselves to observe from the ground up. Blindly walking in the cockpit arena would closely amount to
nothing without insider knowledge on the game and the growing culture from the sabong community.
In line with this, if the informant was absent, the observations we made would have had lesser intrinsic
value because of the lack of the proper terms used in analyzing both the fight and the preparations. The
engagement towards their practice would be considered half-baked if the key informant never paved the
way for us.

Learnings from Participant Observation

Through proactively engaging in participant observation, the group learned so much more in contrast to
merely interviewing a credible person or simply relying on one’s five senses in getting to their answers.
The manner of our results captured almost the whole picture of the sabong culture to the littlest detail
in terms of grooming the cocks as well as learning about the hand signs in proper denominations in
betting. No amount of interview or questionnaire can delve on a personal and hands-on experience the
group underwent. It was essentially living in a sabungero’s shoes for an afternoon, and that was more
than enough to take in the experience and simultaneously analyze it for academic purposes.

A questionnaire would be deemed useful, however, if the group was tasked to collect a mass amount of
opinion from its respective community. This method does not dwell on the researcher’s personal stand
on the experience but its usage is for contrasting various views of a certain aspect of the game. For
example, one can write out questionnaires for the community to research on how the betting system in
the cockpit arena can improve or how the preparations of each cock can be more uniform with one
another to ensure fairness in every fight. In sum, this method of research can illustrate a picture of the
sabong experience not in the researcher’s personal eyes but the gathered depictions of the results only,
by seeing the unified thought of the game and foreseeing potential outliers as well.

An interview, on the other hand, is primarily used to acquire the most precise kind of experience as told
by a certain person. This method essentially tries to understand a narration of an aspect of the game by
a credible individual. Moreover, researchers use interviews to get info on a certain experience only a
select few went through, for example; a well-known fight with huge stakes and comparably even odds. In
that occurrence, researchers would approach both the fan-favorite and the underdog and ask them to
narrate their own respective preparations for the fight as well as detailing us on personal emotions and
outlooks that manifested within the event. Ultimately, there are an abundance of research materials to
choose from and it up to the researcher’s own intelligence to discern which would be the optimum
method to gather information according to their own ideal taste for results.

Insights about Philippine Society and Culture

We can clearly see that gambling is heavily ingrained in Philippine culture, with several forms of
gambling being prevalent today. With our group’s observation of the Texas Cockpit Arena, we went home
with three main insights about Philippine society and culture. These insights would be that the
Philippine’s sabong culture is generally accepting of outside individuals, it highlights how Filipinos value
their money and resources, and that it clearly illustrates the difference between social classes in
Philippine society.

More often than not, gambling in the Philippines is secluded and is not generally welcoming of new
individuals such as observers and researchers. However, this is not the case when we observed in the
Texas Cockpit Arena. We observed that the place was populated mostly by individuals from low income
households and despite the occasional stares, we were surprised that the demographic was generally
accepting of outside individuals such as ourselves. A concrete example of this would be a gentleman
who, without hesitation, agreed to be filmed and documented in the Gaffer’s Room. Also, there were
some betters who were kind enough to tell us about the activity and some of their personal strategies.

This experience inevitably led me to the cliché saying that Filipinos are very hospitable. We’ve heard it
said everywhere, from the occasional balikbayan to high-profile foreign personalities, and it holds true
nonetheless. Our personal experience in the Texas Cockpit Arena mirrors the current situation of
Philippine society, or the Filipino people as a whole. Despite being individuals clearly from a different
demographic, the population was generally accepting and even went to the extent of helping us
understand the activity even more.

Next, the sabong highlights how Filipinos value their money and resources. According to the video
entitled “Assignment Asia: Cocks in Battle,” some Filipinos would rather put their luck to the test rather
than buy necessities such as medication. This is because according to them, their pastime and
entertainment is much more important than their already deteriorating health. This just shows how
Philippine society is, rather how Filipino people are. They are persistent to the point that even though
they more often than not lose, they keep coming back to push their luck.

Furthermore, the Philippine’s sabong culture clearly illustrates the difference between social classes in
Philippine society. One could say that a sabong is a sphere of activity wherein class lines blur, a game
enjoyed with equal fervor both by the rich and the masa. However, while the activity may be seen as an
activity that brings people of different demographics together, it clearly illustrates the difference of social
classes in the Philippines. According to Dr. Ricardo Abad, a sociologist from the Ateneo de Manila
University, gambling laws of cockfighting reflects the difference in classes in Philippine society with the
wealthy being favored than the less-fortunate. This holds true because most cock fighting rings
implement an entrance fee and a minimum bet in order to enter the arena, therefore those with little
money would only be allowed to bet from outside. Also, the difference in classes could also be observed
with the inclusion of the VIP area in the arena. Low ballers would be situated in the stands while high
profile betters would be in the fully air-conditioned VIP area.

Lastly, Dr. Abad elaborates that the sabong can be seen as something with cultural and symbolic
significance. He also stated that the sabong is a male-oriented activity because men see the sabong as an
enhancer of one’s status in society. When men join and win, they see it as something to be proud of,
giving them feelings of strength and privilege over their unfortunate counterparts. This aspect of
cockfighting further strengthens the fact that Philippine society gives great importance to one’s class and
status.

Cockfighting (Sabong)

13 MAY 2019

David Agcaoili, Carl Chingkoe, Charles Cuerpo, Jodi Diomampo, Althea Yu (SA21-X)

https://thehappyandgayexperience.wordpress.com/2019/05/13/cockfighting-sabong/

Despite attempts to eliminate cockfighting as their vice, both informants still co

uld not get gambling out of their minds. With money at hand, there was always a yearning to go to
the nearest cockpit. Thus, cockfighting kept them addicted. Oscar even labeled cockfighting as
may sa demonyo or like work of a demon due to constant conflict with their conscience in
spending money.
https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/qa493/