Sabong: Cockfighting In The Philippines Thrills (Sabong Arena)

Sabong gives you a unique and thrilling satisfaction of a Filipino national pastime. It lets you feel a great, enduring forming facet of the culture of the Philippines. There’s no pastime in the Philippines that is as popular and as old as sabong (cockfighting). Before the Spaniards came, it was already around and well loved by Filipinos, mostly men and young boys. In all Philippine cities, Philippine provinces, towns, and practically every barangay (42,000 all), cockfighting derbies and hack fights rule. It has grown to a P50-Billion industry involving an estimated 10 million stakeholders. This pastime is a hobby, a sporting event, and a gambling instance all rolled into one. Kinds of Sabong Basically, the game has 2 kinds… gaffed and ungaffed. The Filipino cockfighting gaff is called ‘tari’, a very sharp knife usually measuring two inches. The Ungaffed Type This type does not use gaff. It is appealing because no cock will die. Usually, it is a contest between two cocks where betting is an option. Filipino men and boys love to watch it… I’m one. A multiple-cock option is a rare event that cockers employ for the fun of it. It’s called ‘karambola’ and it’s very exciting. In a no-bet show, the cocks scuffle for as long as the cockers allow, or when one cock runs away. Ungaffed is also a way for cockers to test the mettle of their cocks. A runner goes quick to the kitchen to the delight of the cocker’s wife and their children. On the other hand, the fast, strong and brave cock becomes the cocker’s pet for further rearing. Some times, the wife is irked when her cocker-husband gives more attention to the cock than her. Some wives, though, prefer their cocker-husbands fondling their cocks rather than the other woman. Ungaffed betting was common in Mindanao in the 60’s and earlier. In Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces in Southern Philippines, the ‘sabongeros’ (cockfight aficionados) call it ‘parawakan’. Some Filipino Muslim cockers have ‘parawakan’ cocks they source from Indonesia or Malaysia. I have seen several ‘parawakan’ matches in Southern Philippines when I was stationed there as a Marine during the 70’s. I would say the ‘parawakan’ cocks thereat are really durable, making matches longer. Gaffed Type This type employs a gaff called ‘tari’ usually hitched on the left leg of the fighting cock. On very rare occasions, right gaffing is used with the explicit acceptance of the contending cockers. The gaffed type is so popular nation-wide. On Sundays, all cockpits throughout the country are exhibiting the sports. In Metro-Manila, it is held everyday. You just have to hop from one cockpit to another across the metropolis. Unwritten Protocol Among A Special Class Of Men Sabongeros are a rare breed of Filipino men. In the real sense of the word, they are fidelistic, specially to their wives. They don’t CHEAT in the game; they don’t CHEAT on their wives. They’re afraid of ‘malas’ (bad luck), which they believe comes with cheating… I submit too. I would venture to say that Sabongeros ‘are the most honorable people in the Philippines’. They have a time-honored tradition and culture of honesty and dignity. It is their character that has accentuated the existence of sabong in Philippines history for thousands of years. In the cockpit, or even in the streets or backyards, the actors of the game pay respect to each other. A losing bettor never fails to pay. The losing cocker, gaffer, handler, or bet barker never complains. The bet barkers called ‘kristo or masiador’ are a class of their own. A ‘kristo’ can memorized as much as 50 bids of bet he has closed at different amounts. The ‘kristo’ can memorize where the bettors are sitting or standing. Years of practice gained him that exceptional range of mental retention. When his bet loses, he asks his sponsor for the bet and goes around to hand out the money to the winners. The sponsor never fails to oblige too. On the other hand, the losing bettors, usually the unanimous ones in the great crowd, never fail their obligations too. Without moving from where they are, they just crumple peso bills (payments) and throw them into the air towards the ‘kristo’, who is also an adept catcher. That’s it. Wrap Up Sabong is a Filipino national pastime that gives you unique thrills in the company of a special class of men. It is a hobby, a sporting event, and a gambling instance all rolled into one. It has an enduring, unwritten rule of integrity and honesty. The sports is a deep, great forming aspect of the Filipino culture and tradition of respect to fellow men.