Roosters fight during a cockfight at the San Pedro Coliseum, in Laguna province, on August 26, 2022 (AFP/Jam STA ROSA)
In a noisy Philippine gallodrome, Dennis de la Cruz smiles ear to ear as he watches his roosters slash their opponents in a frenzy of blood and feathers.
Closed for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, traditional cockfighting arenas are back to full capacity throughout the archipelago.
Banned in many countries, cockfighting, or “sabong”, is hugely popular in the Philippines where it generates millions of dollars in bets every week.
Roosters with artificial metal spurs on their legs fight to the death, to the cheers of onlookers – mostly men.
Roosters fight during a cockfight at the San Pedro Coliseum, in Laguna province, on August 26, 2022 (AFP/Jam STA ROSA)
“In our village, more than half of the people are involved in cockfighting,” de la Cruz, 64, told AFP during a recent derby in San Pedro, south of the capital Manila, where he almost won the jackpot of one million pesos (17,400 euros).
The son of a gallodrome operator, Mr. de la Cruz has never had a regular job, but he lives off the earnings from the roosters raised by his nephew.
In this country of stark inequality, cockfighting is a rare “neutral ground” where rich and poor mingle and play by the same rules, said anthropologist Chester Cabalza of the University of the Philippines.
Adhering to a strict code of honor, spectators have a habit of using hand signals, like stock brokers, to place their bets during a match that can last less than a minute.
A rooster on a shelter at a fighting farm in Tanauan, Batangas, on September 29, 2022 (AFP/Jam STA ROSA)
A single fight frequently generates 300,000 to 400,000 pesos in bets, a fan told AFP.
After each fight – there are 15 per hour – crumpled banknotes are thrown at the winning bettor.
Gallodromes must now be equipped with betting machines where winners can collect their money without multiplying interactions with the crowd.
“If your rooster wins, you walk out of the ring like a tough guy, you give off a macho image,” says game bird breeder Edwin Lumbres, puffing out his chest. “But if you lose, you put your head down and you drag your feet out.”
– “Until death” –
Enthusiasts defend this sport as an integral part of the national culture.
Katrina Del Espiritu Santo, of the association People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is campaigning for the prohibition of a practice deemed cruel, where birds are “forced to fight until death”.
A man tends to an injured rooster after a fight at the Colosseum in San Pedro, Laguna province, on August 26, 2022 (AFP/Jam STA ROSA)
But in the Philippines, activist efforts are having little effect. Fighting cocks remain very popular there, they can cost between 3,000 and 15,000 pesos depending on the track record of their parents.
Fighting fowl are kept in wire cages outside houses in urban areas or in triangular-shaped sheds on farms.
When the gallodromes closed at the start of the pandemic, many small breeders who could no longer afford to feed their animals were forced to sell them at low prices – or eat them.
Others have admitted to staging illegal fights to make ends meet.
In order to revive the tradition and bring revenue into the state coffers emptied by the pandemic, former President Rodrigo Duterte had issued permits to organize online fights.
The “e-sabong” fights, broadcast 24 hours a day, took place in empty arenas, and allowed people to bet on their mobile phones.
The popularity of the sport has exploded, as have the earnings.
The government earned 640 million pesos a month in entrance fees, according to its then president.
A man weighs his rooster before a fight at the Colosseum in San Pedro, Laguna province (AFP/Archives/Jam STA ROSA)
Charlie Ang, who runs Lucky 8 Star Quest, told a Senate inquiry that Filipinos bet between one and two billion pesos on his platform every day, which he said accounts for about 95% of wagers.
But 34 sector employees have disappeared this year and local media have reported suicides of debt-ridden gamblers.
Under pressure, Mr. Duterte ended up stopping the online fighting, shortly before the end of his mandate in June.
As restrictions eased, local governments gradually allowed traditional gallodromes to resume fighting, a relief for millions of Filipinos.
“People were angry because their favorite hobby had been taken away,” said Dondon Clanor, a 45-year-old enthusiast. “Now everyone is happy.”
© 2022 AFP
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