In an article from the Philippines: "Today, the sport of cockfighting and the gamefowl breeding industry is estimated to be at P50 billion."
In the Philippines it is a P50 billion a year industry. That amounts to 1.25 billion US dollars according to the current exchange rate.
In a country where the average personal income is about $250-$300 US dollars a month,,,,, that is a very large positive impact for the economy.
The HSUS president Wayne Pacelle has stated that "cockfighting is a billion dollar a year industry in the US."
I agree it is at least a billion dollar a year industry in the USA. Economic studies prove the cockfighting industry brought more than $113,000,000.00 into the rural counties of Oklahoma each year.
In Peurto Rico governmental records reveal the cockfighting industry is a $400,000,000.00 a year industry.
And all that must be done to bring this vital industry back to Oklahoma is our legislators must have the courage to uphold their oath of office and repeal an unconstitutional law that was placed on the ballot illegally by out of state petitioners in violation of our state legislative petition laws.
You're never going to stop cockfighters (ranchers) from harvesting their gamecocks (livestock) you may as well face it, embrace us and stop trampling on our inalienable rights, civil rights, human rights and our freedom, ripping our families apart and endangering rural Oklahomans live's over chickens (our livestock) we are simply havesting while we try to make a living and feed our families in rural Oklahoma.
Sabong = Cockfighting
Sabong: A Sport and Industry Filipinos Can Be Proud Of
Gameness til the End
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Jan 19, 2009
Even before the Spaniards landed in our shores, our forefathers were already fighting roosters. According to Magellan’s chronicler Pigafetta When they landed in the island of Palawan, “We found the natives fighting huge, but very tamed roosters”.
In a case study by American Scott Guggenheim, who stayed in Cagayan Valley for almost two years, it was mentioned that the Filipino’s fondness for the cockfighting was employed by the Spaniards to make governing the natives easier. “People were living so far apart from each other, so the rulers built cockpits and the natives transferred around these establishments”.
It was also thru cockfighting that the first acts of taxation were implemented. History tells us that the first semblance of upheaval by the Filipinos was when Spanish government raised the fees and taxes on cockfighting. Though it may be true that cockfighting was employed against us, we did turn the tables on the Spaniards in the same manner, due to the fact that the cockpits became the ideal recruitment grounds for the prospective members of the Katipunan that paved the way for us to win back our freedom.
When the Americans came, they implemented things to make the Filipinos turn their backs from and forget cockfighting, but they failed. Under the American regime, textbooks were printed in the hope of putting the sports in a bad light, thus the phrase that “if a cocker’s house catches fire, the will save his rooster first, then his wife” was spread. The Americans also introduced baseball to the hilt, hoping the youth would adopt the said sport and completely veer away from cockfighting, but to no avail, Cockfighting continuously became popular.
SABONG IN THE ’80s
In 1981 the Philippine Gamefowl Commission was created by the virtue of Presidential Decree 1802. The ’80′s was the decade when Philippine cockfighting saw a strong resurgence. The success of what were considered as truly Filipino breeds such as Lemon 84, the Mitra Blues, and the Zamboanga Whites gave new colors and a foundation of hope to the sport. It was during this time that a number of cocking stars rose to fame.
New cockpits were built while existing ones were refurbished and improved such as San Juan Coliseum, Cavite Coliseum, and Roligon Mega Cockpit that presented record-breaking events that brightly augmented the glitter of Araneta Coliseum’s revered contribution to Philippine cockfighting, the World Slasher Cup.
SABONG IN THE ’90s
The passing into law of the Omnibus Local Government Code of 1991 that ordered the devolution of the Philippine Gamefowl Commission and gave the local government units blanket authority and power over cockfighting, paved the way in the easing up of restrictions on cockfighting that blew open doors for the long overdue expansion of the sports. More cockpits were established. More derbies were held. It was also during this period that several periodicals on cockfighting were put in circulation such as Pinoy Sabungero Magasin, Sabong Magasin, Birds & Steel, and Philippine Cockfights Newsmag. Tukaan, the first tele-magazine program on cockfighting and gamefowl breeding went on air in 1999.
It was in the 90′s when specialty feeds, vitamins and medicine for the gamefowls were produced by such companies as Thunderbird with its “winning formula”. The huge increase in the number of cockpits resulted in stiff competition to the benefit of the cockfighters. Rich and attractive derby promotions were staged outdoing each other in the amount of prizes and gimmicks. They offered large guarantee prizes with easily affordable entry feee like the Hatawan sa Tag-ulan and Largahan of Roligon. This paved the way for mass-based cockers to try derby fighting for the first time.
2000 TO THE PRESENT
It cannot be denied that at the onset of the new millennium, one of the biggest thngs that ever happened to Philippine cockfighting, particularly in the field of gamefowl breeding, become a reality. It was the creation of the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders that bound the already existing breeders’ associations under one umbrella and also provided the inspiration for gamefowl breeders in every region and provinces to put up their respective associations.
The next big development was the easing up on the importation of fighting cocks and breeding stocks from America. While before that time, only participants in an international derby can bring gamebirds into the country, the Bureau of Animal Industry, to the delight of the local rooster-raisers allowed anyone to import, as long as his farm is registered with the said agency.
Nowadays, Philippine cockfighting is at am all time high. There are now two federations after the United Gamecock Breeders Association was formed by groups that decided to break away from the NFGB. Today, NFGB is stronger with about 30 member breeder’s associations boosted by the formations of new provincial and regional groups.
Before, it was only the World Slasher Cup, but today there are five to six international derbies being held each year. However, the Slasher, which is held twice a year at the historic Araneta Coliseum for more than 30 years now, is undoubtedly the most prestigious and regarded internationally as the “Olympics of Cockfighting” joined by the best cockfighters from here and abroad bringing along their finest winged-warriors. Legens like Duke Hulsey, Joe Goode, Billy Ruble, Jimmy East, Dee Cox, Ray Alexander, Carol Nesmith, and Johnny Jumper have graced the Slasher which Jorge “Nene” Araneta’s flaming commitment to Philippine cockfighting.
For the first time, World Slasher Cup’s 3-day format had to be spread as a five-day event with the number of participants finally breaking the 200-mark. The healthy competition and interaction between local and visiting cockfighters has contributed so much to the high pedigree of “warbirds” that we have in the Philippines today. Moreover, this semi-annual cockfighting spectacle through the years, has also become the homecoming occasion for thousands of Pinoy sabungeros working abroad or have acquired foreign citizenship, but have remained Filipinos in their passion for sabong.
Philippine cockfighting is alive and kicking and hundreds of thousand of families now owe their livelihood to cockfighting and the gamefowl industry. There are those who are directly employed, the gamefowl breeders, handlers, gaffers, cockpit owners, cockpit operators, derby promoters, bet-takers, vendors, etc.
Thousand more are benefited by way of employment in allied industries that provide products and services to cockfighting and gamefowl breeding such as that work in gamefowl feeds and vetmed companies, just to name a few.
Today, the sport of cockfighting and the gamefowl breeding industry is estimated to be at P50 billion.
Socialist within America have tried to deprive us of our culture and heritage by vilifying it and spreading lies and other false propaganda about cockfighters but it hasn't worked, we're not consenting to these intrusions on our rights and freedoms.
Now many of our government officials are working in collusion with the animal rights extremists and their socialist supporters to force us into compliance with their opinion even if they endanger our lives or kill us in their effort to strip us of our inalienable rights while trampling the very principles of freedom America is founded on over chickens.
Thank you,
U.S. Army ret SFC B.L. Cozad Jr
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Jan 19, 2009
Even before the Spaniards landed in our shores, our forefathers were already fighting roosters. According to Magellan’s chronicler Pigafetta When they landed in the island of Palawan, “We found the natives fighting huge, but very tamed roosters”.
In a case study by American Scott Guggenheim, who stayed in Cagayan Valley for almost two years, it was mentioned that the Filipino’s fondness for the cockfighting was employed by the Spaniards to make governing the natives easier. “People were living so far apart from each other, so the rulers built cockpits and the natives transferred around these establishments”.
It was also thru cockfighting that the first acts of taxation were implemented. History tells us that the first semblance of upheaval by the Filipinos was when Spanish government raised the fees and taxes on cockfighting. Though it may be true that cockfighting was employed against us, we did turn the tables on the Spaniards in the same manner, due to the fact that the cockpits became the ideal recruitment grounds for the prospective members of the Katipunan that paved the way for us to win back our freedom.
When the Americans came, they implemented things to make the Filipinos turn their backs from and forget cockfighting, but they failed. Under the American regime, textbooks were printed in the hope of putting the sports in a bad light, thus the phrase that “if a cocker’s house catches fire, the will save his rooster first, then his wife” was spread. The Americans also introduced baseball to the hilt, hoping the youth would adopt the said sport and completely veer away from cockfighting, but to no avail, Cockfighting continuously became popular.
SABONG IN THE ’80s
In 1981 the Philippine Gamefowl Commission was created by the virtue of Presidential Decree 1802. The ’80′s was the decade when Philippine cockfighting saw a strong resurgence. The success of what were considered as truly Filipino breeds such as Lemon 84, the Mitra Blues, and the Zamboanga Whites gave new colors and a foundation of hope to the sport. It was during this time that a number of cocking stars rose to fame.
New cockpits were built while existing ones were refurbished and improved such as San Juan Coliseum, Cavite Coliseum, and Roligon Mega Cockpit that presented record-breaking events that brightly augmented the glitter of Araneta Coliseum’s revered contribution to Philippine cockfighting, the World Slasher Cup.
SABONG IN THE ’90s
The passing into law of the Omnibus Local Government Code of 1991 that ordered the devolution of the Philippine Gamefowl Commission and gave the local government units blanket authority and power over cockfighting, paved the way in the easing up of restrictions on cockfighting that blew open doors for the long overdue expansion of the sports. More cockpits were established. More derbies were held. It was also during this period that several periodicals on cockfighting were put in circulation such as Pinoy Sabungero Magasin, Sabong Magasin, Birds & Steel, and Philippine Cockfights Newsmag. Tukaan, the first tele-magazine program on cockfighting and gamefowl breeding went on air in 1999.
It was in the 90′s when specialty feeds, vitamins and medicine for the gamefowls were produced by such companies as Thunderbird with its “winning formula”. The huge increase in the number of cockpits resulted in stiff competition to the benefit of the cockfighters. Rich and attractive derby promotions were staged outdoing each other in the amount of prizes and gimmicks. They offered large guarantee prizes with easily affordable entry feee like the Hatawan sa Tag-ulan and Largahan of Roligon. This paved the way for mass-based cockers to try derby fighting for the first time.
2000 TO THE PRESENT
It cannot be denied that at the onset of the new millennium, one of the biggest thngs that ever happened to Philippine cockfighting, particularly in the field of gamefowl breeding, become a reality. It was the creation of the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders that bound the already existing breeders’ associations under one umbrella and also provided the inspiration for gamefowl breeders in every region and provinces to put up their respective associations.
The next big development was the easing up on the importation of fighting cocks and breeding stocks from America. While before that time, only participants in an international derby can bring gamebirds into the country, the Bureau of Animal Industry, to the delight of the local rooster-raisers allowed anyone to import, as long as his farm is registered with the said agency.
Nowadays, Philippine cockfighting is at am all time high. There are now two federations after the United Gamecock Breeders Association was formed by groups that decided to break away from the NFGB. Today, NFGB is stronger with about 30 member breeder’s associations boosted by the formations of new provincial and regional groups.
Before, it was only the World Slasher Cup, but today there are five to six international derbies being held each year. However, the Slasher, which is held twice a year at the historic Araneta Coliseum for more than 30 years now, is undoubtedly the most prestigious and regarded internationally as the “Olympics of Cockfighting” joined by the best cockfighters from here and abroad bringing along their finest winged-warriors. Legens like Duke Hulsey, Joe Goode, Billy Ruble, Jimmy East, Dee Cox, Ray Alexander, Carol Nesmith, and Johnny Jumper have graced the Slasher which Jorge “Nene” Araneta’s flaming commitment to Philippine cockfighting.
For the first time, World Slasher Cup’s 3-day format had to be spread as a five-day event with the number of participants finally breaking the 200-mark. The healthy competition and interaction between local and visiting cockfighters has contributed so much to the high pedigree of “warbirds” that we have in the Philippines today. Moreover, this semi-annual cockfighting spectacle through the years, has also become the homecoming occasion for thousands of Pinoy sabungeros working abroad or have acquired foreign citizenship, but have remained Filipinos in their passion for sabong.
Philippine cockfighting is alive and kicking and hundreds of thousand of families now owe their livelihood to cockfighting and the gamefowl industry. There are those who are directly employed, the gamefowl breeders, handlers, gaffers, cockpit owners, cockpit operators, derby promoters, bet-takers, vendors, etc.
Thousand more are benefited by way of employment in allied industries that provide products and services to cockfighting and gamefowl breeding such as that work in gamefowl feeds and vetmed companies, just to name a few.
Today, the sport of cockfighting and the gamefowl breeding industry is estimated to be at P50 billion.
Socialist within America have tried to deprive us of our culture and heritage by vilifying it and spreading lies and other false propaganda about cockfighters but it hasn't worked, we're not consenting to these intrusions on our rights and freedoms.
Now many of our government officials are working in collusion with the animal rights extremists and their socialist supporters to force us into compliance with their opinion even if they endanger our lives or kill us in their effort to strip us of our inalienable rights while trampling the very principles of freedom America is founded on over chickens.
Thank you,
U.S. Army ret SFC B.L. Cozad Jr
Philippine cockfighting is not the same as American cockfighting. Philippine gaff or blade is designed for fastest kill. American gaff is bayonet type and the chicken's body is fall of holes after the fight/dragging if ever the chicken survive. There is truly cruelty to animal pet in American cockfighting.
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