What’s in the cockfight that many Filipino men regard as their favorite pastime? The answers can vary, of course, if you are going to ask these cockers why, but all with a single thought though: it can give them a unique feeling of satisfaction and excitement at the same time. It has become an important part of Philippine culture and tradition and has been practiced long before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines. Even Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero who was executed by the Spaniards in 1896, once said that the average Filipino loves his gamefowls more than his children.
Cockfighting or locally known as Sabong is a blood sport where two roosters have to fight to the death with the use of extremely sharp blades known as gaffs or knifes attached to their legs. The fight may end, in a blast of feathers, in a few minutes, or even seconds, when either rooster suffered a fatal injury or instant death. But there are times that the two cocks fight until the end and finished a tie.
Cockfighting is so popular in the Philippines that it has become a billion-dollar industry. It’s big business. But aside from its economic aspect, the cockfights reflect, what is more important, the true essence of the Filipino. It’s a game of chance and that is what many Filipinos are better known because they believe in chance, luck, and miracles.
And while cockfights have been banned in other parts of the world, it is still the favorite pastime for many Filipinos today. Sabong is a deeply ingrained part of Filipino culture and will continue to be so. It does not only reflect the Filipino culture in general, but is actually a culture in itself, after all.
The gamefowl industry in the Philippines is booming, helping hundreds of thousands of families who owe their livelihood with. These are those who were employed as gamefarm caretakers and maintenance. And then we have the game bird breeders, handlers, cockpit owners, gaffers, cockpit operators, derby promoters, gamblers, sellers, and so on, not to mention the thousands more who will be employed in related industries that specialize in providing products and services with respect to cockfights and the likes.
Sabong Culture and Art 