Cockfighting: Still popular in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, June 28-- Cockfighting continues to be popular among Leytenos, said Leyte Vice-Governor Carlo Loreto, based on the number of municipal ordinances that pass through the provincial board for review.

Loreto, in an interview Wednesday, said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Leyte receives at least two ordinances in a month from Leyte towns asking for review of their local ordinance granting permit to hold cockfights in their respective area.

“We get considerable amount of ordinances for cockfighting, regulation, issuances of franchises, establishment of cockfarms, not only cockfighting and production,” Loreto said.

The recent cockfighting ordinance the provincial board reviewed and approved came from the town of Lapaz, about 48 kilometers from regional capital of Tacloban.

The vice governor also urged LGUs to strictly implement the law on cockfighting in order to prevent the proliferation of cockfighting operation in the entire province without franchise, and for franchise operators to strictly comply with the requirements of a cockpit operation.

Cockfighting is regulated by PD 449 or the Cockfighting Law of the Philippines to effectively control and regulate cockfighting towards its establishment as a national recreation, relaxation and source of entertainment; to provide additional revenue for our tourism program; and to remove and prevent excessive and unreasonable business operation and profit considerations in the management of cockpits and, instead preserve Philippine customs and traditions and thereby enhance our national identity.

Regulation has been devolved to local government units subject for review by the provincial sanggunian.

The vice governor otherwise urged LGUs to strictly implement the law on cockfighting in order to prevent the proliferation of cockfighting operation in the entire province without franchise, and for franchise operators to strictly comply with the requirements of a cockpit operation.

In the Philippines, the 6,000 year-old sport of cockfighting has been transformed into a fully-legal, billion dollar industry. Known locally as "sabong", it takes place in hundreds of dedicated stadiums across the country and kills an estimated 30 million roosters each year. (Ahlette C. Reyes/PNA)