The Candelaria 7 Cock Derby that
started January 29 and will end on February 2, 2012 is a cockfighting
and tourism event that had become a tradition for cockfighting
aficionados worldwide. It is expected to attract more than 10,000
attendees mostly males, who had made it their yearly pilgrimage to
watch the much anticipated fights, participate in the derby or simply
enjoy the company of friends.
The event which is the biggest in the
region and once in the whole country, attracts the best breeders and
cock fighters vying not only for the prize money but for the prestige
of having won the Candelaria Cup, a much coveted prize that opens
many business prospects for game fowl breeders and those employed by
the industry such as handlers, feeders and knife-tiers or gaffers as
they are popularly called. Having won in the Candelaria 7 Cock for
breeders mean more sales of their prized fighting cocks at a higher
price.
Joining the event is not only a
distinction but also a badge of honor. Becoming a champion earns you
the bragging rights for having bested the country's best breeders and
cock fighters. But even by merely joining gives one the feeling of
“having arrived”. The entry fee is a stiff P50,000.00 and the
minimum bet per fight is P22,000.00. In the previous years, there was
a guaranteed pot money that ran to more than P5,000,000.00 but this
year, the Pit Manager, Mr. Luis Tinsay said that the Board of
Directors have decided to adopt the format of “Win-as-much” of
all the other big events nationwide.
Gamefowl Breeding as a major industry
in Region VI.
Region VI that is comprised of the
islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros is undoubtedly the country's
game fowl capital. The collective output (stags and cocks) of the
region dwarfs the total output of the whole country lumped together.
This is due to the early start of Ilonggos and Negrenses in bringing
in quality gamefowl breeding materials from the United States which
with correct breeding produced offsprings that dominated the cockpits
all over the country. Even many of the winning lines developed in
other regions are said to have blood originally from this region. A
stag in the game fowl lingo is the male aging 8-12 months old, a bull
stag is aged 12-20 months while the cock is from 21 months up.
Game fowl breeding is said to be both a
science and an art. Science because the principles of genetics is
applied. Breeders, both big and small look for the best breeds of
their choice and acquire materials whose progeny they think would
perform well in shows and in the cockpits. Shows are held regularly
to find the best individuals or families that represent a particular
breed. However, the final test is the cockpit where the breed should
be able to win against the breed of his opponent. The art aspect of
breeding is in the ability of the breeder and his men to discover the
best individual in the lot so that it goes to the breeding pen to be
mated with hens which hopefully would turn out more individuals that
best meet their requirements. The rewards in the game fowl business
comes in the form of winning many derbies and which earns the respect
of other breeders and the cock fighters and will finally redound to
sales of their produce.
During the worst years of the sugar
industry of Negros Occ., it is said that game fowl breeding became
the savior. While there was economic collapse due to the low prices
of sugar, people turned to commercial breeding and supplied the
booming cockfighting activities of Manila and other parts of Luzon
where cockfights are held almost nightly and every night of the week.
These non-stop fights demanded hundreds of thousands of game fowls
which only Negros Island and Panay can produce. Being a high priced
industry, game fowls have a high returns on investment, for as long
as there is a ready market and that the price asked by the farmer or
breeder is matched by the buyer.
A big breeder who produces and sells at
least 100 stags and cocks every year would be spending about P70.00
per cock per month and if he sells the stags, aged 10 months at
P3,000.00 to P10,000.00 depending on the name of the breeder and the
quality of his produce,the margin would be sizable. A small breeder
producing between 10 to 100 stags and cocks would be spending less
per head since he often resorts to lower priced feeds. The quality
would also be lower since the small breeder seldom has access to high
priced breeding materials. A small breeder would sell his stags from
P2,000 to P5,000.00.
Breeding is a major livelihood of
coastal communities south of Iloilo City and in many of the
municipalities of the province of Iloilo. Insiders estimate the total
output of Iloilo and Panay alone at about 500,000 annually while
Negros would produce between 2 to 3 million stags. The majority of
these fowls are sold to Luzon buyers. Local airlines say that their
daily cargo includes boxes of these game fowls shipped nationwide and
some of them for transhipment to other Asian countries like Malaysia
and Indonesia.
Veterinary companies too have joined
the band wagon of the game fowl industry. Since game fowls have
special diet requirements, specialized feeds had been formulated and
sold exclusively for them. So too are the vitamins and other support
veterinaries like antibiotics. Products for this specialized market
is often priced higher.
The average farmers are also
participating in the industry by producing more grains and feeds. A
major portion of the native yellow corn goes to the game fowl feed
market. Game fowl breeders and feeders have preference for the small
seeded hard flint yellow corn produced by local Ilonggo farmers and
these are priced a few pesos higher than the ordinary yellow hybrid
corn . Many legumes are also being produced since the game fowls are
fed with a special grain mix which includes several types of legumes
and several types of grains.
Cockfighting as a tradition and part of
the Filipino culture:
Cockfighting as a pastime is deeply
ingrained in the Filipino culture. Long before the Chinese and the
Spanish came, Filipinos already engaged in the pastime as a Sunday
activity. Even then, the cocks were tied with knives so that they
kill each other faster. It follows that even those times which date
back to the 12th century or even earlier, game fowls were
already selectively bred. In the early 1950s, there were already
regional breeds like the Malaking Pulo of the Southern Luzon Area and
the Visayan reds and greys. It was only in the early 1960s when the
first of the American breeds came into the country. While many in
Luzon bred those fowls, it was in Iloilo and Negros where the first
of these were mass produced and where genetics as a science was used.
It was also in the 1960s when the first
of the American cockfighters like Duke Hulsey visited and brought in
their superior breeds. Others like Richard Bates came later and their
entry brought in more science into the game. Duke Hulsey came and
stayed for a few years handling many roosters for the famous
cockfighters of the time and in the process imparted modern
techniques that greatly improved the skill of the locals. Mike
Ratliff, another American who opened the first and only cockfighting
school in the US also came and taught Filipinos, especially Negrenses
in the art of breeding and handling roosters. These and other
Americans who came have helped sped up the growth of the game fowl
industry which is now dominated by Filipinos worldwide.
Ilonggos and Negrenses as major players
in the Cockfighting World:
It can be said that Ilonggos and
Negrenses are major players in the cocking world. The biggest
federation of game fowl breeders in the country, the National
Federation of Gamefowl Breeders is led by an Ilonggo, Mr. Ricardo
“Ricoy” Palmares, Jr. Under his leadership, the once divisive
association of gamefowl breeders have united and federated to evolve
national competition for the different classes of gamefowls starting
with stags and ending with cocks. With the evolution also came the
large prizes never before offered in the history of the game. The
2011 Bakbakan had offered the largest pot so far of about
P30,000,000.00 in total prices. Not only did the federation evolve in
terms of the prizes and the scale, it also improved the quality of
game fowls being fought in the various parts of the country.
Negrenses are also major players in the
industry. It is in Negros Island where large farms producing
thousands each are found. The game fowl breeding industry is in fact
second to the sugar industry where many of the sugar farms also
engage in the business as a diversification and support strategy
since the off period of their workers can be utilized in producing
gamefowls for the Manila and Luzon markets.
Expert or skilled game fowl workers are
also in demand in other areas of the country. Nationwide one would
immediately spot an Ilonggo handler or knife-man by the unique
slow-paced accent that only Ilonggos are known for. Many breeders
outside of Iloilo would advertize for farm workers and handlers
because of our familiarity with handling and breeding champion fowls.
Thus, these artisans not only give way to a new crop of handlers but
also bring in much needed money for the families they leave behind.
Some of the famous breeds that
dominated the country's arenas also originated in the region. In the
1980s to early 1990s, the so called Zamboanga White bred by Boy
Primallon who himself is an Ilonggo dominated the Manila cockpits. It
is claimed that a parent of the White breed came from the farm of Mr.
Kiko Palmares of PassiCity. Mr. Eddie boy Ledesma who inherited the
famous lines of his uncle, the late Mayor Nonoy Jalandoni is famous
for his “Hulsey Left In” line. This much coveted blood which can
sell for about P250,000.00 is difficult to acquire. It is said that
even at ¼ or 1/8 dilution, one would be able to breed outstanding
aces that can win in any pit nationwide..
So are the lines bred by brothers Ricoy
and Mayor Jesry Palmares of Passi City. In the 2009-2010 seasons,
their greys which they and their cousin Fred bred, dominated the
major cockpits and with Fred earnong the much coveted “Breeder of
the Year” cup of the Panay Gamefowl Breeders' Association (PAGBA).
Candelaria 7 Cock Derby as Focal Point:
The Iloilo Coliseum is probably one of
the most famous landmarks in Philippine cockfighting. It is said
that winning a championship in the said event is a major milestone in
the life of a breeder and cockfighter. Breeders like Mr. Rafael Nene
Abello who is famous for his Sweaters and Mr. Johnny Jalandoni who is
equally famous for his Lemon-84 tinted breeds have already etched
their names in the history of the Iloilo Coliseum. Small breeders
like Dr. Pepe Sullano, Dr. Rex Muyco and their team have likewise
fought and proved that even small teams like theirs have the right
fowls to get them a share of the Championship. Others are now trying
their best to get their names into the annals of the Coliseum's
history. But definitely, the road to glory as champion of the
Candelaria is hard and arduous. However, there is that assurance that
there will be fairness all the way. Mr. Luis Chito Tinsay will be
there to insure it.
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