The Cockpit

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WARNING: THIS POSTING CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL WHICH SOME VIEWERS/READERS MAY FIND DISTURBING OR OFFENSIVE.

Cockfighting is legal in the Philippines and a very popular sport. It's called sabong and most barrios or barangays have a communal cockpit where matches are held. Of course, gambling is a big part of the attraction and Uncle Junior says that "all Filipinos are honest in the cockpit," meaning that everyone will honor a bet and no one tries to weasel out.

The betting is done using hand signals -- holding the fingers up means that one is betting in tens, so two fingers would be 20 pesos. Holding the hand sideways with the fingers pointing to the side means hundreds, while pointing the fingers down is thousands. Newcomers are warned not to wave their hands around or gesture while talking! Once the betting starts, it looks just like the trading floor in the stock market or a commodities trading floor -- with the traders (or in this case the bookies) shouting out and using the hand signals to offer the bet. Other signals indicate that a bet has been accepted.

When we went to the local cockpit on Monday to watch a couple of matches, our appearance caused quite a stir. This is a small town and doesn't get many tourists from the U.S.A., and fewer of those (if any) are interested in seeing the cockfights. Plus we are rather "colorful" and turn heads wherever we go -- i asked one nephew which was going to be the biggest "show" . . . the cocks or us. His answer: "No bet."

We asked my niece what happens to the loser, who is usually killed or fatally injured. Even the bird who wins the match is often severely injured and has to be killed. In any case, the owner who wins the match is given the losing bird, and the birds are cooked and eaten.

Someone asked me if i enjoyed the fights. I can't say that "enjoy" describes the experience -- i certainly feel sorry for the birds. In some ways, a short life span seems like more humane treatment . . . i think the way we treat racehorses is worse: because of the huge investment, owners and trainers do anything to keep the horses running, even when they are injured or sick.

But in any case, cockfighting is the favorite sport of many Filipinos so at least we had to go and see what it was all about. Besides, it's the place to go to see and be seen. We met a cousin there and got his phone number so we can visit his family while we're here.

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