Cockfighting is deeply ingrained in Filipino culture. It existed before Spanish times and persisted throughout the centuries despite all attempts to ban it or banish it. Sabong, as it is known in Tagalog, is a national pastime that knows no social distinctions. Not a sport for the faint-hearted, it pits two roosters of comparable weight that fight each other until one is killed or turns tail and flees. The bout is usually brief and bloody. Razor-sharp spurs called tadi are attached to the birds' legs. With neck feathers ruffled, the birds dance around each other, testing each other's strength. There's a swish of blades and swirl of feathers, roars rise from the gallery, and in a few minutes it's all over. If both birds are still alive after ten minutes of skirmishing, the bout is declared a draw. Sometimes special matches called carambolas are also held, where five or more birds are placed in the arena at the same time to fight it out only one remains. Special fights, called derbies, have purses ranging from US$10,000 to US$170,000.
Every cockfighter has his own method of training his birds, some claiming to use secret formulas and special diets. It is even said that game cocks eat better than most people (sometimes including their owners' children). In rural areas you will see proud owners and trainers fondling their birds under the crook of their arm. Gamecocks are imported or brought from local breeders in Cavite, Negros and Iloilo.
There are over one thousand cockpits, or galleras in the country. They vary in size and sophistication, but the basic design is the same, consisting of the pit proper surrounded by a grill or fence where the game cocks fight, and around it tiers of benches. Ringside seats are the most expensive.Cockfights take place in Metro Manila almost every day. In Cebu there are cockfights at least three times a week. Elsewhere, cockfights are held on Sundays and public holidays. You can tell there's s cockfight on when a small red flag is fluttering from a slim bamboo pole outside the sabungan or gallera. Cockfighting, like horse racing, has specialist bookies and touts. Bets can go as high as P500,000 and are paid immediately after each fight. It is said that houses, land titles, jewelry and car registrations have been wagered at cockfights and gaming tables.
It is advisable for tourist who wants to watch a fight to go with a guide or someone knowledgeable about the game who can explain the intricacies of betting. Bets are indicated by a series of hand signals, such as the wiggling of a thumb or the wagging of a hand. The position of the palm - whether up, vertical, or down, means that bets are in tens, hundreds or thousands of pesos. The man who calls the bets, without the use of a computer or written slips, is the kristo, so called because his posture of extended arms resembles Christ nailed on the cross. You can either bet on the cock that is favored to win (llamado) or less popular one (dejado). You get more if the dejado wins, depending on the odds, which start at 10 percent and go up to 50 percent, or even as high as 100 percent if the favorite is pitted against a lesser known rooster. You normally tip the kristo 10 percent of your winnings; nothing if you lose.
Source: www.filipinoheritage.com