CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- They would rather have their beloved game fowls’ lives lost in the arena than to bird flu currently plaguing Pampanga.
This was shared by a group of “sabungeros” or cockfighters, who on Sunday were chanced upon by SunStar Pampanga during monitoring rounds at the jam-packed Pampanga Coliseum here for the usual weekend “slash fights.”
“We would rather take the risk at the arena and lose our game fowl in a ‘real fight’ than our fighting cocks taken away because of the avian flu virus,” they said.
The cockfighters and game fowl raisers, who requested not to be named, disclosed that their “entries” are the toughest in terms of physical characteristics and are well taken care of, practically pampered with vitamins, antibiotics, specially formulated feeds, cages and the usual “himas, agod and pausok” which is the tender loving care of the owner or “handler.”
“We know that they have been included in the so called bird flu watchlist. We are aware of that. That is why we are also taking extra measures to protect them from this bird flu. But you see, game fowl raising entails a big investment too, that we are cautious also of risks,” they said, adding that currently, a fighting cock, depending on the breed, costs from P20,000 to as much as P200,000 if the “entry” is for major fights.
“So you see, we will rather have that ‘talunan’ on the table rather than see it infected by the virus. Still, as we said, we are taking extra precautions as game fowls are really precious,” said the group, who are part of a strong game fowl association recognized by the City Government.
Still, on Monday, August 14, the bird flu monitoring task force created by Mayor Edwin Santiago, is mulling the temporary suspension of cockfighting to ensure the safety of game fowls and “sabungeros.”
“We will have to consider everything from the biggest derbies and the ‘bularit’ (small time backyard cockfights) just to make sure they are safe and protected. Until the state of calamity is over and the avian flu outbreak is contained, we will have to implement measures and contingencies for the sake of all Fernandinos, Kapampangans and those concerned and affected,” Santiago said. (JTD)