Gamefowl News Update

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[Spurblade]

Good day to all Sabungero Dot Com Members,

I like to take this oppurtunity to announce the partnership of Sabungero Dot Com and Dyaryo Larga. Starting on this week issue of Dyaryo Larga, sabungero dot com will have a regular column in the weekly newspaper. Dyaryo Larga will also be on our English Version of our website (http://www.larga.sabungero.com). It is still on the development stage and the download or usability experience may not be too perfect. Feedbacks and comments are encourage to arrive at the goal we want to reach. For our fellow members, our news updates will always be new from this time on and expect additional members joining our community forum. If anyone wishes to help and have time to make this project a success dont hesitate to contact or email me. Thank you and God Bless.

[Black Thunder]

THIS WAS NICE,CONGRATS SIR ERIC,,,HOPE TO READ MORE FRESH NEWS ABOUT COCKFIGTHING,

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK SIR....

[Spurblade]

Thanks Nelson, I find this news very interesting in the latest issue of Larga.

RP will be PETA's Waterloo...

Masang Nagmamanok (MANA) Inc lauded efforts to show the better side of sabong or cockfighting. MANA is an association engaged in promoting the welfare of the common sabungero and in preserving cockfighting as sport, livelihood, industry and part of the Pilipino culture.


One of such efforts was the establishment of a civic foundation by the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders (NFGB).

Another was the movie Prinsipe Sabong, which starred one of the Philippines better actors.

MANA president Steve del Mar said these will counter the bad publicity anti-sabong elements have been trying to generate. He said these black propaganda against sabong have penetrated the scripts of tv programs; news copies; and were fed to columns. In the long run these subliminal propaganda will influence the perception of Filipinos, especially the youth, toward sabong and sabungeros. Thus, we have to act before it's too late.


MANA itself has been doing its share in the drive through columns, articles, its own publications and during seminars and meetings. It is also embarking on projects that will allow members to benefit from the sabong industry. However, the group acknowledged its limited resources. The members of MANA are banking on the support of the pillars of the industry. And, they are getting it from magazines like Pit Games and Llamado, whose publisher Manny Berbano, is the group's adviser. MANA also got support from companies such as Excellence Poultry and Livestock Specialist, Sagupaan, Bmeg, Secret Weapon, Thunderbird and Power Bullets. (Philippines, July 17, 2009)


Earlier Report: The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been successful in its campaign for animal welfare worlwide. It scored string of victories, including the final outlawing of cockfighting in the United States.

Now it has set its eye on doing the same to cockfighting in the Philippines.

This could be PETA's Waterloo.

Cockfighting or sabong is a multi-billion peso industry in the Philippines an archipelago country with a population of some 90 million. It is estimated that roughly 10 percent of country's adult male population is involved with sabong industry.

Ninety five percent (95%) of the about 1,500 provinces, cities and municipalities or Local Government Units (LGUs) have at least one cockpit. The bigger LGUs have two, three or more cockpits in their respective localities as the law provides that the number of cockpits a certain LGU may allow, depends on that particular LGU's population.

A 12 thousand-strong association of Pilipino sabungeros has formally filed with the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for recognition as a non-stock, non-profit corporation to be known as Masang Nagmamanok (MANA) Inc.

The primary objective of MANA is to provide welfare to and promote the interest of the common sabungeros. The fight for the preservation of cockfighting in the country is a collateral but inherent responsibility in pursuit of its primary objective.

Masang Nagmamanok (MANA) started as a nationwide movement of ordinary sabungeros, mostly small time cockers, backyard breeders and workers in the gamefowl industry-- the common sabungeros. Now it is counting as members the raisers of any kind of chicken, whether for sabong, eggs or meat production.

The first members of MANA were readers of the column LLamado Tayo by Rey Bajenting in the tabloid Tumbok. Bajenting a sabungero and gamefowl breeder from Cebu and founding director of Central Visayas Breeders Association (CVBA) also writes for Pitgames and Llamado magazines, and pahayagang Larga.

Sometime in mid 2007, a reader Boying Santiago of Camarines Sur, then the PIO of Bicol Gamefowl Breeders Association (BIGBA) suggested that common sabungeros form a nationwide movement through the column LLamado Tayo, with registration for membership done through text messaging. In 3 months, membership reached 2 thousand. This encouraged the primemovers to undertake direct recruitment through seminars and chapters. Numerous seminars have been conducted in different places and provinces in cooperation with companies engaged in the gamefowl industry.

One year later, membership of MANA was at more than 10 thousand. The bulk, about 70%, were garnered through text registration. The 30% of the members registered through seminars and chapters. It was, however ,certain that thousands more have heard of, MANA and supports its objectives but did not bother to register.

Bajenting, an accomplished cocker/breeder and popular author of gamefowl articles, books and columns, had been worried himself, and time and again wrote about what he called as false security Filipino cockfighters felt.

"Filipinos think that because of the numbers of sabungeros, including many holding government positions, cockfighting in the Philippines will never be in danger," He said.

" But we cannot underestimate PETA. It has the resources, the drive and most of all it knows pretty well how to wage a campaign," he added.

Steve del mar, the national president of MANA said that the main objective of MANA is to provide welfare, such as insurance, pension, education and medical plans and the likes, to the more than 1 million Filipinos who make a living or earn extra income from the sport of cockfighting. he said although sabong is legal in the Philippines, workers in the sabong industry are still considered an informal sector. This is also true with most of the workers in the other chicken industries.

"They do not even enjoy protection under the labor code nor any social security. They could not secure any kind of a loan from banks and similar institutions. It is about time somebody takes care of their welfare."

"The fight for the preservation of cockfighting as sport, industry and cultural heritage is necessary in the protection of the interest of these workers and sabungeros. We will face PETA all the way to the legislature," del Mar said.

Other leaders of the group include, CVBA secretary Frank Rebosura, who is the treasurer of MANA, Manny Lumanao, who heads MANA- Mindanao; Arturo Mosqueda of MANA Visayas; Iriga City councilor Jessie Abonite and Boying Santiago of MANA Bicol; Isagani Dominguez of MANA Cavite; Anthony Espinosa of MANA NCR; Jun Ramos of MANA Northern Luzon and Col. Restituto Corpuz, of MANA Luzon.

The group is banking on sheer numbers for they know that it is a numbers game. politicians will always favor the side that could give them more votes.

Sabong, indeed, has come a long way from being a lazy afternoon pastime in the pre-spanish and during the spanish time in the Philippines to the present day 50-billion peso industry.

In this modern day scenario, PETA, the goliath may find itself facing MANA, the Filipino David.

[Black Thunder]

thanks for this post sir eric....

[Spurblade]

Beginning of the end for bullfighting?

“It is ominous. Bullfighting is as important to their culture
as sabong is to ours.” --- MANA chairman Steve del Mar.


Just last Wednesday one region in Spain has outlawed the centuries-old sport of bullfighting.
A pro-sabong group here in the Philippines immediately expressed alarm.
In a vote of 68 in favor, 55 against, the parliament in Catalonia, Spain outlawed bullfighting on the grounds it was cruelty to animals. The ban will take effect in 2012. Catalan is the northeastern region of Spain that includes Barcelona.
Interviewed by Dyaryo Larga for reaction, Masang Nagmamanok (MANA) chairman Steve del Mar immediately expressed concern as according to him this development should alarm MANA . It served a warning of the capability of these animal right groups that have also been working for the ban of cockfighting.
“They have succeeded in outlawing cockfighting in the United States, now they have gained grounds in Spain against bullfighting. It is ominous. Bullfighting is as important to their culture as sabong is to ours,” said MANA chairman Steve del Mar.
“Hindi talaga tayo dapat maging kampante,” del Mar urged sabungeros. “Kung nangyaring maipa-ban nila ang cockfighting sa Estados Unidos, at ang bullfighting sa Espana, maaring magagawa rin nila ito sa sabong dito satin sa Pilipinas,” added del Mar.
According to MANA the strategy of these animal welfare groups is to make their cause popular by advertisement and publicity campaign. They got the money for it. Once the cause gained following among voters they will lobby in the law making body to outlaw a certain sport.
“Una ginagawa nilang popular ang kanilang kawsa pamamagitan ng patalastas, publicity, pagmanipula ng mga balita at programa, at direktang paglalapit sa mga paaralan at sa kabataan at kanilang mga magulang. May pundo sila para dito. Tapos linalapitan ang mga mambabatas at ipakita na popular na ang kanilang kawsa kaya dapat sumuporta ang mambabatas kundi ay mawawalan sila ng boto pagdating ng eleksyon.”
“Kaya ang pangontra nito ay ang ipakita nating mga magmamanok ang ating dami at pagkaisa upang matakot naman ang mga pulitiko,” del Mar said.
MANA is advocating for the preservation of cockfighting as industry, livelihood, sports and cultural heritage. It’s battlecry is “Ipaglaban ang sabong at itaguyod ang kapakanan ng karaniwang sabungero.” For more information, del Mar urged readers to visit manainc. webs.com in the internet.
The prohibition off bullfighting in Catalonia was expected, since the Catalonian parliament had cast preliminary votes in December accepting a citizens’ petition to outlaw bullfighting on the grounds that it was cruelty to animals. There were nine abstentions.
In their debate, lawmakers cited the declining popularity of bullfighting in Spain, where fewer and fewer people go each year to the arena to watch toreros wield capes and swords against enraged animals.
Bullfighting also known as corrida de toros in Spanish is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and Latin American countries, in which one or more bulls are ritually killed in a bullring as a public spectacle.
The Spanish bullfight usually concludes with the killing of the bull by a sword thrust. In Portugal the finale is not lethal. It consists of a tradition called the pega, where men (forcados) try to grab and hold the bull by its horns when it runs at them. Forcados are dressed in a traditional costume of damask or velvet, with long knit hats as worn by the campinos (bull headers) from Ribatejo.
Spain first conducted the bullfighting in 1726. It is a subject lots of controversy over its almost 300 year history and it continues to this day. Many people believed that it is a time honored tradition and a cornerstone of Spanish Culture. Others say that it is a cruel and callous sport to be despise despite its cultural heritage. It has been banned by the Pope and praised by the King.
Bullfighting has generated controversy in many parts of the world, including Spain, Portugal, Peru, Mexico, and Ecuador. Supporters of bullfighting argue that it is a culturally important tradition, while animal rights advocates hold that it is a blood sport resulting in the suffering of bulls.
Pro bullfight sectors vowed to take Catalonia’s parliament to court to try to reverse its decision and stop other regions from following their lead.
“We are going to launch a huge battle” against this “outrageous” measure, promoter Luiz Alvarez, a founder of the bullfighting lobby group Mesa del Toro. Alvarez insisted that Catalonia did not have the constitutional right to abolish bullfights, but only to regulate them. (with reports from Yahoo)