Cocker Henry Tan back

VETERAN cocker Henry Tan has returned to the Philippine cockfighting scene after wrapping up his oil trading business in Singapore after 20 years to co-host the National Cockers Alliance 5-Cock Derby starting today at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

After the Lenten break, the promoters are expecting a banner field  to see action in this cockfest also hosted by former Rizal Gov. Ito Ynares, Henry Tan, and Mario Villamor.

Ynares is the epitome of a gentleman-cocker. Tan, whose entry names are High Chaparral and Dynasty, is synonymous to big-time cockfighting from 1960 to 1990.  Tan later relocated his oil trading business to Singapore and was inactive in cockfighting for the last two decades but, being a true aficionado, transformed his Antipolo property into a spectacular rooster farm home to game fowls.

Filipino cockers have reasserted the local cocker-breeder’s domination over their foreign counterparts.

For example, engineer Sonnie Magtibay emerged solo champion in January 2010, lawyer Art de Castro and Ed Aparri won in June also in that year; veteran campaigner Patrick “Idol” Antonio (Sagupaan) was solo winner with a clean 8-0 slate last year while Antonio’s  partner Rey Briones captured first place in June 2011 together with noted breeder Boy Jiao, who partnered with former Rizal Gov. Ito Ynares  and architect Rikki Reyes.

But it was the soft-spoken Villamor, who won the hearts of cockfighting aficionados for repeatedly advocating and proudly declaring that “homegrown cocks are far better than imported cocks, especially those coming from the United States.”

Villamor won twice as Cocker of the Year (1995 and 2010), under the banner entry Phoenix. Mario fielded fighting roosters in the 1990s from Carol Nesmith and the late Billy Abbott. However, for the past 15 years, Phoenix has been using very competitive locally bred fighting cocks.

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Other sabong facts and figures:

Filipinos were already staging cockfights when Ferdinand Magellan came ashore and discovered the Philippines in 1521.

The Philippine economy earns several billions from taxes generated from close to 2,000 registered cockpits, cockfight betting, breeding farms and feeds and drugs industry.

Cockfighting bridges the gap between the rich and the poor. At the cockpits, ordinary folks mingle with the wealthy, politicians, showbiz and sports personalities where they become equal.

Sabong is so fascinating that it has captured the fancy of writers, including the prolific Alejando Roces, and painters such as Angel Cacnio.

The 106th US Congress has banned cockfighting in 47 states in America following a bill filed by Sen. Wayne Allard in 1999. The ban however, did not include the states of Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Cockfighting gives new opportunities to kristos (bet-takers). Roberto Mangaran Racasa gained global respect and recognition when he took part in a recent world memory contest by memorizing three decks of shuffled cards and replicating them perfectly in order.

Said Racasa: “I developed my memory skills as a kristo in my teenage years.”