Cockfighting overcomes Covid closures in Philippine

Traditional cockfighting stadiums, which were shut down for two years due to the Covid-19 outbreak, are now operating at full capacity throughout the archipelago nation.

In the Philippines, where millions of dollars are wagered on fights each week, cockfighting is extremely popular.

As onlookers, primarily men, stake on the outcome, roosters with bladed spurs on their legs engage in a vicious fight to the death.

Supporters contend that if the birds did not fight, they would be devoured and that the blood sport is an integral part of Filipino culture.

However, detractors claim it is inhumane and ought to be outlawed, as it is in many other nations.

De la Cruz, 64, said  at a recent derby in San Pedro, a city south of Manila, where he came up one win shy of the one-million-peso ($17,000) champion's purse. "In our community, more than half the population are cockfighters.

De la Cruz, who is the son of a long-time cockpit operator, claimed he had never had a regular employment. Instead, he made do with the wins from the roosters his nephews had raised on a sizable farm.

Cockfighting, according to anthropologist Chester Cabalza of the University of the Philippines, is a singular "neutral zone" where rich and poor mix and play by the same rules in a nation rife with inequality.

Prior to the pandemic, viewers used hand signals similar to stock brokers to place their bets during a game that may last less than a minute while upholding a tight code of honor.

One enthusiast said that wagers of 300,000 to 400,000 pesos are not uncommon on a single battle.

There are 15 fights per hour, and after each one, crumpled bills are thrown in the direction of the victor.

Bet losers risk being attacked if they welch.

In order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading through excessive crowd interaction when cockpits reopened, regulators forced operators to install betting machines so that winners could instead pick up their winnings from the cashier.

Gamefowl farmer Edwin Lumbres stated, "If your cock wins, you swagger out of the ring like a tough guy — you radiate a macho image." He shoved his chest out to emphasize his point.

But if you lose, you sulk and go away like a man whose manhood is questionable.