STAG FIGHTING, ITS HISTORY & POPULARITY

STAG FIGHTING, IT’S HISTORY AND POPULARITY
by JOEY SY

DURING THE MOULT OF THE GAMECOCKS, PEOPLE TURNED THEIR ATTENTION TO STAG-FIGHTING! I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Freddie Yulo, one of the original organizers of the NGBA in Bacolod and this was his account “IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, around September / October Speaker Monching Mitra together with Esting Teopaco and Eddie Araneta came to Bacolod to acquire stags as stag fighting is getting more and more popular in Manila at the time. They are screening stags based on wing feathers and length of spurs as follows:
1) Stag should have a minimum of 7 original primary wing feathers still intact and ;
2) The stag’s spurs should have a maximum length of half –inch long.

DAY OF FIGHT SCREENING METHOD- 7 PRIMARY FEATHERS AND HALF INCH SPUR , ITS PITFALLS
They needed these stags to fight in the stag derbies in Manila which at the time was starting to get more and more popular, as the cocks were in molt! Screening of stags entered in the stag derbies were done at the time of the submission of weights with these two criteria! This went on for several years, until more and more complaints were aired regarding entry of bullstags and cocks that were tampered to look like and pass as stags.
There were screeners/promoters of note who were strict in the screening and classifying of stags! This was where the name Richard Bates became very popular for his fair screening and matching of stags! But there were very few who could do this. As a result, a lot of stag fighters became more and more disappointed and shied away from these stag derbies!

T[b]THE SOLUTION- BAND COCKERELS AT AGE 2 MONTHS WITH 4 PRIMARY WING FEATHERS INTACT[/b]
This posed a big problem for us legitimate breeders, and as necessity is the mother of invention, Breeders in Negros banded together, formed an association and devised ways of ensuring that stag fighting will be done properly and fairly! Thus, the Negros Gamefowl Breeders Association was formed with Mamie Lacson as Founding President, Itoy Sison, Johnny Jalandoni, Alex Montelibano, mayo Lacson and me ( Freddie Yulo) at the forefront!
We discovered that the stage of development of the chick has a direct relation to the changes in its feathering. Hence, such predictability of its age based on the phases of its feathering gave us the way of tagging screened cockerels at the age of 2 months, using the four original primary wing feathers as guide. We started banding our January hatched birds in march and fought them in October! We perfected this system! It is fair and this is the reason why it is now very popular! Especially among associations of breeders

RESULT OF THE ILONGGO INNOVATION- OVERWHELMING POPULARITY
WHY IS STAG FIGHTING VERY POPULAR.
1) Stag fighting allows you to test your breeding in 8 months;
2) Everybody fights with an even playing field, there are no big-time and smalltime entries in stag fighting. Unlike in cock-fighting, where people with big farms and plenty of money can amass a great number of aged aces against small time cockers who can only age a few. This fact was proven recently by the UBGBA entry of 3 Bulakan backyard/ small farm breeders who pooled a few stags together to win the Bakbakan 2007 solo!
3) The stags can be screened & classified such that you will be fighting other stags with the same stage of maturity or age. This is done by screening on the day of submission, as practiced by the likes of Richard Bates, and |SHOW DOWN AT ROLIGON of Danny TEE, and at Pasig Square Garden by EDGAR CORONEL.
4) The Ilonggos devised a way of banding cockerels when they are 2 months old, further making the stag derbies the norm rather than the exception!

T[b[size=18]]HE FORMATION OF NFGB, THAT REVOLUTIONIZED STAG FIGHTING TO ITS PRESENT GLORY & POPULARITY
THE VARIOUS BREEDERS ASSOCIATIONS THAT COMPRISE ITS CORE ADOPTED MEASURES IN ORDER TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IN ADDITION TO THE BANDING OF COCKERELS. SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THE ASSOCIATIONS UNDER ITS UMBRELLA GREW STRONGER AND BIGGER UNDER THE ABLE LEADERSHIP OF PRES. RICOY PALMARES, WITH THE BAKBAKAN STAG DERBY AS ITS BIGGEST PROMOTION!
MEASURES AND SAFEGUARDS ADOPTED BY NFGB TO GUARANTEE THE INTEGRITY OF ITS BAKBAKAN STAG DERBIES:
a) The NFGB formed banding teams to band cockerels in April. They are composed of people that are nominated from the ranks of the local associations and they undergo rigorous training and indoctrination by the NFGB;
b) The Banding teams are deployed to band cockerels of other associations, avoiding collusions and ensuring strict compliance to the policies of NFGB;
c) The Matching of fights are conducted at the NFGB main center, after the bands and corresponding weights are encoded by the respective associations, they are sent to central matching center of the NFGB, matched by computer and the resultant schedule of fights are sent back to the derby sites electronically;
d) An NFGB representative/supervisor is present in the venue of the derbies at all phases of the derby, from submission of weights until the completion/finish of the derby fights!
e) All fights are covered by video footage to settle disputes and ensure fairness in the carreo.
f) In the semi final rounds and final rounds,members of an association do not meet fellow members! Furthermore, these are held in regional centers and in Manila!

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTEDTO THE INDUSTRY'S POPULARITY
[b]ADVENT OF THE TV SHOWS DEDICATED TO GAMEFOWL[/b]

TUKAAN[/size]

4 PEOPLE ALLEGEDLY FORMED TUKAAN: OMPONG PLAZA, DONG LACSON, LANDO LUZONG & EMOY GORGONIA HOSTED BY THE LATTER, THIS TV PROGRAM AIRED EVERY SUNDAY NOON HAS BECOME THE CATALYST WHEREBY EVERY GAMEFOWL LOVING FILIPINO HAS BECOME AWARE OF THE NEW METHODS IN REARING AND RAISING OF GAMEFOWL. AFTER THE DEMISE OF EMOY, BOY DIAZ TOOK UP THE CUDGEL OF HOSTING THIS SHOW WHICH IS ALSO AIRED AT VIVA PRIME DURING WEEKDAYS.

ANG PILIPINAS SABONG SPORTS [/b
]HOSTED BY ANDREY GARCIA AND SPONSORED BY RICKY CASTILLO OF LAKPUE DRUGS INC AND DOC AYONG LORENZO OF EXCELLENCE POULTRY SPECIALISTS, ALSO CAME OUT WITH A HALF HOUR SHOW EVERY SATURDAY NOON, THIS SHOW BECAME AN HOUR LONG SHOW RENAMED [b]SABONG TV WITH MY FRIEND MANNY BERBANO HOSTING, AFTER ANDREI MIGRATED TO CANADA.

[size=18]SAGUPAAN[/b]
THIS SHOW WAS AIRED BY COCKFIGHTING IDOL CONGRESSMAN PATRICK ANTONIO EVERY SATURDAY NOON.

[size=18]HATAW PINOY[/size]
THIS VERY POPULAR TV SHOW AIRED EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 10 AM IS HOSTED BY PROFESSOR FRANCIS AFABLE, DOCTOR TEDDY TANCHANCO, HAVEY BAGATSING AND DIRECTED BY DIRECTOR ED BULAONG. SPONSORED BY THUNDERBIRD OF UNAHCO & SARIMANOK FEEDS, LATER BATIKAN FEEDS OF GENGEN ARAYATA ALSO SUPPORTED THIS PROGRAM. MADALAS PO AKONG MA-EXTRA DITO!

J[b]OURNALS AND PUBLICATIONS OVERSHADOWED THOSE OF THE U.S-

PITGAMES AND LLAMADO OF MANNY BERBANO

COCKFIGHTS MAGAZINE OF WILVIN SY

SABONG STAR OF PATCHY CRUZ

COCKFIGHTS MAGAZINE JUN JAMANDORES

[size=24 THE BRAIN CHILD- HISTORY THEREOF
]BAKBAKAN HOW IT GOT STARTED[/size]
Article as sent to me by Arnel Anonuevo regarding

the formation of NFGB

NFGB was formed after BAKBAKAN National Stag Derby. Not the other way around.

It was in Gallera de Pontevedra during the BALBINA Cup wherein my company then, Novartis , is the sponsor together with BMEG, when the group of PAGBA lead then by Ricoy, Jesse Ledesma and Homer Salgado approched me to help organize a derby where PAGBA and the Bacolod group can jointly present.

What I did then is to talk separately to the board of PAGBA, GF BAN and NGBA about the idea. I started with the meeting with PAGBA in iloilo to discuss the idea in detail. PAGBA then is headed by Homer Salgado. Ricoy told me that they have been planning this and talking about this for eight ( Cool

years na, but they seems to be unsuccessful because the Bacolod Group are not in talking terms. NGBA then is headed by Richard Masongsong while the GFBAN is co chaired by three (3 ) persons, the late Mamie Lacson, Itoy Sison and Fredie Yulo. Later on, Mayor Juancho Aguirre was elected Pres of NGBA and Ricoy Palmares became the pres of PAGBA.

The 3 groups were amenable to the idea, that is why the 1st official organization meeting was held in Hotel del Rio, Iloilo City. It was attended by Otic Geroso & Mr Arca of GF BAN,Mayor Juancho Aguirre of NGBA, and the PAGBA group of Homer, Ricoy, Jesse, Natz Bedia, Sid Sazon, etc. My role then is to make make them meet and discuss the project. We agreed then to hold the 1st Western Visayas Stag Derby, where Novartis is the presentor, funding all the wingbands,and other wignbanding expenses. Two elimination, one in Bacolod and another one in Iloilo, the Champ day is in Bacolod in Guanzon Coliseum. In spite of the apprehension that this may not push through, the event was held. Only a few noticed it that I named this event BAKBAKAN! My advertising agency then created the name and logo for Novartis Animal Health. BAKBAKAN was lauched in Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod on Nov 1999 where I hosted a fellowship dinner for the NINE (9) associations namely:
1. NGBA
2. GFBAN
3. PAGBA
4. MIGBA
5. CEGBA - Cebu Gamefowl Breeders Association
6. CGBCA - Cebu Gamefowl Breeders & Cockers Association
7. NEGBA - Nueva Ecija Gamefowl Breeders Association
8. CVGBA - Cagayan Valley Gamefowl Breedes Association
9. UNIGBA - United Ilocandia Gamefowl Breeders Association

This is a historic event and was withnessed by the 4 media groups namely
1, Patchy Cruz of Sabong Star
2. Art Tolentino of Pitgames
3. Jun Jamandores of The Fightingcock
4. The late Totoy de la Cruz of Pinoy Sabungero.

Novartis invested a lot in organizing this because there was nobody or a group then that is financing the organization expenses. Novartis spent a lot for the planefare, hotel accommodations, banding and promoting the event.

It was during this occassion where we formally agree in holding the NFGB and the national stag derby : BAKBAKAN.

We hold the 1st BAKBAKAN 7 stag derby in Iloilo City, where we have about 190 entries. The interim officers of NFGB that presented this event are

1. Pres - Ricoy Palmares Jr.
2. VP - Otic Geroso
3. Sec - Jesse Ledesma
4. Treasurer - Juancho Aguirre
5. PRO - Gerry Alivia
6. Bus Mgr - Homer Salgado
7. Auditor - Nitoy Nasser
8. other directors are Allan Lucasan, Fredie Yulo,

My role then is the main advocate of BAKBAKAN. It was also during this time that Novartis was being criticized by animal welfare group in staging derbies. What I did then was I requested my distributor, Progressive Poultry Supply Corp, to help us promote this event. For the record, the two (2) founding sponsors of BAKBAKAN are BELAMYL of Novartis and Progressive Conditioner of PPS Corp. The logo of NFGB was designed by NOVARTIS.

After the iloilo, our next goal is to move the champ to ARANETA Coliseum because the main buyer of stags are in Manila. This decision aims to promote the event and the stags of breeders to the marketplace. Getting inside the Araneta Coliseum is not easy then because of the exclusive control of NCA in holding derby in Araneta. It was Fredie Yulo who helped us a lot in getting into the coliseum. After this was history. BAKBAKAN was acknowledged as the "Mother of ALL stag Derby" as always promoted by the late Emoy Gorgonia.

What is BAKBAKAN? BAKBAKAN is the NATIONAL STAG DERBY. It is PATAS, MAGALING at MARANGAL!

PATAS - The way the game is played.
MAGALING - Where the best roosters are fought
MARANGAL - Presented by people with honor and integrity.

I hope I was able to give you interesting facts about NFGB and BAKBAKAN.

Sincerely

Arnel Anonuevo

THE SPIN OFF

FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, A GROUP OF THREE BIG ASSOCIATIONS SPINNED OFF FROM THE NFGB, LGBA OF BOY DIAZ, CEGBA OF GLENN LIM AND NMIGBA OF EMOY GORGONIA. THEY LATER ON FORMED THE UGBA OR UNITED GAMEFOWL BREEDERS ASSOCIATION.

THE VOID CREATED BY THIS MOVE WAS QUICKLY FILLED UP BY NEW AND ASPIRING ASSOCIATIONS LIKE THE RGBA, CVBA ETC.

NOW, NFGB CAN BOAST OF ITS 10 STAG DERBY 2009 WITH NO LESS THAN 2,614 ENTRIES. WITH A PURSE OF 30MILLION.

THE WEB
WE ARE NOW AT THE AGE OF THE INTERNET, THE FACEBOOK, SABONGPLANET.COM WHERE INFORMATION IS TRANSMITTED AT THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

GLOBAL COCKFIGHTS/ INTERNET LIVE STREAMING WHERE ANYBODY AROUND THE WORLD CAN WATCH THE LIVE TELECAST OF OUR FIGHTS!
WHAT NEXT?

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