Sunday, November 4, 2007

6 KINDS OF COCKERS

6 Kinds of Cockers

1) Beginners : Of which there are two types. A - One type knows he doesn’t know much and wants to learn – he keeps on trying and learning to improve. B – The other type becomes an overnight success and stops learning.

2) Novices : Knows more than a beginner, keeps looking for better and simple methods; most cockers never understand when to stop looking after they find the best method for them. Fact is, most cockers never go beyond this point.


3) Novice Old-timer : Knows more than beginner and novices. Problem is he is a self-styled expert in general terms. He knows a lot, but, in the past he always had a good breeder or handler that was the real cockers. Even after 30 or 40 years he is not much more advanced than the second type of beginners. And he is the type that always use to win.

4) Expert : A winning cocker both now and in the past. But slowing down and not winning as in the past. Absolutely won’t listen to anyone or anything new or improved. Always looks down at beginners. Will not help or aid in anyway. Always negative towards newcomers. Tells newcomers enough to develop trust, usually slips enough bad information to keep beginners or novices from becoming competitive.


5) Progressive Cocker : Unique cocker – expert judge of birds. Natural cocker. Understand firmness, reads, listens, experiments on all information available from all sources, both new and old-timers alike. But, withholds special info until totally convinced of trustworthiness and dedication of person being helped.

6) True Cockers : Honest, dedicated, gentleman in and out of the pit. A true sportsman in all aspects; win, lose or draw. Will give constructive criticism when asked and aid in suggestions. He has an open mind, good judgment and keep up with the times. The true cocker knows his limitations and has all the progressive abilities. Tries to promote cocking honestly and raises cocking to a higher standard. He is truly the eight wonder of the world.

The question is which Cocker are you?

LICENSE FOR SENTENCIADORS

by Rolando S. Luzong


CERTIFICATION & LICENSE FOR SENTENCIADORS SHOULD BE REQUIRED

I have time and time again written about the improvement and standardization of cockfights officiating nationwide, but despite our repeated pronouncements, it seems that we have been shouting on deaf ears.

It has been more than 10 years since an active nationwide cockpit association was in place. However, due to personal business interests and intense competition among the members, the Philippine Cockpit Association folded in 1992.

A lot of gamefowl breeders’ organizations have been put up over the last several years that also gave birth to a countrywide federation of gamefowl breeders. Unfortunately, we can not wholly blame the National Federation of Gamefowl Breeders if the conduct of the game officiating is not their priority, because for obvious reasons they are more concerned in providing technical and organizational assistance to their members.

Despite the fact that the regulation of cockfighting have totally been under the powers and authority of the Local Government Units since the Omnibus Local Government Code became part of the laws of the land, the officials of towns, cities and provinces are not equipped or have not given importance to rules and regulations of the sport in their respective areas. Instead, sad to admit, they are just on guard for whatever favors the cockpit owners or operators could extend to them, financially or otherwise.

With all these things, the wishes of minions of cockers that the ranks of cockfights’ referees or sentenciadors should be cleansed and professionalized is seemingly, as of now, still a remote possibility.

How can we eliminate the hooligans from the officiating sector of our sport when there is no clear licensing or certification system in place. As such is the usual case, a referee who commits a grave misconduct and got kicked out from a particular cockpit can just transfer to a neighboring cockpit and continue to do his thing.

So far, the only solid organization of cockers in the country that can truly speak thru a collective voice is the NFGB and because of this that I again knock on the doors of the NFGB to please exercise your power and look far beyond what you have been doing.

No matter how good your breeding materials are, no matter how good you raise your chickens, no matter how well conditioned your roosters are, a bad referee can always ruin everything.

Municipal or city licenses are no safeguard, because we know how easily these things can be acquired, especially with the right connections and the right amount.

The pressure should be put on the cockpit owners and operators. More than the sharing conditions, the credibility of the sentenciadors should be the first consideration when any group or individual is negotiating to hold a derby in a particular cockpit.

Unless we do something about this, things will not change.

BATAS PARA SA SABONG

Batas para sa sabong
Ni Rolando S. Luzong

Ang Animal Welfare Act na nagpo-protekta sa mga hayop tulad ng aso, pusa, ibon, at maging ahas at iba pang mga reptiles ay naisabatas sa ilalim ng ating mga ilong. Ang batas na ito ay masusing isinulat sa paraang binanggit ang dog-fighting at horse-fighting, ngunit ang kilala at laganap na cockfighting (sabong) ay iniwasang masambit. Bakit? Dahil, marahil, ang mga pwersang laban sa cockfighting tulad ng Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (HSPCA) ay kumbinsidong hindi pa hinog ang panahon para sagupain nila ang Filipino cockers at ang mayabong na industriya ng gamefowl breeding.

Oo, ang Animal Welfare Act ay nakapwesto na mahigit dalawang taon na ang nakalilipas. Mabuti naman. Subalit, kung ating lilimiin sa isipan ang mga aspeto na nagdala sa paglikha at paghahanda ng nasabing batas at ikukumpara ito sa isang bagay, tayo ay mababahala sa maraming hindi kaaya-ayang konklusyon.

Alam na natin ang malaking pinansyal na kakayahan ng mga anti-cockfigthing forces at sila ay gumagasta ng milyones na lobby money na siya namang sumpa ng American cockers dahil wala silang resources upang kahit papaano ay tuligsain ang hataw ng kalaban sa isang patas na paraan. Sila ay hindi naman kapos sa bilang, ngunit sila ay siguradong kapos sa bala, kumbaga.

Ang Animal Welfare Act ay batas na sa ating bansa matapos lamang ang kumulang 10 taong puspusang kampanya ng HSPCA. Ang pagkain ng karne ng aso bilang pulutan ay higit na nabawasan dahil sa media education. It ay isang magandang pagsulong, gayong, marapat lamang na payagan natin ang ating mga cultural minorities sa mga bulubunduking lalawigan na ipagpatuloy ang kaugalian ng pagkain ng karne ng aso na kung saan ito ay pinaniniwalaan nilang may medicinal values at nakakatulong sa kanilang katawan upang labanan ang malamig na klima sa bundok.

Ang mga galaw ng HSPCA ay mabagal, ngunit tumpak at kalkulado. Habang sila ay gumagasta ng pisong milyones para sa kampanya sa media, pinangangalagaan din naman nila ang kanilang mga tagumpay at sinisigurong hindi mabawi ang mga teritoryong kanilang napanalo sa pamamagitan ng pagbabantay ng mga batas na panig sa kanila at ayon na rin sa kanilang mga plano at hangarin.

Para sa HSPCA at ang iba pang pwersa laban sa cockfighting, ang oras ng pagtatanim ay matagal ng nasimulan ngunit nananatili pa ring mataas na prayoridad hanggang sa kasalukuyan. Ang oras ng pag-ani ay nagsimula na at sinisimulan na nilang pulutin ang mga prutas. Ang Animal Welfare Act ay isang malaking tagumpay para sa HSPCA, ngunit ang pagsakop ay nag-uumpisa pa lamang. Siyempre, ang kanilang pinaka hanganrin ay ang tuluyang puksain ang kaugalian na sabong sa Pilipinas tulad ng kanilang nakamit sa Estados Unidos.

Karamihan sa ating mga sabungerong Pinoy ay magsasabing, “Hindi sila magtatagumpay dito.” Maaari, maaaring tama sila, ngunit kung iko-konsidera natin natin ang naging tagumpay nila sa Amerika, marahil tayo ay huminto muna sandali at suriin ang kasaysayan. Noong kasagsagan ng sabong sa Amerika, ang mga tandang ay inilalaban sa White House upang aliwin ang mga panauhing pang-estado. Ang mga founding fathers na sina George Washington, John Adams, at Abe Lincoln ay mga aktibong sabungero. Ang mga malalaking derbies ay ginaganap sa Madison Square Garden. Kaya naman, ang sabong ba ay mas kilala sa Pilipinas o ang laro ay mas tanggap sa Estados Unidos? Ikaw na ang humusga.

Bago tayo maging isa ring Amerika sa proseso, na kung saan ang kalayaan ay inabuso ng isang grupo ng tao upang pigilan ang ibang grupo ng tao mula sa pag-e-enjoy ng kanilang kalayaan, dapat tayong kumilos ngayon upang unahang pigilan at pahintuin sila sa kanilang pagragasa.

Alam ng HSPCA na ang batas ay mabisa nilang sandata. Kung gayun, marapat lamang na naisin nating magpasa ng batas na mangangalaga, magpapatuloy na sususog ng ganitong gawain, at higit sa lahat ay magpapa-unlad ng industriya ng gamefowl breeding at sabong sa buong bansa.

Isang batas na magde-deklara na ang sabong ay isang unique cultural heritage ng mga Filipino ang dapat na maipasa, kasama ang lahat ng mga protective clauses na sisigurong matapos ang Cockfights Protection Law ay mapirmahan, na wala ng ibang batas ang isusulong laban dito. Maari nating sabihin na ang sabong sa Pilipinas ay hindi makakanti sapgkat mayroon tayong malaking bilang ng mga opisyal ng pamahalaan, political leaders, at siyempre mambabatas na kasali sa cocking community. Ito ay nakapagpapalakas ng loob, ngunit tanging batas lang na magde-deklara na ang cockfighting o sabong bilang laro o bahagi ng kultura ang maaaring makapagpanatag ng ating isip.

SABONG IS HERE TO STAY

SABONG IS HERE TO STAY
COCKFIGHTING FOREVER