SINULOG PINTAKASI IS ON

CARREO by Rolando S. Luzong

Peoples Tonight (January 13, 2010)

SINULOG PINTAKASI IS ON

Every major fiesta or festival in the Philippines is never without an equally important Pintakasi or cockfighting event. Before, during the pre-derby days, Pintakasi means three consecutive days of hackfights, but nowadays, a Pintakasis are mostly major derbies.

Take note that the term pintakasi pertains to derbies or hackfights that are held simultaneously or within the same week of a fiesta or a celebration of a feast day for a saint. Fiesta is the Spanish for feast.

This I learned from my late friend and mentor Ephraim “Totoy” dela Cruz – publisher-editor of the former Pinoy Sabungero Magasin, that pintakasi means ”in honor of the saint”.

Some of the most notable pintakasi are the Candelaria Derby which coincides with the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Candles (lights) or Nuestra Seňora de Candelaria. The Masskara Derby in the Carlos Montilla Memorial Coliseum in Tangub is held in conjunction with the famous Carnival-in-Rio-like Masskara Festival of Bacolod City; the Peňafrancia Derby in Naga City in September is held to commemorate the Feast of Our Lady of Peňafarancia and is Bicol’s biggest cockfight event.

For the Cebuanos, with their world-renowned Sinulog Festival in commemoration of the Feast of the Child Jesus (Sto. Niňo), it’s the Sinulog Derby which is held annually at the Century Game Club in Bannawa, Cebu originated and hosted by Nonoy Chiongbian.

Currently, the 2010 Sinulog Derby which began last Friday with a first day field of 115 entries is on a record-breaking mode and as you read this column, I should be in Cebu, in time for the championship on Thursday.

ROOSTER THIEVERY, UNACCEPTABLE,

BUT UNAVOIDABLE

I had the honor to hitch up with actor Al Tantay last Sunday on my way home from Antipolo to Marikina. Me and Al met in a mutual friend’s farm. The first thing I asked him was about his being absent in the Sport for a rather long period. Apparently, he was a victim of “magnanakaw ng manok” who took his 25 aces that were all winners already in several hackfights and which he was preparing to fight in a derby. That sad incident turned Tantay’s taste for sabong sour. His disappointment caused the lost of steam and the drive to continue.

And Al is definitely not alone, because there are hundreds, if not thousands of them.

“But if they breed well po, then the thieves will be winning cockfights & will be encouraged to keep on stealing fighting cocks” was Araneta Center PR Manager Genny Marcial’s reaction to my last article in this column regarding the rooster thief who returned half of the fightingcocks that he has stolen to his victim and even had the tenacity to ridicule the unfortunate breeder by shouting “Ayusin mo breeding mo” seconds after throwing back into the farm a sack-full of live birds.

Well Genny, I’m happy you’re developing an interest in sabong evidenced by your reaction.

Sadly, rooster thievery which can also be attributed as a matter of survival for those individuals who belong to the high number of unemployed has become an accepted fact to which the sabungeros has learned to live with.

Rooster thievery as a fact has been accepted, but this crime against gamefowl breeders and cockers will never be acceptable, although as of today remains as something that is unavoidable.

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COCKATAWANAN (JOKE TIME)

This one was sent by Michael LLanto and for which he will receive a Thunderbird 2010 calendar.

PINOY YATA…

There were two men playing cards, an american who owns a parrot and a Filipino with a rooster. After a while of playing cards, each one accused each other of cheating.

The argument turned into a fist fight until the American backed off and ran scared. His pet parrot asked his master what happened and the American said, "I had the upperhand, but that Filipino pulled out a fan knife (balisong)"

So, the parrot, thought of a vendetta for his boss and challenged the rooster to a fight. The rooster and the parrot mixed it up, but like his boss, the parrot ran.

It was the American’s turn to ask his parrot. “What happened?” The parrot replied, “Shit, that rooster has a knife for a spur”