Ni Edwin Rollon

BUHAY at balik sigla ang sabong (cockfighting) at kaagapay sa muling pagbangon ng pinakamatandang laro sa bansa ay ang pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan ang lahat ng indibidwal at grupo na tyunay na may malasakit sa kabuhayan ng industriya.

Mismong si Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra ang personal na nagpasalamat at nagbigay ng pagkilala sa mga local breeders, feed millers at veterinary association representatives sa isang payak na programa kamakailan.

“We understand that these associations have different interests; thus, we are really grateful to them for heeding our call to work together towards the resumption of cockfighting in the country,” pahayag ni Mitra.

“Tunay pong may katuturan ang aming trabaho sa GAB, kasama sina Commissioners Ed Trinidad at Mar Masanguid dahil sa pakikipagtulungan at pagkakaisa ng ating mga partners at stakeholdesr sa professional sports at sanctioned games tulad ng horseracing at cockfighting,” ayon sa dating Palawan Governor at Congressman.

Ipinagkaloob ng GAB ang certificates of appreciation kina Dr. Eugene Mende (President of Philippine Veterinary Drug Association), Dr. Bernard Baysic (Philippine Veterinary Medical Association), Mr. Albert Irving Uy (Thunderbird-UNAHCO), Ms. Ma. Stephanie Nicole Garcia (President of Philippine Association of Feed Millers), Mr. Arnel Anonuevo (Kasama Agri Products and Services), Mr. Mark Lopez (Lakpue Drug Inc. ), at Ms. Vicky Tobiano-Chu (Progressive Poultry Supply Corp.).

“Although we come from different manufacturing companies, we have one common advocacy—to help the Gamefowl industry,” sambit ni Tobiano-Chu.

Kabilang ang sabong (cockfighting) sa sektor na pinadapa ng COVID-19 pandemic matapos isailalim sa community quarantine ang kabuuan ng bansa. Sa pagsulong ng ‘new normal’ bilang pagpapatupad sa ‘safety and health’ protocol ng Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), kagyat na nakipagpulong si Mitra sa iba’t ibang asosasyon tulad ng Philippine Veterinary Drug Association (PVDA), Philippine Association of Feed Millers (PAFMI), United Association of Cockpit Owners and Operators of the Philippines (UACOOP),International Federation of Gamefowl Breeders Associations (FIGBA), Inc., at kay Mr. Tady Palma.

“This is to help the GAB, the mandated agency to regulate international derby and to issue professional licenses for cockpit personnel in the country, in presenting the safety protocols and new derby format governing the operations of accredited cockpit arenas to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID),” pahayag ni Mitra.

Nitong Oktubre 15, tinanggap ng IATF ang mga isinumiteng programa ng GAB at pinahintulutan ang pagbabalik ng sabong (cockfighting) sa mga lugar na nasa ilalim ng Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) at sa masusing paggabay ng local government units (LGUs) sa mga tinukoy na lugar.