DAILYJILI History of Sabong: Earliest Records and the 1974 Decree
The earliest account on this page is Pigafetta's, from the 1521 voyage, describing tame cocks made to fight for a stake.
Key facts and contents
- DAILYJILI Bitaw
- In cockpit usage a bitaw is a sparring or practice bout between gamefowl, used for conditioning and for judging a bird, with no blade fitted and no wagering.
- DAILYJILI Doblado
- In cockpit usage doblado is a two-to-one call: the backer of the favoured bird, the llamado, puts up double what the backer of the other bird, the dehado, puts up.
- DAILYJILI Fighting Cock
- In a published set of derby rules a cock is a matured rooster past its first annual molt, a stag is a young rooster of twelve months or younger, and a bullstag is a stag older than twelve months.
- DAILYJILI Larga
- Larga, from Spanish largar, to let go, is the cockpit call at which both birds are released and the fight is under way.
- DAILYJILI Parehas Explained
- In a licensed cockpit, parehas is an even call: both sides put up the same amount, so whoever wins collects what they staked, less the bet taker's commission.
- DAILYJILI Pusta Meaning
- Pusta is Tagalog for a bet or stake; the KWF dictionary glosses it as taya.
E-sabong operations have been suspended nationwide since 2022 under Executive Order No. 9, signed 28 December 2022 by President Marcos Jr. The history of sabong below is limited to texts that can be read in full: a voyage account from 1521 and two Philippine laws. Where a date is printed in the text, it is quoted as printed, and nothing here is added from memory.
The history of sabong in four printed records
Each row names a text, the date it carries, and the one thing it adds to the picture. The last column separates what the text says about fights from what it says about rules.
| Record | Date as printed | What it adds | Kind of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pigafetta, account of the voyage, in Blair and Robertson, vol. XXXIII | 1521 (the passage sits just before the entry “July nine”) | Tame cocks made to fight, each owner putting up a stake | Eyewitness description |
| Presidential Decree 449 preamble | 9 May 1974 | Calls cockfighting a popular, traditional and customary recreation | Statement of purpose |
| Presidential Decree 449, Sections 4 to 8 | 9 May 1974 | Defines roles, licensing, days and penalties | Operative rules |
| Executive Order No. 9 | 28 December 2022 | Continues the suspension of e-sabong; spares licensed cockfights | Operative order |
What Pigafetta wrote about the cocks
In the English translation printed in Blair and Robertson, Pigafetta describes the people of Polaoan, the Palawan stop of the voyage. He writes that “they have large and very tame cocks, which they do not eat because of a certain veneration that they have for them.” He adds that sometimes they make them fight with one another, “and each one puts up a certain amount on his cock, and the prize goes to him whose cock is the victor.”
Three things are worth reading carefully: the birds are kept and not eaten, the fight is occasional (“sometimes”), and the stake is a matched amount, with the prize going to the owner of the winning bird. The cockpit word for a match on even terms is explained in what parehas means in a cockpit.
What the 1974 decree says about the tradition
Presidential Decree 449, signed 9 May 1974, is titled the “Cockfighting Law of 1974”. Its preamble says cockfighting “has been and still is a popular, traditional and customary form of recreation and entertainment among Filipinos during legal holidays, local fiestas, agricultural, commercial and industrial fairs, carnivals or expositions”. It adds that cockfighting should neither be exploited as an object of business enterprise nor made a tool of uncontrolled gambling.
Section 3 of the decree lists its policy goals in three parts.
- To control and regulate cockfighting toward its establishment as a national recreation, relaxation and source of entertainment.
- To provide additional revenue for the tourism program.
- To remove and prevent excessive and unreasonable business operation and profit considerations in the management of cockpits, and instead preserve Philippine customs and traditions.
The operative sections turn that into rules: licensed cockpits, licensed officials, set days and criminal penalties. A reader who wants the stake side of the tradition can go on to the entry on how a pusta is defined.
Earlier rules and the latest order
The decree’s Section 9 repeals “the provisions of Section 2285 and 2286 of the Revised Penal Code, Republic Act No. 946, all laws, decrees, rules and regulations, or orders which are inconsistent with this Decree”, as the text prints it. That tells you earlier rules existed before 1974, but their dates are in their own texts and are not reproduced here. The latest text is the 2022 order, read section by section on the page about Executive Order 9 and licensed cockpits.
- Start with the voyage account for the earliest description of a stake.
- Read the 1974 decree for the first full set of rules on this page.
- Read the 2022 order for what is suspended today.
FAQ
What is the oldest record of cockfighting in the Philippines?
The oldest account on this page is Antonio Pigafetta's, from the 1521 voyage. He wrote that the people of Polaoan had large, very tame cocks which they did not eat, and which they sometimes made fight, each owner putting up a certain amount. Older records may exist; this page names only the ones it quotes.
When did Philippine law first regulate cockfighting?
Presidential Decree 449 of 9 May 1974, the Cockfighting Law of 1974, is the earliest regulating text on this page. Its Section 9 repeals Sections 2285 and 2286 of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act No. 946, as the decree prints them, which shows that earlier provisions existed. Read those texts themselves for their dates.
Is sabong the same as cockfighting, tupada and pintakasi?
Presidential Decree 449 Section 4(a) says cockfighting embraces the commonly known game or term cockfighting derby, pintakasi or tupada, or its equivalent terms in different Philippine localities. The KWF online dictionary defines sabong as a fight between cocks fitted with a tari, usually with betting.
Where does Executive Order 9 fit in this history?
It is the latest text. Dated 28 December 2022, it continues the nationwide suspension of e-sabong that its recitals say was implemented on 3 May 2022, and it spares traditional cockfights licensed under existing laws.