Traditional cockfighting or “sabong” is now allowed in areas under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 but subject to the discretion of the local government units (LGUs) and must follow minimum health standards as prescribed by the government, Malacanang said Wednesday.
Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases permitted the operation of cockpits and the resumption of traditional cockfighting under Alert Level 2.
But the Palace official said the decision to operate cockfighting was up to the respective LGUs if they would allow cockfighting in their areas, and they would also decide on where this would take place.
He explained the protocols that should be followed if cockfighting was to resume in areas under alert level 2, which covers most of the Philippines.
In a press briefing, Nograles said that local government units should be strict in enforcing minimum health standards at technology-based betting.
Sabong is more than just entertainment because it is a sport. The sport is considered to be the country’s national sport, second to basketball, the spokesman added.
In resolution 154 released by the IATF, cockfighting arenas should have a maximum of 50 percent of their capacity and only fully vaccinated individuals can enter.
On-site workers of the cockpit arenas should also be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and betting shall be cashless and shall use only technology-based platforms so there will be no physical contact anywhere in the cockpit nor verbal placing of bets.
“We enjoin LGUs that will allow the resumption of cockfighting operations to strictly, strictly enforce and implement these protocols and to shut down operators that fail to adhere to minimum health standards,” Nograles added.
In 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974 which provides regulatory policies on cockfighting in the country.
The entire Philippines is currently under Alert Level 2 status until the end of the year.
Nograles said the IATF decided to postpone the shift to the lowest Alert Level 1 status as a precaution against the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The IATF has also adopted the guidelines on the nationwide Alert Level System for Covid-19 response.