Duterte urged to restore gamefowl industry in GCQ areas

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker is appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to consider the “gradual and safe” resumption of the gamefowl industry in areas under general community quarantine.

Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon on Wednesday said he wrote to the President urging him to allow the reopening of cockfighting events to help create jobs and rebuild the economy in this time of pandemic.

“I take the liberty of reiterating our collective appeal to his Excellency’s sense of compassion for the resumption of cockfighting in general quarantine areas in the country subject to applicable health and safety protocols which the IATF  may prescribe under the new normal,” Lagon said in his letter to Malacañang dated October 6.

Lagon noted in his letter that it is already safe to resume cockfighting in general quarantine areas and stakeholders are ready to implement the necessary measures to ensure that patrons are safe and protected while inside cockfighting venues. He also pointed out the supposedly declining rate of COVID-19 infection in the country.

He then lamented that the gamefowl industry has suffered huge losses amounting to billions of pesos, including a sales drop of 50 percent to the P30-billion feeds industry and a loss of around P15 billion to the veterinary products sector.

Lagon likewise said that around 14,000 poultry supply stores nationwide are also severely affected by the gamefowl industry’s shutdown and that 60,000 breeders nationwide have suffered a significant dip in their sales.

He added the closure of over three thousand cockpits nationwide has led to the unemployment of hundreds of thousands of cockpit employees as well as cockpit vendors, farmhands, and employees of companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of feeds, veterinary supplies, farm equipment, and others which comprise the industry’s supply chain.

He further said that no social amelioration program was specifically extended to the gamefowl industry that contributes hugely to the national economy.

“Though equally devastated as many other industries, the gamefowl industry is not seeking direct assistance but the imprimatur for the resumption of regulated cockfighting activities in general quarantine areas,” Lagon said.

KGA