Villar cites the spirit of the game fowl industry amid the pandemic

Senator Cynthia Villar has congratulated the 8th International Game Fowl Festival's organizers who have kept the spirit of the game fowl industry alive despite the coronavirus pandemic.

"This opening of the game fowl industry doors this year hopes to bring together leading game fowl breeders, pigeon raisers, exotic animal hobbyists, veterinary and nutrition suppliers, game fowl suppliers, pigeon suppliers, pigeon fanciers, incubators, feed manufacturers, and related products and services catering to game fowl, pigeon raising and exotic animals," said Villar in a message read by her daughter Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.

"You have also included a reptile expo which will showcase reptiles and other exotic animals," added the chairperson of the Senate agriculture committee who was Guest Speaker of the three-day event that started February 25 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

But as we look forward to a better year ahead, the senator also cited the need to always balance the vaccination program to protect people from COVID-19 and to give them opportunity to have a decent job to support their family.

The senator acknowledged that the game fowl sector was hit hard by the pandemic because of the limited movements and restrictions brought by the community quarantines.

She said the game fowl industry has reported huge losses brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The sales of "ready-to-fight" game fowls in 2020, which dropped due to limited movements and restrictions brought by the community quarantines, was huge amounting to billions of pesos. This included a sales drop of 50 percent to the P30-billion feeds industry and a loss of around P15 billion to the veterinary products sector," related the senator.

She also cited the closure of over 3,000 cockpits nationwide resulting 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.

As the quarantine restriction eases, Villar said the cockpit arenas hope to reopen and contribute to the revival of the economy.

She emphasized that the guidelines issued by the IATF or Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases last December 14, 2021 prevented the opening of cockfighting under levels 4, 3 and 2. The cockpit was classified high-risk for transmission and was not allowed to operate.

Due to this, Villar said innovation has taken over and "cockfighting is now found online via mobile or desktop."

"In fact, enthusiasts are now into e- sabong, while the operators keep innovating. There are licensed sites, and bettors can watch the game via live-stream," related Villar.

To date, she said the challenge for the e-sabong is to find a legal platform due to the ongoing controversy surrounding this sport, as recently investigated in the senate.

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Villar, kinilala ang tapang ng game fowl industry sa kabila ng pandemic

PINURI ni Senator Cynthia A. Villar ang tapang ng mga organizer ng 8th International Game Fowl Festival upang panatiliing nagliliyab ang game fowl industry sa kabila ng coronavirus pandemic.

"This opening of the game fowl industry doors this year hopes to bring together leading game fowl breeders, pigeon raisers, exotic animal hobbyists, veterinary and nutrition suppliers, game fowl suppliers, pigeon suppliers, pigeon fanciers, incubators, feed manufacturers, and related products and services catering to game fowl, pigeon raising and exotic animals," ayon kay Villar base sa mensaheng binasa ng kanyang anak na si Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.

"You have also included a reptile expo which will showcase reptiles and other exotic animals," sabi pa ng chairperson ng Senate agriculture committee na Guest Speaker sa three-day event na nagsimula February 25 sa World Trade Center, Pasay City.

Bagama't umaasa tayo sa mas mabuting taon, binanggit din ng senador na kailangang ibalanse ang vaccination program para protektahan ang mga tao laban sa COVID-19 at bigyan sila ng pGkakataong magkaroon ng disenteng hanapbuhay upang suportahan ang kanilang pamilya.

Inihayag din ng senador na matindi ang epekto ng pandemiya sa game fowl sector dahil sa mga limitadong kilos bunga ng community quarantines.

Iniulat ng game fowl industry ang malaking pagkalugi sanhi ng Covid-19 pandemic.

"The sales of "ready-to-fight" game fowls in 2020, which dropped due to limited movements and restrictions brought by the community quarantines, was huge amounting to billions of pesos. This included a sales drop of 50 percent to the P30-billion feeds industry and a loss of around P15 billion to the veterinary products sector," sabi pa ng senador.

Binanggit din niya ang pagsasara ng mahigit 3,000 sabungan sa buong bansa. Sanhi nito, marami ang nawalan ng trabaho sa sabungan kabilang na ang cockpit vendors, farmhands, at kawani ng mga kumpanya ng feeds, veterinary supplies at farm equipment.

"As the quarantine restriction eases, the cockpit arenas hope to reopen and contribute to the revival of the economy," sabi pa ni Villar.

Iginiit niya na dahil sa alituntunin ng IATF o Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases noong December 14, 2021, nahinto ang sabong sa mga lugar na Alert Level 4, 3 at 2. Hindi pinayagan ang sabong dahil sa high risk ito sa pagkalats ng virus.

Dahil dito , sinabi ni Villar naging makabago ang sabong kaya ginagawa na ito sa "online via mobile or desktop."

"In fact, enthusiasts are now into e- sabong, while the operators keep innovating. There are licensed sites, and bettors can watch the game via live-stream," ani Villar.

Sa ngayon, sinabi ng senador na hamon sa e-sabong ang magkaroon ng legal platform bunga ng kontrobersya sa sports na ito na kamaakailan lamang ay inimbestigahan ng Senado.