Welcome to Guhit Pinoy: The First Negros Gamefowl Art Exhibition

The Negros Gamefowl Breeders Association (NGBA) will present 'The First Negros Gamefowl Art Exhibition' by the Negros Artists on August 20, 2009, 7:00 pm at the Grand Ballroom, Sugarland Hotel, Bacolod City. The exhibit is sponsored by VNJ Distributors, Inc., Distributor of Novartis, Belamyl.

Participating artists; Jecky Alano, Perry Argel, Nune Alvarado, Dennis Ascalon, Bert Berondo, Nilda Claveraz, Rommel Clavecillas, Charlie Co, Jovito Hecita, Raymond Legaspi,Rodney Martinez, , Rafael Paderna, Leah Samson, Roger Salvarita, Edbon Sevilleno, Lor Sumagaysay, Fred Juson, and Orville Visitacion.

Excerpt from:
Iloilo City Boy Blogspot
Posted JUNE 08, 2006
Ilonggos Are Crazy Over Their Cocks

Aside from sugar and aswangs, Western Visayas is also considered the mecca of cockfighting in the Philippines. Gamefowl breeding is a multi-billion industry in the Philippines and cockfighting remains as one of the country’s three most popular “sports” (the other two being basketball and elections).

In Western Visayas as in most areas in the Philippines, cockfighting and politics mix. The region’s most famous breeders are also politicians or are relatives of politicians. Juancho Aguirre, the current president of the Negros Gamefowl Breeders’ Association, used to be mayor of La Carlota City in Negros Occidental. Narciso “Jun” Santiago, who held the “Cocker of the Year” title for several years, is the husband of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Eminent businessman Jorge Araneta, whose family owns Araneta Coliseum (the venue for most of the big-time thingy derbies in Metro Manila), is the brother of Liberal Party matriarch Judy Roxas and an uncle of No. 1 Senator Mar Roxas. There are countless other local breeders who have ties to politicians like Ricoy Palmares who is the elder brother of former Passi Mayor Jesry Palmares. I don’t know exactly why Ilonggo politicians seem predisposed to the game. Probably becuase of the "machoness" of the sport. It could also be because in small towns where there are no local media, one effective way to be visible to voters is to go to the bulangan. Inside, a local politician can gain instant voter recall and acquire a reputation as a winner if his thingy wins regularly.

This is not to say that cockfighting is exclusively for the rich because one can see gamecocks practically everywhere in the region, even in crowded squatter areas and far-flung barrios. It is said that breeders spend more time tending their cocks than their children. Ilonggos are just crazy over their cocks.

“Roundhead-ButcherCross” | Watercolor by Salvador 'Dodong' Arellano | Gov. Joseph Marañon Collection | Recent owner: Boy Coscolluela

Excerpt from:
Game fowl & equine art, portraits & nudes
KRIPOTKIN By Alfred A. Yuson
The Philippine STAR 10/16/2006

Dodong has been based in Los Angeles for decades, where he has gained the privilege of being officially declared as resident artist of the LA Equestrian Center. His equine art has been hailed by critics and aficionados worldwide, and found places of honor at The Armand Hammer Museum as well as the private collections of distinguished personalities, including HRH Prince Charles, former British PM Margaret Thatcher, the Sultan of Brunei, Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, the late American Hall of Fame jockey Willie Shoemaker, and the prominent American thoroughbred trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Among his fellow Filipino collectors are Ambassador Eduardo and Gretchen Cojuangco, Rep. Mark Cojuangco, the late Ramon Mitra and Ma. Clara Lobregat, Manolo and Marites Lopez, Carlos Arellano, Melo Santiago, Greg and Irene Araneta, Joe and Marily Orosa, and numerous other patrons of equine and game fowl art and portraiture.