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Cockfighting has been the traditional county game for Filipinos. Organizers of the Hudyaka ZANORTE festival have never failed to bring the rural game to the city folks. The unusual cockfighting called carambola, is a game where cocks are placed together in the center of a bamboo fenced area until every cock is defeated except one, that will be pronounced winner.

Last Monday, spectators from various municipalities of the province gathered at the ATI ground to witness the first set of carambola. Ten (10) cocks, representing ten local government units, were placed inside the fence and onlookers outside howled and cheered to their chosen cock hoping to defeat other strong cock contenders that had been tossed in by their owners inside. It was Manukan Mayor Eugene Caballero’s cock emerged winner during that event.

Yesterday, cocks owned by municipal agricultural officers were on the loose and the municipality of Manukan yet again won. Other winners of the event were Joel Pao of the Provincial Government Security Group (PGSG) for the Provincial Employees category. And for the open category, Col. Ernesto Sorronda of PGSG won for the second set of carambola.

This game determines and identifies the fittest of the cocks. (Abante Zanorte Gazette, The Official Chronicler of Hudyaka Zanorte 2005, Vol. I No.6)