"No animal cruelty" in Turugpo

CARIGARA, LEYTE — Every Black Saturday, thousands of tourists and local residents flock in this old town of Leyte to witness the two-century-old Turugpo, a public fight between two male horses and between two male carabaos.

Village chief Apolonio Rañin recalled that Turugpo was only shown on Good Fridays until 1984 when the late Archbishop Cipriano Urgel decreed that the fight be conducted on Black Saturdays.

It is likened to a fight between good and evil where only one of the paired animals should win the particular duel, said Rañin. There were times when the fighting animals end in a tie, for which their owners would peacefully discuss between them who the winner should be.

On March 26, Turugpo was held in the quaint host village of Camansi, some 10 kilometers from the national highway.

According to Vice Mayor Remegio Lauron, Turugpo was specifically staged on a rolling open field owned by the family of then Leyte governor Leopoldo Petilla, father of now Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and senatoriable Jericho "Icot" Petilla.

In a fiesta mood, the venue was spruced up with fence to protect the spectators while a covered wooden stage accommodated the VIPs and some newsmen. Various delicacies famous and unique in Carigara were sold like hotcakes as well as the popular 'lechon" (roasted pig).

The Carigaranons, led by re-

electionist Mayor Eduard Ong and his entire political slate, as well as balikbayans and local and foreign tourists, were entertained by the "friendly match" between sets of male carabaos and male horses where only one champion was declared."Turugpo is a major event in Carigara because the town becomes known not only in the region but even national and international as tourism destination," Ong said, adding that it has its economic advantage by providing livelihood opportunity to the town folk, especially those selling the Carigara delicacies.Ong disagreed that the "fight" between horses and between carabaos can be classified as animal cruelty. "As you can see (the animals) do not really hurt each other; they are only apparently entertaining the people," he said, and that he had not received so far any complaint from animal welfare groups.No animal was hurt in the sets of fights, and the show was for free and the local government unit has not toyed the idea of collecting entrance fee from spectators."It is not a good idea to collect entrance fee," the mayor said, considering that the main purpose of the event has been mainly to keep up with the centuries-old tradition.Photos of Turugpo, of horses (top photo) and of carabaos (above).