Galo Meliton- Dean of Philippine Cockfighting
By GEM lll

An excellent selector of gamecocks, champion breeder, feeder and conditioner without equal, a complete cockfighter,these are some of the superlatives given to the man more popularly known as the dean of Philippine cockfighting. Before we let ourselves get out of hand however let us take a pause and consider the fact that altho he is most deserving of such praises he certainly will not relish the accolade. For such is the nature of the man whom I idolized and loved so dearly and the fact that he so quietly passed on the other side on a cold December night in a foreign land 17 years ago will not erase the fond memories and lessons that I learned from him not only about cockfighting but also about life and the indespensable civil behavior and strength of character that to him was of
utmost importance.

Allow me then to relate to you some snippets of his journey to better understand the man. My earliest recollections of his involvement with gamecocks was during the early fifties when he used to have a backyard breeding operation in what used to be Lipa street{now M.Jhocson} Sampaloc,Manila. Among his contemporaries that used to flock there to gather information, exchange ideas and talk chicken were Yoyong Fernandez,Miguel Garcia,Don Ernesting Gonzales,Titong Roces and Mayor Manuel dela Fuente. He was then finishing his law degree and was working as a beat reporter for the DMHM group and together with his lovely wife Aurora was raising a family and running the Rhodora Beauty Salon on the side. He realized early on that the local breed of fighting cocks was simply not good enough and an infusion of "Texas" blood as the American breed were known then was necessary. To this end he communicated with American breeders and was lucky enough to get some breeding stock from the established breeders of the day. He was among the very first local subscriber to the cockfighting journals like the "Gamecock" and "Grit nd Steel". From the very start he had an innate feeling that the modus operandi of the local afficionados which were for the most part shrouded in
voodoo and superstitious beliefs were simply not good enough, he never vacillated in his convictions that the game of cockfighting is based on some intrinsic scientific knowledge and to this end he formulated certain rules, feeding and conditioning regimen which he refined thru the years.

During the early sixties he concentrated on the business side of the game and was responsible for importing hundreds of fighting cocks as well as numerous broodstocks. He was truly a pioneer in this field, being the very first to engage in such endeavor and in no time his reputation as a supplier of quality fighting birds and fair deals grew by leaps and bounds. Nonoy Ortiz, Rivero brothers,Cong.Delfin Albano,Ninoy Dizon,Pedro and Pablo Berberabe and a host of well known cockers of the day were among his many happy and satisfied customers. It was during this period that I came to understand the underlying philosophy that makes him tick, he never wants to monopolize knowledge and to this end he went out of his way to guide others who were wanting to learn the business of importing gamecocks.

He moved his area of operation northeast of the city at Amparo Subdivision in Novaliches where he had a small breeding program. It was in this place that Eddie araneta and a few other aspiring breeders came to
visit and on a few occasions spend the whole afternoon talking about all aspects of the game. We were delighted when two of his American friends,
Elbert Elrod from South Carolina and Chunk Love from North Carolina came over, these two fine southern gentlemen were veterans of many gaff
tournaments but the art of fighting with knives was still foreign to them. He introduced them to the subtleties of the game, for example the art of tying the knife, the fighting style best suited for the knife, conformation and physique if you will of the ideal bird. Not long afterwards he returned their visit and together sometimes by himself he travelled the vast expense that is the center of the cockfighting universe, Talahasee, Biloxi, Orlando, Copperstate and Sunset. He persevered in introducing knife fighting in these various game clubs, often times demonstrating with a single “sultada” to showcase the fast action and the thrill and surge of adrenaline in the precious seconds that it takes for the action to be done. It took a while for the public to catch on but today the results of his efforts can be seen in the many knife only events with greater participation and higher purses and the concomitant excitement and enjoyment of the sport as a whole.

Along the way and on successive visits through the years on the beaten paths as well as the unfamiliar and out of the way locales he had made so many friends that to list them all here are simply not possible for we may inadvertently omit someone. He was a friend to all and his honesty and fairness was well appreciated. To them he was both a teacher and a friend. Another area of the game that he pioneered was the publication of the first news magazine devoted entirely to the game which he aptly named “SABONG”. It didn’t take long for the paper to receive acceptance and pretty soon the readership grew from as far as Australia, Belgium, England and of course U.S.A. He held on to the belief that this magazine will go far in promoting the exchange of ideas as well as elevating the standards of the Cockers. He sponsored derbies to the auspices of Sabong
Magazine and the most noteworthy of these were the first stag derby held in San Mateo, Rizal. It was also in this humble office of the Sabong Magazine that we may find many of these well established and respected breeders of today spending with him countless hours of one on one tutelage he had no favourites and none left feeling cheated, the only requirement was the ardent love of the game. He was tireless in explaining to each and every one of them the intricacies of the game, the various pitfalls one needs to avoid to be successful. Those were happy times but also good things will invariably come to an end. An old Chinese proverb says that “to lead a great life man must plant a tree, write a book and father a son”, he has done all these things and more! He left an indelible mark on Filipino Cockfighting and his legacy lives on. As I write these final lines it behooves me to feel honoured, proud and humble to be his son.