At a cockfighting ring in Metro Manila, a crowd gathers around two roosters prepared for a fight. However, when the birds’ handlers release them to begin the fight, the spectators are unusually calm.

Before Covid-19, the start of such a fight at the Dampalit Cockpit Arena would have been greeted with screams from the crowd and public. Kristosor punters. Kristos He usually shouted winning odds into the ring and kept a tally of punters who owed money. As traditional cockfights can get rowdy, Kristos also use hand signals to communicate.

However, in recent years, cockpits have increasingly used machines to tally bets, reducing the need for Kristos.

“So much has changed since the pandemic,” said Ricky Marcelo, a cockpit referee for more than 25 years. “Back then, cockfighting was ‘normal.’ No computers were used. Naturally, people were shouting about their bets.