BREEDING AND PERPETUATING THE ICONIC PHILIPPINE ‘ASEEL’

By Manny Pinol

There is no accurate account, written or oral, on the exact period when the beautiful East Asian breed called the “Aseel” first arrived in the Southern Islands of the Philippines.

But it is widely believed that they were brought in by the Arab traders and Islamic missionaries long before the Spaniards “discovered” the Philippines.

That would put their presence in the Southern Philippines at a good 800 to 900 years making this breed of sturdy and tough chicken effectively an indigenous Filipino breed.

The “Aseel,” a Middle Eastern word meaning “pure” or “original” is considered the oldest breed of domesticated chicken in the world and is found mostly in East and Southeast Asia.

Most of the chicken breeds in the world now, trace their genetic origins to this well-bodied fowl which could weigh as much as 4-5 kilos with a strain in Malaysia called “Kambing Ayam” (Goat Chicken) reportedly weighing as much as 7 to 8 kilos.

In the Philippines, the “Aseels” are bred almost all over the Southern islands and named after the places where they are bred – Jolo for those bred in the islands of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and Basilan for those that come from the island of Basilan.

But they are generally called “Parawakan” because the roosters are used in an indigenous Muslim sport of naked heel fighting.

They are bred mostly by in Islamic communities by the different Muslim tribes who consider the pure “Aseels” as prized possessions.

My involvement with breeding of the “Aseels” started my Muslim friend from Pikit, North Cotabato, Datu Musim Mamintal and his son, Jazim, gifted me with several at roosters and hens.

Today, four years after I acquired several breeding materials through the help of Datu Musim and Jazim and started breeding the “Aseels”, I can proudly say that I have some of the most beautiful “Aseels” in this part of the woods.

I am posting here some of the photos of the Braveheart Farms “Aseels,” most of which were part of the acquisitions I made through the help of Datu Musim and Jazim and some of the younger ones products of my breeding program.