Traditional games in the Philippines

Traditional Filipino games or traditional games in the Philippines [http://www.hagonoy.com/lbcorpus/halbc010.html Mga Larong Kinagisnan] , Hagonoy.com] [http://www.seasite.niu.edu./Tagalog/Filipino_Games/mga_larong_pilipino.htm Mga Larong Pilipino] , Seasite.niu.edu] are games commonly played by children, usually using native materials or instruments. In the Philippines, due to limited resources of toys of Filipino children, they usually come up on inventing games without the need of anything but the players themselves. With the flexibility of a real human to think and act makes the game more interesting and challenging. Because it is a tradition for Filipinos to play in a bigger and spacious area, most games are usually played outside the house. Some games are played or held during town fiestas in the provinces. These games of Filipino children include the following:

Agawang sulok

Agawang sulok - "catch and own a corner" - The "it" or tagger stands in the middle of the ground. The players in the corners will try to exchange places by running from one base to another. The "it" should try to secure a corner or base by rushing to any of those when it is vacant.

Araw-lilim

Araw-lilim - "sun and shade" - The "it" or tagger tries to tag or touch any of the players who is in direct contact with the light of the sun. A runner saves himself or herself from being tagged by staying in the shade. The one tagged becomes the tagger in the next game. If more than five are playing, the game may have two or three taggers at the same time.

Bulong-pari

Bulong-Pari - "whisper it to the priest" - It is composed of two teams and an "it". The leader of team A goes to the priest and whispers one of the names of the players of team B. Then he returns to his place and the priest calls out, "Lapit!" ("Approach!"). One of the players of team B should approach the priest, and if it happens to be the one whom the leader of team A mentioned, the priest will say, "Boom" or "Bung!" The player then falls out of line and stays somewhere near the priest as a prisoner.

Declan ruki

Declan ruki - "I declare, do it!" - Participants are told to do something by the winner of the previous games. It is similar to the American Simon Says.

Iring-iring

Iring-Iring - "go round and round until the hanky drops" - After the "it" is determined, he or she goes around the circle and drops a handkerchief behind one of the players in the circle. If this player notices the handkerchief, he or she has to pick up the handkerchief and go after the "it" around the circle. The "it" has to reach the vacant spot left by the player before the "it" is tagged; otherwise, the "it" has to take the handkerchief and repeat the process all over again.

Juego de prenda

Juego de prenda - "game of looking for the missing bird" - There is no limit to the number of players that can play. Players sit in a circle with the leader in the middle. Each player adopts a name of a tree or flower that is given by the leader. The leader recounts the story of a lost bird that was owned by a king. He or she says, "The bird of the king was lost yesterday. Did you find it, Ylang-Ylang?" The player who adopted the name of the Ylang-Ylang tree at once answers that he or she has not found it, so the leader continues to ask the other "trees" whether the bird has hidden in them. If a player cannot answer after the third count, he or she is made to deposit a thing he or she owns to the leader until the leader has been able to gather a lot of things from the members.

Kapitang bakod

Kapitang bakod - "touch the post, or you're it!" or "hold on to the fence" - When the "it" or tagger is chosen, the other players run from place to place and save themselves from being tagged by holding on to a fence, a post, or any object made of wood or bamboo.

Luksong-tinik

Luksong-tinik - "jump over the thorns" - Two players serve as the base of the tinik (thorn) by putting their right or left feet together (soles touching gradually building the tinik). A starting point is set by all the players, giving enough runway for the players to achieve a higher jump, so as not to hit the tinik. Players of the other team start jumping over the tinik, followed by the other team members.

Langit-lupa

Langit-lupa - "heaven and earth" - One "It" chases after players who are allowed to run on level ground (lupa) and clamber over objects (langit). The "It" may tag players who remain on the ground, but not those who are standing in the "langit" (heaven). The tagged player then becomes "It" and the game continues.

Patintero

Patintero or harangang taga - "try to cross my line without letting me to touch or catch you" - Each member of the group who is "it" stands on the water lines. The perpendicular line in the middle allows the "it" designated on that line to intersect the lines occupied by the "it" that the parallel line intersects, thus increasing the chances of the runners to be trapped.

Palosebo

Palo-sebo - "greased bamboo pole climbing" - This game involves a greased bamboo pole that players attempt to climb. This games is usually played during town fiestas, particularly in the provinces. The objective of the participants is to be the first person to reach the prize -- a small bag -- located at the top of the bamboo pole. The small bag usually contains money or toys.

Piko

Piko - "hopscotch" - The players stand behind the edge of a box, and each should throw their cue ball. The first to play is determined depending on the players' agreement (e.g. nearest to the moon, wings or chest). Whoever succeeds in throwing the cue ball nearest to the place that they have agreed upon will play first. The next nearest is second, and so on.

ipa

Sipa - "game of kick" - The object being used to play the game is also called "sipa". It is made of a washer with colorful threads, usually plastick straw, attached to it. The sipa is then thrown upwards for the player toss using his/her foot. The player must not allow the sipa to touch the ground by hitting it several times with his/her foot, and sometimes the part just above the knee. The player must count the number of times he/she was able to kick the sipa. The one with most number of kicks wins the game.

ungka

Sungka - The objective of the game is to amass stones or cowrie shells in the player's home base (bahay) by continuously distributing the shells around smaller holes until the player runs out of shells to distribute. The person who collects the most shells in his or her bahay wins.

Taguan

Taguan - hide and seek in America. What is unique in Tagu-Taguan compared to its counterpart, hide and seek, is that this game is usually played at sunset or at night as a challenge for the it to locate those who are hiding.

Takip-silim

Takip-silim - "twilight game", "look out, cover yourself!" or "take-cover game!" - Participants usually step on couches, hide under tables, or wrap themselves in curtains – much to the dismay of neat-freak parents.

Ubusan lahi

Ubusan lahi - "game of conquer" - One tries to conquer the members of a group (as in claiming the members of another's clan). The tagged player from the main group automatically becomes an ally of the tagger. The more players, the better. The game will start with only one it and then try to find and tag other players. Once one player is tagged, he or she then will help the it to tag the other players until no other participant is left.

Teks

Teks or teks game cards - "texted game cards" - Filipino children collect these playing cards which contain comic strips and texts placed within speech balloons. They are played by tossing them to the air until they hit the ground. The cards are flipped upwards through the air using the thumb and the forefinger which creates a snapping sound as the nail of the thumb hits the surface of the card. The winner or gainer collect the other players' card depending on how the cards are laid out upon hitting or landing on the ground. [http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/02/20/ENTR2006022056730.html Panaligan, Jojo P. "Rocksteddy, Sandwich for parody and Pinoy sense of humor", Entertainment, Manila Bulletin online, MB.com.ph, 20 February 2006] , "..."Tsubtsatagilidakeyn"," on the other hand, redounds from a popular children’s game of "teks cards". One bundles up three cards (yours, your opponent’s and a mediator card that decides the winner), flip all into the air, then let them land on the floor. "Tsub" means the card is face down, "Tsa" means face up, and "Tagilid" is when a card lands arguably face up/down..."Akeyn!" (Mine!) is what’s shouted out by whoever wins the pot of more cards. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? So is the music of Rocksteddy...," note: Italicization and word translation of "Akeyn!" are mine, accessed on: 10 April, 2008]

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Borja, Bernadette F. "A Combination of Instructional Materials in Teaching Physical Education" based on Secondary Education Development Program, Philippine Normal University
* Flores, Josephine A. Cordillera Game, Cordillera Administrative Region
* Fontanilla, Victorino D. "The Cultural Heritage of Central Mindanao: Folk Culture of Region XII", Cotabato City, DECS, 1992
* Philacor Young People's Library, "Games Filipino Children Play", Manila Philippines, 1978