Laro ng Lahing Filipino: Traditional Filipino Games in Danger of Vanishing Soon

Nostalgic! That is what I feel upon writing this post. The Philippines is one of the countries that is known for its diverse and rich cultural heritage plus its unique traditions. Highly influenced by the different colonizer sa from the Spanish to the American to the neighboring Japan, those long history and interaction collides to the contributing factors that shaped and developed our culture nowadays. Truly our practices exude uniqueness, exuberance and spiritual image that greatly embody the Filipino identity.

Traditional Filipino Games

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Traditional Filipino games are the game that are usually played by the Filipino children with great use of the native materials. Fun and very exciting which is only found in the Philippines. But these traditional Filipino games along with other practices are slowly declining and disappearing along with the Filipino sense of identity with it.

While we are gradually going into the world of globalization and the progress it brought to the country is well, on the lope side it has slowly stripped the important things that are already part of our culture and traditions for several decades.

History of Laro ng Lahing Filipino



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In some several study mad by scholar in our country specifically the book ‘A study of Philippine Games’ (1980), author Mellie Leandicho Lopez emphasizes that ‘laro’ is the Filipino generic term for all forms of recreational play. The closest word term for the game is the ‘palaro’ referring to a group of special occasion games that take place during wakes, festivals and town fiestas. This would also refer to games that are competitive in nature where each contest is always brought to a conclusion.Malay (1956) pointed out that ‘Filipinos like to play game,’ and this is observed true. Traditional and hightech games are simultaneously played around the country. As part of Filipino pastime, specially in the rural areas and during moonlit nights, the neighborhood gathers and shares games in the plazas, open areas, and main roads, trying different sets of games and interacting with each other as part of their recreation, socialization, and relaxation after a hard day’s work.

Popular Traditional Filipino Games

Bahay-Bahayan You'll probably missed half of your childhood if you don't experience playing Bahay-bahayan. This is a role-playing game where children act as members of an imaginary family, sometimes to the extent that one of them becomes the family "pet". Usually there was a role for a mother then there is a father too. I was often the son back then. Truly fun games indeed.

Luksong-Baka
This game left me with a lot of scars growing up. The mechanics is very simple, a player crouches while the other players jump over them. The crouching player gradually stands up as the game progresses, making it harder for the other players to jump over them. A person becomes the it when they touch the baka as they jump.

Chinese Garter This is probably one of the fewest traditional games that is still very visible today! It's very popular way back my elementary days. The mechanics is at both side two people hold both ends of a stretched garter horizontally while the others attempt to cross over it. The goal is to cross without having tripped on the garter. With each round, the garter's height is made higher than the previous round (the game starts with the garter at ankle-level, followed by knee-level etc.)

Patintero
This game is something that I will forever remember since I was almost hit by a motorcycle back in the days. The rule is simple, there are two teams playing: an attack team and a defense team; with five players for each team. The attack team must try to run along the perpendicular lines from the home-base to the back-end, and return without being tagged by the defense players. I missed playing in the streets though.

Honorable mention



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• Agawang Sulok
• Sekyu Base
• Bulong-Pari
• Leron-leron Sinta
• Holen
• Tumbang Preso
• Iring-Iring
• Langit-lupa
• Jack N Poy
• Luksong-Tinik
• Palosebo
• etc
  

Traditional Filipino Games are healthy for us

We are living in the world right now we're technology is rising up to the occasion. The time where millennial often disregard this traditional games for technological advancements. But according to several researches, these traditional Filipino games are very healthy for our body physically, socially and emotionally.

Games like this requires physical endurance and stamina and thus boost your immune system. It also developed the social aspect which is very vital in child stage development , playing with other children boost communication skills and confidence. It's very healthy in a way that it also promotes our cultural sense of identity.

Conclusion



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Truly wonderful, Filipino Traditional games has already marks a special place in our hearts. Although at presents it is facing several adversity as these traditional Filipino games are being overshadowed by modern games and hi-tech gadgets, it is still present in society.

At present, playing means facing the computer or other gaming devices, phone, mobile or personal laptops as to pressing on buttons and keyboards, and spending the whole day just sitting around while facing the gadgets’ screens which is quite alarming.

Indeed, time changes rapidly but one thing we can do is to start introducing and promoting these old practices of traditional games to the younger generation in a way we can help of instilling in them a sense of history.

Truly glad to experience these tradional Filipino games growing up
Thank you for reading! What's your childhood memories with these games? Share it with me 😍 I will surely be listening to that.

~Zam

Reference

• https://dickieaguado.wordpress.com/tag/larong-kalye/
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_games_in_the_Philippines
• https://www.forumbiodiversity.com/showthread.php?t=32957
• https://YouTube.com/Popular-Filipinogames