LARO NG LAHI

Traditional Filipino Games

“A SYMBOL OF OUR NATIONALITY & PRIDE”

BRIEF HISTORY

Upon the desire of the Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports (BPESS) to foster patriotism, nationalism and appreciation of traditional games among the youth, it embarked on a difficult but fruitful task to search and record the traditional games from the different regions of the country.

BRIEF HISTORY 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.

BRIEF HISTORY

A few decades ago, kids used to gather in the streets or in their neighborhood playground to play their favorite Larong Pinoy games like piko, patintero, taguan, tumbang preso, siato, luksong tinik, etc.

These has been their regular and popular pastimes, as well as the favorite games of their parents and grandparents until new and modern forms of entertainment has taken over the interests of young kids.

BRIEF HISTORY

Dickie Aguado, Executive Director of Magna Kultura Foundation, confirms that the Traditional Filipino Games are very much alive in Philippines.

It is not true that the Filipino Street Games are no longer played, as some would say that it has vanished in Philippine society.

BRIEF HISTORY

The successful launching of the first "Palaro ng Lahi" on February 10, 1984 at Laoag, Ilocos Norte through the combined efforts of MECS, Office of the Provincial Governor and Office of the Municipal Mayor, prompted the BPESS to include these "Laro ng Lahi" as an activity for physical education.

“TUMBANG PRESO”

AKA. presohan (tumba-patis in most Visayan regions) is a popular Filipino street game and is commonly seen in most Filipino movies and TV series.

very common game among the youth all over the country, played in backyards, parks or even in streets with less vehicular traffic.

RULES OF THE GAME For the purpose of making the game

enjoyable and exciting, the composition of players should not be more than 9

When a player is tag while re-covering his pamato, he becomes thde IT.

The principle involved is to hit and knock down the milk can with the "pamato," and for the IT to put back the can inside a small circle a few meters away from the toe-line.

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED

empty milk can

slipper or a piece of flat stone as "pamato."

MECHANICS OF THE GAME

1. An IT, the one to guard the milk can is chosen by throwing the "pamato" to the toe line by all the players. Whoever player whose "pamato" is farthest from the toe-line is the IT. 

2. The hitters will line up at the back of the toe-line and at the sign of the IT, game is started.

3. The "pamato" must be retrieved immediately once the can is knocked down, otherwise once the IT has placed the can inside the circle, the one tagged becomes the IT.

4. When the can is hit and went off the circle but remains standing, the IT has the right to tag the hitter once the hitter leaves the toe-line.

5. The can maybe kicked or knocked down under situation No. 4.

6. If a hitter is not able to retrieve his "pamato," the others can save him by hitting the can.

“PATINTERO”

AKA. harangang daga - try to cross my line without letting me touch or catch you 

most widely known and played game in the country

RULES OF THE GAME

A team is composed of 5 players and a coach.

The official of the game is the scorer, timekeeper, and 5 linesmen.

The objective of a team is to accumulate as many points by passing the lines without being tagged.

A defensive team is called line guard while an offensive team is called the passer.

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED

chalk or paint scoreboard whistle stop watch powder

MECHANICS OF THE GAME

1. The game is started with toss of a coin. Whoever wins becomes the passer.

2. A time limit of two minutes is given to each team to score.

3. Once the limit elapses, the line guards assume the positions of the passer, and vice-versa.

4. Passers are suppose to cross the lines from the starting point and back.

5. Four line guards are positioned on the vertical line and one on the horizontal line of the court. Their feet always be on the line.

6. Line guards tag the passer with powered hands.

7. If any of the passer is tagged, the line guard immediately assumes the position of passer even if the 2-minute limit has not elapsed

SYSTEM OF SCORING From Entry Point From Exit Point

First line - 1 pt. Fourth line - 2 pt. Second line - 2 pts. Third line - 3 pts. Third line - 2 pts. Second line - 3 pts. Fourth line - 2 pts. First line - 5 pts. 

(Home) 

**The duration of the game is three innings and each inning is divided into halves. 

“SIPA”

AKA. BILANGAN OR GAME OF SICK

The object being used to play the game is also called sipa.

It is made of a washer with colorful threads, usually plastic straw, attached to it.

RULES OF THE GAME

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

MECHANICS OF THE GAME

1. Sipa Bilangan is played by two teams.

2. First team to play is determined by toss coin.

3. The flyer is kick up and down, until the ball touches the ground.

4. Point is counted on every kick made.

“SUNGKA”

For as long as anyone can remember, there has always been a sungka board in the Filipino homes.

The sungka board is a small treasure-the older it is, the more precious, it sits on a side table or a top a bench, waiting to be played.

SUNGKA BOARD

A shallow boat made of solid wood at both ends of, which are large deep bowls carved out of the wood.

The whole length of the boat is lined with seven smaller bowls carved in pairs.

PROPS: Pebbles, "Sigay" or shells seeds

MECHANICS OF THE GAME

1. Sungka is always played by two people.

2. Each players fills up his seven smaller bowls with 7 "Sigay" each.

3. Both players start at the same time.

4. The object of the game is to put as many "Sigay" as possible in the large bowl as to cause the opponent to lose one or two of his smaller bowls in the succeeding games which means he losses.

5. If at the end of 15 minutes, nobody has been declared as winner, the game will be called off. Each player counts the number of "Sigay" in the opponent's large bowl.

6. The player with the most number of "Sigay" wins.

“PIKO”

game that joins all children of the world together wherever they live, whenever they lived.

Piko is unbelievably old.

When ancient Roman cities were dug up, drawings of hopscotch lines were found on the stone floors..

Everywhere it is played for one aim: to win a place to call one's own.

In the Philippines, the game is also known as kipkip, pikuba, laban ang segking

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED PLAYING COURT

Stone floor drawn with chalk, charcoal 

On the ground-drawn with a sharp stick (in this event, masking tape) 5 rectangles arranged vertically, rectangles 3 and 5 are divided equally (3a and 3b; 5a and 5b): no.6 is a drawing of a half moon.

Pamato (maybe a flat stone, a brick chip, the bottom piece of a clay pot or a smooth chunk of window glass)

MECHNAICS OF THE GAME 1. The players stand in front of a rectangle

no.1. Each player takes turn in tossing his pamato inside the 4th rectangle's dividing line. The player who tosses his pamato closest to this line gets to play first. This is called manohan.

2. Only hops and skips are allowed using either the left or the right foot. Landing on both feet is only allowed in the area or areas considered as home or "bahay" of a certain player who has earned it after successfully finishing the game. No other player can step on this area.

3. The 1st player tosses his pamato to rectangle no.1. Neither the player nor the pamato must touch the line otherwise the player losses his turn.

4. The player then tosses his pamato to rectangle no.2, 3a, 3b, 4,5a, 5b and 6.

5. The player then plays the game all over again this time starting from rectangle no. 5.

6. After he has played in the entire rectangle, he tosses the pamato strong enough to pass over rectangle no. 1. Hops passing rectangle no. 5 to 1 then jumps over the pamato.

7. Player picks up the pamato. With his back turned against the rectangular play area, he tosses his pamato towards the direction of the play area. Where the pamato lands, that area becomes his home or bahay.

8. The game starts all over again for the 1st player. The rest continues with the game they have left off.

9. The player with the most number of homes, wins.

“PALO-SEBO”

The game "Palo-Sebo" is commonly played during "Fiestas”

The essence of the game is most important thing for the players of the palo-sebo, for it is not merely a test of his prowess in climbing but more importantly, it is to prove his mettle and perseverance.

EQUIPMENTS NEEDED

a 10-meter bamboo pole with a 10.16-centimeter diameter

small bag a prize lard or grease.

MECHANICS OF THE GAME It is an individual or single game.

The pole is painted with lard or grease from top to bottom and a small bag filled with prizes is tied on the top end of the pole before it is set to stand.

The objective of the game is to get the bag full of prizes by climbing the bamboo pole.

A competitor is given only one chance to climb. The game ends once the prizes are taken.