The Filipino ‘Laro’

In the book ‘A study of Philippine Games’ (1980), author Mellie

Leandicho Lopez noted 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.
Major studies of games pointed out that traditional games are shared
communally within Philippine context. The same situation exists in neighboring
countries, specially Indonesia.
It is also commonly known that games play an important part in the learning
process of the child. This educational influence of games on the physical,
mental, and moral vitality of a child is a factor why games in the country are still
being practiced and observed by the general public.
In this connection, the family plays a very important role in the transmission of
traditional games on to their children. The family, specifically the parents,
reinforce the child’s learning process. Psychologically, it helps the child in
building up himself to use all possibilities that will make him grow normal.
Lopez also observed that the normal child’s natural interests lead him to
different types of games at different periods of his development.
The family is a social agent that builds the development of each member of the
household. As traditionally practiced in the Philippines and the neighboring
countries, children learn from their parents. It is the obligation of the parents to
help their children learn social customs, standards and values of his culture. This
system is also shared by other members of the family, relatives, and, by and
large, the members of the community, speeding up the learning process of any
child. Also, with this frame of attitude, preservation of tradition is enhanced,
and the children benefit from it. It is in this process that whatever they learned
is right away integrated into their consciousness.
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.

12 Philippine Games
The selection is based on the premise that these games share commonality
around the country and that of their neighboring Asian countries. Majority of
these are common or ordinary games utilizing physical strength, and classified as
mock warfare, racing games and formula games, most making use of dexterity
and skill.
1. Patintero (block the enemy game) – This game is played by boys and girls,
ages 5 to 10 years old in mixed teams. Adults though tend to rank
themselves according to sex. There are two sets of this game. One requires
six players to a team while the other needs eight players. The game is
played outdoor at anytime of the day and at night when the moon is out.
The game is prepared on the ground by drawing a rectangular field (usually five to
six meter with four parallel lines inside) using either water, stick and charcoal on
the ground to define the boundary. To play, one set of taggers or the ‘it’ situate
themselves inside the lines of the rectangle while the runners will try to get
through both ends of the field and back without being tagged or blocked. When
caught, they right away change roles. The group that has lesser tagged incidents is
declared winner. The games is widespread in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
2. Karera ng Baong Sangko (coconut shell stilts race) – This game is designed
for racing. This game requires two or more chidlren of both sexes ages
between 7 to 12 years old or much older. This game uses coconut shells
with string of abaca rope inserted into the eyes of the shells. The strings are
measured to the height of the user. A set of starting and finish lines are
drawn. The players, with their feet on the coconut shells stilts, run at full
speed to the finish line.
3. Luksong Lubid (jump rope) – This is another common game played only by
girls between the ages of 5 to 15. This is usually played outdoors when the
 weather is good and indoors during the rainy season. The length of the
abaca rope depends on the players involved. The game is played first using
two ‘its’ who are replaced after a player touches the rope with his feet.
4.Taguan (hide and seek) – This game has no limit to both boys and girls of ages
between 5 to 15. This is played outdoors during daytime and on moonlit nights.
Children are most often discouraged by parents partly due to a belief in unseen
spirits that might harm their children. The game starts in an unidentified base
where the ‘it’ closes his eyes and counts to 100 while the other players start
hiding. After the count, the ‘it’ start looking for the rest of the players. Once
found, one is automatically out of the game. In some provinces though, once a
player is found, the ‘it’ will have to run to the base and touch it while the found
player tries to beat him to it. When the found player beats the ‘it,’ he remains ‘it’
until everyone else is located.
5. Kolyahan ng Sarangola (kite fight) – This is a game of dexterity and skills at
manipulating high-flown kites. Kiting is one the old games found in the
repertoire of Philippine games. This particular game is played by boys, ages
seven and older, outdoors during summer (March to June in most provinces
and extended to the month of October in other areas). The game is played
by two groups using their kites: either a big one (gorion) or a small one
(small kite) to engage in the ‘kolyahan.’ The players would try to damage
the each other’s kite while avoiding damages to their own kites.
This game needs preparation since the kite’s string is coated with powdered
glass, to help cut the strings of the opponent’s kite. The owner of the kite that is
damaged and plunges to the ground loses.
6. Dama (checkers) – This is another familiar game and familiar pastime.that
uses skill, usually played by males 10 years old and above, and played either
indoors or outdoors. The game is played on a small wooden board with 10
squares and 14 end points. The checkers (dama) pieces are comprised of 24
pitsas made from pieces of small bamboo, stones, or bottles caps, with the
players having 12 pieces each. The players position the 12 pieces of pitsa on
the end points of the diagram. The players move alternately from from
point to point. Like chess, the game ends once the opponents pitsas are
captured or literally eaten, especially the dama or queen.
 7. Turumpo (top) – This is a popular game throughout the country. Each
province has its own shape and style of top but the most beautiful and
biggest are those found among the Maranao of Mindanao. The game is
done with ordinary skill in order to manipulate the top. The top is usually
made of soft wood for those used in regular games and hardwood for
heavy competition. The top is played by winding the meter-long string
around the top. The top is held between two fingers and the thumb and
thrown to the ground. The competition is of two kinds. One is to inflict
damage on the opponent’s top– the top that receives the heavy damage
lose the game. The other one is to keep it spinning for the longest time–
the one that spins the longest wins.
8. Yoyo – According to early researchers and documents, this particular piece
of instrument was not intended for game purposes but as instrument in
hunting or capturing animals and as self-defense. Presently, yoyo is made
of wood and acrylic plastic though before it was made of carabao horn,
ivory, silver, and even gold.
The game is quite new, played alone or by two, outdoors or indoors, by young
and adult alike of both sexes. The mechanics of the game is simple, the players
only have to outwit the opponent in reeling the yoyo continuously without
interruption. If the opponent did not complete the required style, e.g. ‘around the
world,’ ‘walking the dog,’ and loses momentum, or his yoyo stops in the process,
then he loses the match.
9. Sipa (rattan football) – This is a common game that requires kicking skills.
The game is played outdoors during daytime with young adults
participating in the game varying in numbers from two, four, and eight
players. Like the ball in the volleyball game, the rattan ball is kicked by the
players to their opponents who kick it back and so forth. The ball should
never touch any parts of the body except the knee down to the toes.
10.Palo Sebo (climbing a greased bamboo contest) – It traces its origins to a
similar game widely played in the Visayas that had men racing up a greased
coconut tree. It is also similar to the ‘Pinang’ game of Java, Indonesia. The
game is played by young males and generally done in an open space during
fiestas and other celebrations. A long polished bamboo pole greased with
 oil is planted on the ground with the prize placed at the topmost of the
pole. All players, whether individually or as a team, try to climb the pole for
the prize. The prize, usually cash, is increased depending on the sponsor’s
generosity.
11.Luksong Tinik (thorn hurdles). This is a very common game played largely
by girls ages between 7 to 12, though, in some areas, boys join in. This
game is played outside with players divided into sets, comprising of the
mother (‘inay) and her child (‘anak’). The ‘it’ are two players who seat
facing each other, stacking their feet and hands together, gradually
increasing the height while the opponents jump over it. Any ‘child’ player
who touches any part of this hurdle is saved by the ‘mother’ who would
jump on the former’s behalf. If she, too, fails to accomplish the feat, both
‘mother’ and ‘child’ becomes the ‘it’ who would assume the seated
position.
12.Sunka or chongca, sungca, sunkaan, sunca, tsunka (board game) – This is
another set of game widely distributed in the country and the rest of
Southeast Asia. This game is played both outdoors and indoors and is
played by both children and adults. This is played by two players with a
wooden pea-pod shaped board with seven small holes in rows on each side,
and a big hole on each end filled with an equal number of ‘sigays’ (small
shells). Each player takes turns picking up from any hole on his/her side,
putting one ‘sigays’ in the small/big hole to his/her left, then picks up all the
‘sigays’ from the last hole that the last sigay is put and places them in the
big hole to his/her left. This is repeated until one person no longer has any
‘sigays’ to play with and is declared the loser. The person with the most
number of sigays is declared the winner.