The Traditional Filipino Games are one of the pastimes that children look forward to the most. People would gather around the streets or in the neighborhood while playing and enjoying the their invent games because there were not enough toys available in the past.
The Philippines, like other countries, has a multitude of games that you can see children playing on the street. Because of modern technology, you will rarely witness these games in cities, which people used to do when they had free time and wanted to have fun.
Traditional games in the Philippines
The majority of games in the Philippines are typically played outside the home since it is customary for Filipinos to do so and because doing so provides them with access to a larger and more open space. In the provinces, many games are played or held during the course of the local fiestas. These are kinds of games commonly played by children, typically involving native materials or instruments. The following are some examples of traditional Filipino games that kids like playing:
Agawan Base
This is a Filipino games where its goal is to be the first team to seize control of the flag. Typically, it is played on an open field or in a broad area with two teams competing against one another. While simultaneously trying to take over the base of the other side, each group is responsible for defending a certain base or area that has been assigned to them.
When trying to enter the territory of the other team in order to reclaim their flag or marker, the players must do so without being tagged or caught by the members of that team. The ability to successfully catch an opponent requires not only speed but also strategy and coordination.
Bati-Cobra
Bati-Cobra constitutes a hitting and catching game. This Filipino traditional games is an outdoor game that can only be played by two or more people at a time.
Game involves two pieces of bamboo stick, one of which should be longer than the other. One player takes the role of the batter while the others stand at a distance apart from one another. The batter uses one hand to grip the longer of the two bamboo sticks and uses the other hand to toss the shorter of the two. The batter follows up by using the longer stick to strike the shorter stick.
Everyone else will make an effort to grab the flying shorter stick as it flies by. Whoever is successful in catching the stick will have the opportunity to bat next. If the stick is not caught, any player is free to take possession of it. The batter is responsible for placing the longer stick on the ground next.
The person who is holding the shorter stick is going to hurl it in an effort to bring the larger stick crashing down to the ground. The person who hits the ball becomes the next batter if the longer stick is hit. In the event that the player holding the shorter stick is unable to successfully hit the player holding the larger stick, play will proceed with the same batter.
Holen/Tatsing
Holen is a traditional Filipino marble game that's also sometimes referred to as Tatsing. To play, you must begin by drawing a circle on the ground and then putting a number of marbles inside of it.
Players take turns launching their marbles towards the center of the circle in an effort to remove as many of their opponents' marbles as possible. If a player is able to knock a marble outside of the circle with their hit, they get to keep the marble.
The round will continue until all of the marbles have been removed from the circle, either by being shot or by being knocked out. The winner of the game is the player who finishes with the most marbles.
Langit-lupa
Langit-Lupa is a one of the popular traditional Filipino games. At least two participants can play the game both indoors and outdoors. You would experience a rush of adrenaline if you managed to find a Langit to hop on while you were fleeing from the It. Simply said, one player is tasked with remaining on Lupa (earth) while the other fights to maintain their position in Langit (heaven).
The objective of this game is to chase after the other players while they are lupa, which means running on the ground. Those still on the earth can be tagged by it, which then becomes the new it. Players are safe if they are standing on higher ground.
In certain versions of the game, the game mechanics varied based on amount of time that players can spend in Langit since some of them is time-capped. Whoever is tagged while on Lupa becomes the new "it."
Lawin at Sisiw ("Hawk and Chicken")
Lawin at sisiw is one of traditional philippine games involves of ten or more players. It's equally fun whether it was played indoors or outdoors. The "hawk" role goes to one player, and the "hen" role goes to another player. The other participants are referred to as the "chickens."
The chickens are lined up in a row, with each one standing behind the previous one and clutching the waist of the chicken in front of them. In front of the line of chickens is where you'll find the hen.
The hawk is going to 'purchase' a chicken from the hen. After that, the hawk will grab the chicken, command them to find some food, and then go to sleep. During the time that the hawk is resting, the chicken will make its way back to the hen.
The Hawk awakens and makes an attempt to retrieve the chicken that he purchased, but the Hen and the other Chickens are able to avoid the Hawk's grasp and keep the Chicken safe. In the event that the hawk is successful, the chicken will be captured and punished. If the hawk is unsuccessful in catching the chicken, it will make an offer to purchase the chicken.
Up until this point, it was one of the oldest traditional game that could be played by Filipino children.
Luksong Baka
Luksong-Baka is an increasingly common variant of Luksong-tinik qhich is one of Filipino childhood games. One player gets into a crouched position, and the other players jump over them. As the game progresses, the crouching player gradually stands, making it more difficult for the other players to leap over them.
When the player fails and touches the baka while jumping, they are transformed into the it. It will keep happening over and over again until the participants decide who the winner is or until they decide to call it quits, which happens a lot when people become weary of playing games. It is a game similar to Leapfrog that is played in the Philippines.
Luksong tinik
The game Luksong Tinik literally translates to "jumping over thorns." Two teams or groups of players compete against one another in this game. Each of the teams takes turns jumping over a line of "thorns" constructed from folded hands or sticks that have been placed on the ground. Each time a leap is completed without falling, the height of the line will increase. The game will continue until the players decide to end it.
The purpose of the game is to test the players' ability to avoid hitting the thorns or falling over them while jumping as high as they can. It calls for adaptability, coordination, and precise timing.
Palosebo
This outdoor game played involves a greased bamboo pole that players attempt to climb. During town fiestas, in particular those held in the provinces, this particular type of game is almost always played. To win the reward, which is a little bag positioned at the top of the bamboo pole, the competitors' goal is to be the first person to reach the top of the pole. Typically, money or toys are stored inside the little bag.
Patintero
Patintero, sometimes called Harangang Taga or Tubigan is a well-known a outdoor game and team sport that is played in wide open spaces. Game involves two teams, each with anywhere from five to ten members, compete against one another in this manner.
The purpose of the game is for one team, which will be referred to as the "it" team, to protect their territory by forming a barrier with their bodies, while the other team will attempt to cross it without being tagged. The players that are subsequently tagged join the team that is responsible for protecting. The game calls for quickness, agility, and working together with your teammates.
Piko
The Filipino version of hopscotch-like game known as piko is a popular street game in the Philippines. It is played outdoors where players are to position themselves behind the edge of a box, and then they are to each throw their cue ball.
The order in which players take turns playing is decided by players agreement (for example, closest to the moon, wings, or chest). Whoever is successful in putting the cue ball nearest to the spot that they have decided upon will play first. The one after that is the second closest, and so on. If a player stands with both feet, they are eliminated from competition for the round.
Sipa
Sipa is a game that incorporates a small ball made of rattan or a similar material, also called a "sipa." The purpose of the game is to maintain control of the ball in the air by utilizing any part of the body other than the hands.
Game rules involves players should prevent the ball from touching the ground by striking it with any part of their body, including their feet, knees, or even their heads. Players can compete against one another or in teams, with the objective being to maintain possession of the ball for the longest period of time feasible.
Moreover, The version of sipa played with a rattan ball is known as sepak takraw, and it was officially recognized as the national sport of the Philippines until 2009. The strategy involved in playing Sipa is comparable to that of the popular Western game Hacky Sack. It is also played professionally by athletes here in the Philippines using sepak takraw. The rules of the game were adapted from those played in Indonesia.
Sikaran
Sikaran is a unique Filipino Traditional Martial Art involving hand and foot fighting. Sikaran is a broad term for kicking, and it is also used to describe the kicking aspects of various Filipino traditional combat arts.
Teks
Teks or teks game cards is on of the games filipino children play. Collecting these playing cards, which feature comic strips and text inserted within speech balloons, is a popular pastime among children in the Philippines.
To play, you have to toss them into the air and keep doing so until the cards land on the ground. Using the thumb and the forefinger, the cards are flipped upwards in the air, producing a snapping sound as the nail of the thumb meets the surface of the card. This action is performed using the two fingers.
Depending on how the cards are arranged when they hit or rest on the ground, the person who wins or gains the most collects the cards of the other players.
Tsato
It is often referred to as "stick game, you better be good at it." It can be played by two or more people. Two players are required, as well as one flat stick (often 3 feet (0.91 m)) and one short flat piece of wood (4 inches (100 mm), which is generally a portion cut off the flat stick).
The game mechanics call for Player A to be the batter and Player B to be the catcher. It is played outside on the ground, where a little square hole (slanted) is dug and the small wood is inserted so that it sticks out.
Player A knocks the wood with the stick, causing it to catch air and be smacked by the stick.
The farther the wood is struck, the more points one receives.
Player B, on the other hand, must anticipate and grab the small piece of wood in order to negate the points and take his turn, or wait for Player A to miss hitting the wood.
The losing player is sometimes punished. The penalty involves jumping on one foot from the winning player's allocated place. This is repeated by striking the wood with the stick as far away as possible in midair. The losing player begins where it landed and continues until he reaches the hole.
Tumbang Preso
The game Tumbang Preso or also known as Tumbang Lata is one of the popular filipino street games which combines aspects similar to conventional tag with those of target practice.
It is an outdoor street games where one participant takes on the role of the "preso" (Spanish for "prisoner") and stands guard over a can of food that has been placed in the middle of a circle or other playing area. The remaining players take turns tossing a slipper or another soft object at the can in an effort to bring it crashing to the ground.
The job of the preso is to protect the can by striking the object that is being hurled with a pair of flip-flops or slippers. If one of the players is successful in knocking over the can, that player takes over as the new preso.
Ubusan Lahi
One makes an effort to win over the members of a group (such as laying claim to the people who belong to another clan). The person that was tagged when they were part of the main group immediately becomes the tagger's ally. The more participants there are, the better.
The game will begin with just one participant, who will then search for and attempt to tag more players. Once a player has been tagged, he or she will then assist the it in tagging the remaining players until there is no longer any other participant left. There are also those who refer to this as a Bansai.
Tagu-taguan
Taguan is the Filipino version of hide and seek in America. The game of Tagu-Taguan differs from its counterpart, hide and seek, in that it is typically played after sunset or at night as a challenge for the it to find people who are hiding. This makes it more difficult for the it to find those who are hidden.
Ten-twenty
A game involving two different pairings, one of which uses a garter that has been stretched out. The players position were facing each other from a distance, and the garter is stretched around them in such a way that there are two lengths of garter that are parallel to each other between them.
The members of the other pair will then start singing a song while performing a leaping "routine" over the garters. The song will go from "ten" to "twenty" to "thirty" and so on until it reaches "one hundred." At the beginning of each level, the garters are placed at ankle height, and as the level advances, they are raised to higher locations, with the players jumping nimbly perform their routines on the garters.
The higher rounds need more agility, and players generally leap into the air with their feet first; as a result, their feet travel over the garter, and they land on the opposite side.
Tiyakad
Tiyakad is a recreational traditional Philippine game. It is a racing game played outdoors where it is performed on stilts constructed of bamboo or tall branches. In another variation, the players use coconut shells as slippers and advance forward by tying cords to the slippers. The game is played with up to ten-foot-high bamboo trees, although twentieth-century Filipino amusement exaggerates it by employing larger tree branches.
Final Thoughts
In the past, there were not many options available for toys for Filipino children. However, that did not prevent them from having a good time. They have been able to invent games using less materials by relying more on their adaptability in terms of both thought and action attributed to their creativity. They enjoy playing Filipino street games like tumbang preso as well as tagu-taguan as our version of hide and seek, sipa, langit lupa and other games.
However, these traditional Filipino games are not often played these days as a result of the accessibility of inexpensive toys as well as the popularity of the internet and mobile phones.
Perhaps children should be educated about these games so that they know they don't need much to have fun.