PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Philippine Traditional Games and

Sports

MODULE 2:

Mga Laro ng Lahi PART 2

Name:
______________________________________________________________________________

Course:
______________________________________________________________________________

Teacher: MR. ZEDY E.GULLES LPT

INTRODUCTION

While History is the story of integration and disintegration of

human aggregates, Culture has been the greatest integrating force
in men. The first characteristic of the culture is continuity. It comes
from the past, adjusts itself to the present and moves forward to
shape the future
This subject aims to present the definitive list of Philippine
folk games from past to present. It caters the development of
Philippine Traditional games with focus on its history, cultural
implication, characteristics and game classification.
Filipinos are known for their fondness in playing games, one
index to their sociability. Games serve to bring members of the
family together. Games are one aspect in strengthening the ties that
binds the family. Also, games can represent one’s ethnic group.
Thru games, the culture and tradition of one’s region will be
presented.
Laro is the Filipino generic term for all forms of recreational
play. There is no specific term for competitive games. Filipinos say
“Laro Tayo” means Let’s Play, which became one of the reasons why
we have the term “Laron ng Lahi”.
Philippine games are classified into four: Animals Participating
in Man’s Games, Ordinary Games, Jokes and Trickster Games and
Formula Games. And in performing/playing Philippine traditional
games there are preliminary games.

MGA LARO NG LAHI

LARONG LAHI: Philippines is rich in traditional games that

mark in the heart of the 90's Filipino Children, back when
electronic devices weren't common. As kids we had made bounds
and leaps to make past time - fun time. I remember when I was a
kid; I used to play lot of the Larong Lahi with my cousins and
neighbors.
These Larong Lahi usually played using the native materials or
instruments. And due to limited resources of the toys, young
Filipinos used their creativity of creating and inventing games
without the need of anything but the players themselves and make
the game more interesting and challenging.
Laro ng Lahi is a cultural treasure (yaman ng lahi) cherished
by generations of Filipinos. It favorite past-time that is close to the
hearts of Filipinos, encompassing generations from our
grandparents, to our parents, and among the youth & toddlers of
today.
Considering that almost 60% of the mass population in the
Philippines don't have computers and still can't afford the high-tech
game gadgets, the Filipino Traditional Street Games are still a
favorite past-time among children in heavy urban areas and
provinces.

The Filipino games bring good memories of friendship and fun

among those who have played it. It brings a smile among our elders
whenever they remember the days when they used to play it. It
brings out the child among our parents when they mention it, and
vividly remembering their childhood playmates and the
neighborhood where they use to play it. It every adult's wish for the
new generation of Filipino to experience the fun of the Traditional
Street Games.

There are over thirty-eight known Filipino Traditional Games,

and many of these are as challenging and competitive as Western-
style games. A non-exhaustive list of Traditional Filipino Games
includes the following:
Agawan Base
lit. 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. This is
called "agawangsulok " in some variants, and "bilaran" in others.

Bahay-Bahayan
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." They then act out various household situations
such as dinner, going to mass, and the like.
Players make imaginary houses using materials like curtains,
spare woods, ropes, or other things that can be used to build the
houses. They will assign everyone what they wanted to be, then act
as if it is real.

Bato Lata

This game utilizes an empty can confined inside a circle. The

players will try to knock the can out and as much as possible knock
it out of the circle from a designated distance using a slipper. There
will be someone to guard the can and make sure that if ever the can
gets knocked out, it should be placed back inside the circle in an
upright position. The players must get their slippers back once they
try to knock the can out and run back to their base
The guard will try to catch them once they are able to get hold
of their slipper and as long as the can is in upright position so the
farther the distance that the can gets knocked out the bigger
chance that the players will be able to get back to base. If the can
was hit, went out of the circle but is still in the upright position, the
can will stay outside the circle and the players will have to hit it to
knock it down that way the guard will have to put it back inside the
circle.
Once a player gets caught trying to get their slipper back or if
the slipper landed inside the circle the guard will have to tap on the
slipper twice and he or she will become the next guard.

Chinese Garter

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, until the garter
is positioned above the head). The higher rounds demand dexterity,
and the players generally leap with their feet first in the air, so their
feet cross over the garter, and they end up landing on the other
side. Also, with the higher levels, doing cartwheels to "cross" the
garter is allowed.

Players are divided into two or more teams, with a minimum

number of two members per team. During the game, two members
of the “it” team shall serve as “game posts” as they stand opposite
each other and hold each end of the garter. The objective of the
game then is to be able to successfully jump over the garter as it is
gradually held higher by the game posts.

Just like in the game 10-20, each team also has its own team
leader, more commonly known as the “Mother”. Once a team
member either touches the garter or fails to jump at a certain level,
the Mother can still save her team by taking her team member’s
turn. Failure to do so will lead to the team’s elimination by making
them the new game posts and will bring the game back to the first
level.

The Chinese Garter game is usually subdivided into ten levels.

Most of the time, however, the players may decide for their desired
number of levels for their game. Here is an example of the levels
being used to give you an idea of the game:
Level 1 – The garter is being held by the posts closer to the ground.
Level 2 – Knee high
Level 3 – Around the height of their hips
Level 4 – Waist high
Level 5 – Chest high
Level 6 – Shoulder high
Level 7 – Head high
Level 8 – At the tip of the head
Level 9 – A few inches above the head
Level 10 – Also known as the Father / Mother Jump, as high as a
kid raising his arms high on tip toes.

Holen

This game is where players should hold the ball called holen in
their hand then throw it to hit the player’s ball out of the playing
area. Holen is called marble in USA. It is played a more precise way
by tucking the marble with the player's third finger, the thumb
under the marble, the fourth finger used as to stable the marble.
They aim at grouped marbles inside a circle and flick the marble
from their fingers, and anything they hit out of the circle is theirs.
Whoever obtained the most marbles wins the game. Players
(manlalaro) can also win the game by eliminating their opponents
by aiming and hitting his marble. Players need to be very accurate
to win.

Another version of this game requires three holes lined up in

the ground with some distance. Each player tries to complete a
circuit of travelling from the first hole to the second then third and
back to the second again and finally back to the first hole. Players
decide on where the starting line is and the distance between holes.
The first to complete the circuit wins the game. They are also able
to knock other player's holen (marble) away using theirs. Generally
the distance between holes allows for several times of shooting to
arrive at the next hole. The players next shoots from where the
holen landed. The players take turns of who is shooting. A variant
of this game needs players to require their holen to pass back the
starting line.

Jack 'n' Poy

This is the local version of Rock-paper-scissors (bato, papel, at

gunting). Though the spelling seems American in influence, the
game is really Japanese in origin (janken) with the lyrics in the
Japanese version sound "hong butt".
The lyrics: Jack 'n' Poy, hale-hale-hoy! (Jack and Poy, hale-
hale-hoy!) Sinong matalo s'yang unggoy! (Whoever loses is the
monkey!)

Langit-Lupa
 Langit-lupa (lit. 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.
In choosing who the first it is usually a chant is sung, while
pointing at the players one by one:

Langit, lupa impyerno, im – im – impyerno (Heaven, earth, hell, he-

he-hell) Sak-sak puso tulo ang dugo (Stabbed heart, dripping in
blood)
Patay, buhay, Umalis ka na sa pwesto mong mabaho! (Dead, alive,
get out of your stinky spot!)

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
runways 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.
Luksong tinik (lit. jump over the thorns of a plant): two players
serve as the base of the tinik (thorn) by putting their right or left
feet and hands 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. If a player hit either hands or
feet of the base players "tinik", he or she will be punished by giving
him or her consequences.

Luksong-Baka

Luksong-Baka (lit. jump over the cow) is a popular variation of

Luksong-tinik. One 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. It will repeat continuously until the players declare the player
or until the players decide to stop the game most of the time once
they get tired. It is the Filipino version of Leapfrog.

Palosebo

Palosebo (lit. greased bamboo pole climbing): This game

involves a greased bamboo pole that players attempt to climb. These
games are 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.

Pitik-Bulag

This game involves 2 players. One covers his eyes with a hand
while the other flicks a finger (pitik) over the hand covering the
eyes. The person with the covered eyes gives a number with his
hand the same time the other does. If their numbers are the same,
then they exchange roles in the game. Another version of this is
that the blind (bulag) will try to guess the finger that the other
person used to flick them.

Patintero (TUBIGAN /HARANG TAGA)

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.

Members of the defense team are called it and must stand on

the water lines (also "fire lines") with both feet each time they try to
tag attacking players. The player at the center line is called
"Yobmots". 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, even only one member of a group is tagged
the whole group will be the it.

Piko

Piko is the Philippine variation of the game 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. The person is out for the round if they stand with both feet
Taguan (HIDE AND SEEK)

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

Taguan is similar to hide and seek. What is unique in Tagu-

Taguan is that this game is usually played at sunset or at night as a
challenge for the it to locate those who are hiding under the caves
in Laguna and Cavite which is a popular site for pro taguan players.
The it needs to sing the following before they start seeking:

Chant:
Tagu-taguan, maliwanag ang buwan (Hide and seek, the moon is
bright) Masarap maglaro sa kadiliman ng buwan (It is fun to play in
the semi-dark night) 'Pag kabilang kong sampu (When I finish
counting up to ten) Nakatago na kayo (All of you should already
been hidden) Isa, dalawa, tatlo! (One, two, three!)

Another version of the chant goes:

Tagu-taguan, maliwanag ang buwan (Hide and seek, the moon is
bright) Wala sa likod, wala sa harap (Nobody in front, nobody
behind) 'Pag kabilang kong sampu (When I finish counting up to
ten) Nakatago na kayo (All of you should already been hidden) Isa,
dalawa, tatlo! (One, two, three!)

Ten-Twenty

A game involving two pairs, with one utilizing a stretched

length of garter. One pair faces each other from a distance and has
the garter stretched around them in such a way that a pair of
parallel lengths of garter is between them. The members of the
other pair, then begin doing a jumping "routine" over the garters
while singing a song ("ten, twenty, and thirty, and so on until one
hundred). Each level begins with the garters at ankle-height and
progresses to higher positions, with the players jumping nimbly on
the garters while doing their routines.

Tsato (STICK GAME)

Tsato is played by digging a small hole on the ground and

using 2 sticks - a short and a long one (but in our case, we usually
use the coconut husk in replacement of the short stick, for safety
purposes). Put the short stick on the hole with one end protruding
out; hit that end with the long stick and while the short stick is in
the air, try and hit it again as far as it can go. Then measure the
distance using the long stick as the yardstick. The winner then gets
to hit the short stick, starting from the hole, as many times as his
winnings. The loser has to run from that distance back to the hole,
all the while shouting "TSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATO"! If
he/she loses his breath while running, the winner hits the small
stick again from that point, and the loser has to run and shout
again.

Tumbang Preso

Tumbang preso or Presohan in the Luzon, and Tumba-Patis or

Tumba-Lata in most Visayan regions (in English Hit The Can). This
also one of the popular Filipino street games played by children
using their slippers to hit a tin can at the center.
Like other Filipino traditional games, members take the following
roles: one as the taya (it), someone who takes the role of a-player-
at-stake and holds the responsibility of the Lata (tin can), and; the
two others as the players striking. The game is performed by having
the players use a pamato (which uses one's own slipper) to strike
the tin that is held beside the taya

As to how the game cycles, the taya, is obliged to catch another

player to take over their position of running after the tin that keeps
from throwing away by the strikes of the players. Nevertheless, the
taya is only privileged to do so only if the player is holding on their
way a pamato and when the tin is on its upright position. Hence,
running after another player is keeping an eye to the tin can's
position. As for the players, they have their whole time striking the
tin can and running away from the taya, keeping themselves safe
with their pamato since making the tin fell down helps another
player from recovering. Instances like having everyone had their
turns over is biggest climax of the game that leads them to panic,
since the taya has all their rights to capture whether the players
have a hold of their pamato or not.

However, mechanics also give each side privileges. Within the

roadway or streets as the area being performed, the taya take its
place on one side held its tin centered on the ground while on

the other end is bound by a line that limits the player when
throwing. Breaking rules to the players give way for the taya to have
their overturn, like: stepping on or outside the boundary line when
throwing; kicking the tin; striking the tin without having oneself
reaching the line; or even touching it.

In other versions, especially those in Visayan regions and Southern

Luzon, is of complexity for the part of the taya. The latter has to
make the tin can stand upright together with its own pamato on the
top of it which also adds up to the mechanics of the game. The
tendency is that even when the taya has already made everything
stood up but when the slipper will fall from the tin, they is not
allowed catching anybody unless he hurriedly put it back to its
position

Ubusan Lahi

Ubusan lahi (lit. clannicide): 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, they will then help the it to tag the other players
until no other participant is left. Some people also know this as
Bansai o Lipunan. The a lot players are 5–10

ACTIVITY 1
1. Play the traditional games by their rules and regulations
- Chinese garter
- Luksong tinik
- Luksong baka
-Patintero
- Piko

ACTIVITY 2
1. Document the games through video

ACTIVITY 3
1. What are the history of the following traditional games?
- Chinese garter
- Luksong tinik
- Luksong baka
-Patintero
- Piko