Buwan Buwan

Traditional Filipino Game

Cyril Marcena
Angeline Sibayan
Roldan Valdez
• 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.
Because it is a tradition for Filipinos to
play in a bigger and spacious area, most
games are usually played outside the
house. Some games are played or held
during town fiestas in the provinces.
HISTORY OF BUWAN
BUWAN
• The bakunawa is a serpent like
dragon in the Philippine mythology. It
is believed to be the cause of eclipses,
earthquakes, rains, and wind. The
movements of the Bakunawa served
as a geomantic calendar system for
ancient Filipinos and were part of the
shamanistic rituals of babaylan.
Buwan-Buwan is a
traditional Filipino game
that enacts the lunar
eclipse. Players draw a
circle on the ground
representing the moon,
and must stay inside this
circle. Meanwhile, one
player acts as the
Bakunawa, the mythical
giant sea serpent who
would eat the moon: he
may not enter the circle,
but must touch another
player who is inside it in
order to switch places.
Materials to be used: Chalk
Gameplay Mechanics:
1. A circle is drawn on the ground representing the moon.
2. All players must stay inside the circle and must avoid getting ousted.
3. One player acts as the “Bukanawa”, the mythical giant sea serpent who would
eat the
moon.
● He is not allowed to enter the circle but must touch another player who is
inside
it.
4. All ousted players will help the “Bukanawa” in ousting the remaining players
until no one
is left.
5. The first ousted player becomes the “Bukanawa” or the tagged player in the
next round.
Note:
1. If the player’s clothing or hair is touched by the “Bukanawa” he or she is
ousted