Laro ng Lahi: Traditional Filipino Games

• Laro ng Lahi translates to "games of the race" in Tagalog.
• These are traditional Filipino games played across generations with native materials or instruments.
• Due to toy scarcity, Filipino children often invent games that don't require anything but players.
• These games are a cultural staple, fun, physically beneficial, and skill-enhancing.

History and Popularization

• Laro ng Lahi was popularized by Samahang Makasining ("Makasining").
• The National Commission for Culture and Arts also assisted the Philippine Local Government Units, other organizations and other institutions.
• The organization imparts Filipino games to young Filipinos.
• Time-based scoring was created for patintero, syatong, dama, lusalos and holen butas.

Traditional Games Integration

• Traditional games like luksong baka, patintero, piko, and tumbang preso are primarily kids' games.
• Pedro Flores introduced the modern yo-yo, its name derived from the Ilocano language.
• Senate Bill 1108 and House Bill 2675 integrated traditional games into physical education (P.E.) courses.
• In 1984, the Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports (BPESS) made these games major components of the Physical Education curriculum.

Constitutional Mandate

• The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the State to preserve the nation's historical and cultural heritage.
• Section 14, Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the State shall foster the preservation and evolution of Filipino national culture by advocating Laro ng Lahi in physical education.
• The origin of Filipino traditional games and sports are from different cultures, thus making them unique.

Cultural Heritage and Influence

• The Philippines is known for its diverse cultural heritage influenced by colonizers like the Spaniards, Americans, and Japanese.
• Laro ng Lahi is a cultural heritage passed down through generations.
• These games shape character, values, and overall identity.
• 'Laro' is the Filipino term for all forms of recreational play.
• 'Palaro' refers to special occasion games during wakes, festivals, and town fiestas.
• Major studies indicate that traditional games are shared communally within the Philippines.

Educational Influence

• Games play a crucial role in a child's learning process.
• The educational influence impacts physical, mental, and moral vitality.
• Families reinforce the child's learning process with traditional games.

Palaro ng Lahi Launch

• The first "Palaro ng Lahi" was launched on February 10, 1984, in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
• The MECS, Provincial Governor's Office, and Municipal Mayor's Office initiated the launch.

Movement Skills

Fundamental Movement Skills

• Fundamental movement skills are movement patterns for physical literacy.
• These are precursor patterns to specialized skills used in play, games, and sports.
• Physical literacy allows one to accurately perform actions and recognize required attributes.

Body Management Skills

• Large muscle activities control the body involving agility, coordination, balance, and flexibility.
• Examples of static and dynamic balancing, rolling, landing, bending, and stretching, twisting, and turning, swinging, and climbing.
• Competence in body management is vital for safe implementation and development.

Locomotor Skills

• Locomotor skills transport the body from one point to another.
• Examples of crawling, walking, running, hopping, leaping, jumping, galloping, skipping, and swimming.

Object Control Skills

• Object control skills involve controlling implements and objects.
• Examples of throwing, catching, kicking, striking, bouncing, and dribbling.

Recreational Activity

• Recreation consists of activities chosen voluntarily for satisfaction, pleasure, or creative enrichment.
• It provides personal or social values and emotional state from involvement.
• The best place to include recreational activities is in education rather than at home.

Benefits of Recreation

Physical Health

• Outdoor activities reduce body fat percentages, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increase muscular strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, body composition and cardiovascular endurance.

Mental Health

• Recreational activities help manage stress and provide balance, self-esteem and reduce anxiety and depression and increased motivation to learn.

Improved Quality of Life

• Recreational activities encourage individuals to have interactions and methods of using leisure and physical strength, and increase creative expression.

Skills

Kick

• A manipulative striking skill is characterized by producing force from the foot to an object.

Jump

• Springing free from the ground or other base.

Run

• Going steadily by springing.

Twist

• Turning a part of your body around or change your position.

Throw

• Propelling or casting in any way

Swing

• Moving or causing to move back and forth or from side to side while suspended or on an axis.

Playing "LAROMH LAHI"

Remind Us of Our Roots

• Traditional games serve as a bridge between generations, carrying the essence of our language, customs, and history.

Heart and Circulatory System

• Regular games makes the heart muscles stronger and more efficient by reducing the exertion.

Develop Cognitive Skills

• Traditional Filipino games also stimulate cognitive development.

The Respiratory System

• Breathing becomes not only more rapid, but also deeper.

The Musculature

• Strengthens the muscles, promotes their development and increases their efficiency.

The Skin

• The pores of the skin open up during exercise.

Temperature of the body

• The temperature of the body rises during playing.

Improve Interpersonal and Social Skills

• Traditional Filipino games thrive on interaction and cooperation by encouraging children to learn the values of teamwork.

Benefits of Laro ng Lahi

• Exercise for the body makes children more flexible, culturally and socially aware, learning and positive social values and skill development.
• Prakash has found having this kind of game gives happiness to the mind as well as maintaining a good and healthy state.
• This therefore ensures Filipino Children helps develop not only their minds but their physical and emotinal stability.
• It has been found to help retain their playful attitude which contributes to open-mindedness, creativity, and flexibility, and problem solving

Agawan Base

• Tagger stands in middle; players exchange places, securing corners.

Sekyu Base Sekyu Base

• No score limits; players hide near enemy base and ambush.

Araw-Lilim

• Tagging players in direct contact with light.

Bahay-Bahayan

• Players create imaginary houses and act as assigned roles.

Bati-Cobra /Tsato/ SYATO

• Stick game with hitting and catching, played outdoors.

Bulong-Pari

• Team A leader whispers a player of team B to the priest.

Calahoyo

• Hitting small stones into a hole with a larger stone.

Holen

• Throwing holen to hit opponent's marble out of play area.

Declan Ruki

• Winner tells participants to do something from previous games.

Langit-lupa

• Tag chases players on ground or climbing objects.

Luksong-Baka

• Jumping over crouching player who gradually stands taller.

Palosebo

• Greased bamboo pole climbing for a prize.

Pitik-Bulag

• Players guess the number or finger used to flick.

JAK EN ΡΟΥ

• Rock paper scissors, involving hands to beat opponents.

Patintero

• Crossing lines without being tagged or touched.

Sawsaw-Suka

• Dipping fingers; last one touched is the tagger.

Teks or teks game cards

• Collecting playing cards by tossing and flipping them.

Tiyakad

• Racing game using stilts made of bamboo.

Tumbang Preso or Presohan

• Hitting a tin can with slippers.

Dama General

• Equivalent to checkers; capturing opponent's pieces.

Culliot

• Similar to tug of war; pulling the other team over a line.

Chinese Garter

• Jumping over a garter held at increasing heights.

Ten-Twenty

• Jumping routine over stretched garters while singing.

Luksong-Tinik

• Jumping over feet gradually building the thorn

SIPA

• A national sport; uses either a rattan or washer to hit with feet, knees, and trunk.

Piko

• Hopscotch; throwing a cue ball into boxes.