Distinct colors of Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow, each respectively representing the gemstones that possessed the four elements–fire, air, water, and land. And four sisters, who each were the destined caretakers and heirs to these gems, in a world where kingdoms battled for the right to reign.

All rings a very familiar bell doesn’t it? Almost as if its famous soundtrack could already be heard playing as a whisper in your ears. 

Encantadia, the series brought the magical experience of its iconic storyline and immaculate visual effects to Philippine television; the fantaserye franchise being most famous for its 2016 version, making waves as the “you-just-had-to-be-there” moment especially to the youth.

Wherein scenes were filled by the sound of the clacking of arnis sticks and how it swooshed in the air as one sang’gre swung it across–a combat that mixed the powers of a magical gemstone and Filipino heritage–it was art being painted in front of a young, imaginative viewer.

A decade later, under Republic Act No. 9850, requiring Arnis to be integrated in the Department of Education’s curriculum, it was a recent lesson in Physical Education class, jogging a memory that made a difference to the childhood and adolescent years of many Filipino GenZ.

Recalling nostalgia-filled moments of pretend-play using hangers or tree branches as arnis, playmates dibbing for one of the sang’gres, recreating own versions of the scenes with made-up dialogues, and hand-movements that imitated how the powers of the gemstone was manipulated in the series.

And all of a sudden, it was no longer a boring classroom filled with never-ending discussions, for as each strike was taught, it was the same old garage where a seven-year-old played like there was no end, pretending she had a clue of what she was doing with her hanger–yet this time, she was learning how to do it right, and was reliving her imaginations as fantasy-fulfilled. 

The only time that learning felt easy and fun. But it didn’t end with just knowing the skills, there was realization that knocked on the doors of the mind–asking to be heard.

The way Encantadia rose to popularity also brought attention and appreciation to the National Sport of the country: that being Arnis. Being able to highlight and promote this martial art so effectively by how it was used in the series and as the main weapon of the youngest sister, Sang’gre Danaya, it became a factor that made learning the sport enjoyable.

And it raises the question, what if the same was applied to other traditional sports and games? What if the same exposure is given?

For it’s almost as if the Hathorians have conquered Encantadia, but in a real-world scenario, it was mobile or western games that dominated ours. Yet in this world, it wasn’t only the Sang’gres that had power in overcoming the plot’s conflict. 

Here, everyone does.

In this digital age where phones are held by our hands significantly more than a tool for a sport or a game, everyone can play a role in subtly projecting more of our traditional sports and games to the media–the way this iconic TV series was able to.

This way, we get to see more of ours than others, and integrating it into education curricula becomes as effective as Arnis Lessons are–actually learning, actually enjoying, and actually applying.