What is laro ng lahi?

Laro ng Lahi or Philippine Indigenous Games has been a famous platform to spend time for recreational and leisure activities. Laro ng Lahi we’re crafted from the creative minds and resourcefulness of Filipino ancestors. It has been a means to enhance and develop friendship, social relationship, and strengthen family and community ties (Balite & Robles, 2020).

Nature, Background and Importance of laro ng lahi.

“Traditional sports and games are a means to convey values of solidarity, diversity, fair-play, inclusion, and cultural awareness. They also contribute to logical thinking, mathematical and civic education. Moreover, traditional sports and games reflect cultural diversity, and foster mutual understanding and tolerance among communities and nations. However, many traditional games have disappeared and those that survive face imminent disappearance. Globalization, migration, demographic and societal changes are some of the factors contributing to this trend.” (UNESCO, 2019)

Philippines are one of the countries that are known for its diverse and rich cultural heritage and its unique traditions. Its culture is highly influenced by the different colonizers such as the Spaniards, the Americans and to its’ neighbour the Japanese. Those long history and interaction collided and became the contributing factors that shaped and developed our culture nowadays. Truly our practices exude uniqueness, exuberance and spiritual image that greatly embody the Filipino identity (Steemit, 2018). Laro ng Lahi is a cultural heritage that passed on from generation to generation. Laro ng Lahi plays a big role in shaping our lives, as it molds our character, values and the totality of us, as human beings. ‘Laro’ is the Filipino generic term for all formsof recreational play.

The closest word term for game is ‘palaro’ referring to a group of special occasion games that take place during wakes, festivals, and town fiestas.

A few decades ago, kids used to gather in the streets or in their neighbourhood playground to play their favorite Larong Pinoy games like piko, patintero, taguan, tumbang preso, siato, luksong tinik, etc. These has been their regular and popular pastimes, as well as the favourite games of their parents and grandparents until new and modern forms of entertainment has taken over the interests of young kids (Barros, 2012

In many urban and rural areas, a great majority of Filipino children still play outdoor street games as most of them are still unable to own expensive high-tech gadgets. In connection, due to limited resources,such as modern toys, the Filipino children usually invent games without the need of high-tech equipment- just the players themselves. Games like Patintero, Dakpanay, Luksong Tinik, Agawan-base, are some examples of such games that are very much alive and played daily in the neighborhood. With the flexibility of a real human to think and act makes the game more interesting and challenging.

In education, Philippine national games were part of the physical education (P.E.) curriculum in all levels of education and sport activities of the local government units, through Senate Bill 1108 and House Bill 2675. These bills supported the mandates of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to conserve, promote, and popularize the nation's historical and cultural heritage and resources to preserve them for future generations of Filipinos to ensure continuity of our identity and cultural belongingness. Currently, the Department of Education (DepEd) implemented Section 14, Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which highlights fostering the preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression through advocating Laro ng Lahi in physical education curricula (Morales, 2016).

Benefits of Laro ng Lahi (Indigenous Games)

·         Hazelton et al., n.d says that the outcomes of TSG (Traditional Street Games) to children are combination of exercise for the body that makes children to be more flexible and physically healthy, cultural and social learning, positive social values and skill development.

·         Prakash (2012) this kind of traditional games gives happiness to both mind as well as having good health. It also helps the children to maintain good emotional stability. And it keeps them fit and healthy.

·         Traditional games help the social, emotional stability, mental learning and physical abilities of Filipino children who play these games.

·         TSG (Traditional Street Games) Helps children to retain their playful attitude which contributes to open-mindedness, creativity, and flexibility, and problem solving (calixihan, 2010).