LARO NG LAHI

Tumbang Preso or Tumba

lata (Tagalog), or Bato Lata (Bisaya)
literally means “Knock Down the
Prisoner” or “Knock Down the
Can” in English. This game is
played in backyards, open fields,
or parks.
 EQUIPMENT
small can or any
small cylindrical
object

slipper or a
small flat stone
(pamato)
NUMBER OF PLAYERS

Ideally, this game involves a maximum of 9 players. Although kids

usually adjust the number of participants. One of the players serves as the
guard or “It”, and the rest are the hitters.
MECHANICS
OF THE GAME
1. The Markers

The players draw a toe-line at

IT ZONE one point of the ground. While a
SAFE ZONE
small circle is drawn a few
meters away on the other side.
PLAYER ZONE
2. Choosing the First Guard
Each player tries as much as
possible to hit the marker. Or
at least, he makes sure
his pamato lands closest to it.
Otherwise, if
his pamato landed the
farthest, he becomes the first
guard or “It”.
2. The Guard’s Roles
a) First, he places the can inside
the circle and guards it.
While the hitters stand ready
behind the toe-line.
b) At his signal, the hitters start
throwing their pamato at the
can.
 2. The Guard’s Roles
c) Once the can is hit and knocked
down, he quickly retrieves it and puts
it back up again inside the circle. Then
he runs after the hitters and tag those
trying to retrieve their pamato.

d) One important rule: the guard

cannot tag a hitter until he makes the
can stand in its place inside the circle.
2. The Guard’s Roles
e) If the can is thrown outside the
circle, the hitters get the chance to
kick it farther away from the circle.
This allows them more time to
retrieve their pamato.
3. Changing Roles
a) If the pamato lands close to the can but did not knock it
down, the guard “captures” the pamato. He puts a foot over
the pamato while his other foot rests on the can. This signals
a change of roles between the guard and the owner of
the pamato.

b) A hitter that fails to retrieve his pamato stays close to it and

waits for the other hitters to knock down the can again.
3. Changing Roles
c) Unless a player is “captured”, the hitter that was tagged
becomes the next “It”.
d) And the process is repeated for as many times as the
players agree.
e) All players think quickly for a strategy to retrieve
his pamato without being caught. While the “It” stays alert
for any movement of the hitters. The primary element
required in the game is speed – speed in thinking of a
strategy, and speed in running away from the “guard” or
“it”.
 TIPS ON
PLAYING THE
GAME
✓ Choose a pamato that is suits you
✓ Practice your aim
✓ Study the movement of your opponents
✓ Act fast
✓ Develop quick thinking
REFERENCES:
▪ http://www.nilaeslit.com/traditional-filipino-games-series-05-
tumbang-
preso/#:~:text=The%20game's%20primary%20objective%20is,bei
ng%20caught%20by%20the%20guard
▪ https://kami.com.ph/112149-how-play-tumbang-preso-
philippines.html
▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Yskqx1fNA