LARONG PINOY

BOL E 0 1
A NIO 1EC
BEFORE THE AGE OF TECHNOLOGY, KIDS WOULD JUST GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND GO HOME
BEFORE DINNER TIME. THEY WOULD TALK TO THEIR PARENTS ABOUT THEIR DAY, MAYBE EVEN CALL THEIR
FRIEND’S LANDLINE TO BOND SOME MORE, AND SLEEP EXCITEDLY BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN’T WAIT FOR
ANOTHER DAY TO PLAY WITH FRIENDS.

THAT WAS THE LIFE BEFORE. SIMPLE, WASN’T IT? NO SOCIAL MEDIA, NO TECHNOLOGY TO DICTATE OUR LIVES. THE
TREND OF ELECTRONICS DEFINITELY IMPROVED OUR LIVES, BUT — LET’S FACE IT –, SOMETIMES, UNNECESSARY
STRESS COMES WITH IT THAT IT MAKES US MISS OUR CHILDHOOD, MISS THE DAYS WHERE PEOPLE TRULY
SOCIALIZED AND NOT GET DISTRACTED WITH THEIR ONLINE LIVES.

WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN SOME OF THE GAMES WE USED TO PLAY DURING OUR
YOUNGER YEARS. SO LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO MEMORY LANE AND REMINISCE ABOUT THE OG CHILDHOOD
GAMES:
MGA LARONG PINOY
 ICE WATER
SIMILAR TO THE TAGGING GAME, ICE-WATER REQUIRES MORE STRATEGY AND A WHOLE LOT OF
CHASING. AGAIN, PREPARE AN EXTRA SHIRT FOR THIS CHALLENGING GAME!

MECHANICS:

1. DECIDE AMONG YOUR GROUP WHO IS THE FIRST ‘IT’.

2. THE PLAYERS STATION THEMSELVES AND ONCE THE GAME BEGINS, THE IT PERSON GET TO TAG A
PERSON WHILE SAYING “ICE!”

3. WHEN A PERSON IS ‘ICE-D’, HE/SHE MUST NOT MOVE. THE GOAL OF THE GAME IS FOR THE IT
PERSON TO ICE ALL OTHER PLAYERS.

4. TO SAVE A PERSON WHO IS ICE-D, OTHER MOVING PLAYERS CAN TAG THEM AND SHOUT “WATER!”,
THEN THAT ICE-D PERSON CAN MOVE AGAIN.

5. ONCE THE IT PERSON ICE-D EVERY PLAYER, HE/SHE WILL SAY “VIVA ___” (ANY ACTION. E.G. VIVA
JUMP!)

6. LAST ONE TO DO THE VIVA CHALLENGE BECOMES THE NEXT ‘IT’.

 LUKSONG BAKA
THIS GAME STARTED IN BULACAN. LUKSONG BAKA IS COMPOSED OF 3 TO 10 PARTICIPANTS WHERE
PLAYERS ARE TASKED TO JUMP OVER OTHER PLAYINGS WITHOUT FALLING OVER THEM. THIS GAME
MAY SOUND HARD OR PAINFUL, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY FUN. ALSO, WHO KNOWS, A LONG
JUMPER/HIGH JUMPER MAY ARISE FROM THIS GAME!

MECHANICS:

1. DECIDE AMONG YOUR GROUP WHO IS THE FIRST ‘IT’ OR THE “BAKANG LOLA (COW)”

2. THE COW MUST BEND DOWN IN KNEELING POSITION. OTHER PLAYERS MUST JUMP OVER THE
COVER WITHOUT OTHER PHYSICAL CONTACT (ASIDE FROM TOUCHING THE BACK OF THE COW) AND
WITHOUT FALLING OVER.

3. ONCE ALL PLAYERS ARE DONE, THE COW SLOWLY RISES TO GIVE A HIGHER JUMP TO OTHER
PLAYERS.

4. PLAYER WHO FALLS OVER OR TOUCHES THE COW IN OTHER PLACES WILL BE THE NEXT ‘IT’. TAKE
NOTE THAT THIS GAME IS ADVISABLE TO BE PLAYED ON A SOFT LAND LIKE A GRASSY AREA TO
AVOID INJURIES.
 SIPA

SIPA IS LIKE THE FOOTBALL BACK IN THE OLD DAYS. THEY HAVE LIGHT WASHER THEY HAVE TO
KICK UPWARDS AS MANY TIMES AS THEY CAN IN ORDER TO WIN. SIPA IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT
AND YOU WOULD NEED TO BALANCE YOUR LEG STRENGTH SO YOU WOULD NOT KICK THE WASHER
TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH AND WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO CATCH IT.

MECHANICS:

1. CREATE A WASHER. TYPICALLY, THESE ARE SOFT BALLS THAT ARE LIGHT ENOUGH TO KICK
AROUND.

2. PLAYERS HAVE ONE TURN TO KICK THE WASHER AS MANY TIMES AS THEY CAN WITH THEIR FEET.
ONCE THE WASHER FALLS, THAT’S HIS/HER FINAL COUNT AND THE OTHER PLAYER BEGINS
HIS/HER TURN.

3. PLAYER WHO KICKS WITH THE HIGHEST COUNT WINS.

 PATINTERO
AH, YES. THE EVER-CHALLENGING PATINTERO. THIS GAME REQUIRES TEAMWORK AND INCREDIBLE
AGILITY. TO PLAY THIS GAME, YOU WOULD NEED A GOOD STRATEGY AND A TOWEL TO WIPE OFF
YOUR SWEAT!

MECHANICS:

1. FORM TWO TEAMS (GUARDS AND PASSERS)

2. GUARDS WILL BE STATIONED ON THREE LINES (ONE PER LINE) AND PASSERS WILL STAY AT THE
STARTING LINE.

3. THE GOAL OF THE PASSERS IS TO PASS BY THE GUARDS WITHOUT BEING TAGGED. TAKE NOTE
THAT GUARDS CANNOT LEAVE THE LINES; THEY CAN ONLY MOVE ALONG THEIR DESIGNATED LINES.
FOR PASSERS, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE WITHIN A TIME FRAME (E.G. THREE MINUTES PER
STATION). IF THEY FAILED TO MOVE BY THAT TIME, THEY GET ELIMINATED.

4. PASSERS WHO MANAGE TO RUN BACK AND FORTH WILL GET A POINT; ALTERNATIVELY, IF
GUARDS TAGGED ALL PASSERS, GUARDS WIN THE GROUND.
 TAGU TAGUAN
THIS IS AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC, TAGU-TAGUAN MAKES USE OF THE PLACE THE CHILDREN ARE
PLAYING IT IN ORDER TO HIDE FROM THE PERSON WHO IS ‘IT’. HERE, YOU PRACTICE STEALTH AND
CREATIVITY!

MECHANICS:

1. DECIDE AMONG YOUR GROUP WHO IS THE FIRST ‘IT’.

2. THE IT PERSON GETS TO DECIDE A BASE AND, FROM THERE, HE/SHE CLOSES HIS/HER EYES WHILE
COUNTING TO 60. BY THAT TIME, OTHER PLAYERS MUST FIND A PLACE TO HIDE.

3. AFTER THE COUNTDOWN, THE IT PERSON WILL FIND THE OTHER PLAYERS. IF HE/SHE LOCATED A
PLAYER, HE/SHE WILL SHOUT THE NAME OF THE PERSON SEEN., THEN THAT PERSON WILL BE THE
NEXT ‘IT’.

4. HIDING PLAYERS CAN SAVE THEMSELVES BY TOUCHING THE BASE WHILE THE IT PERSON IS
LOOKING. ONCE THEY SAVE THEMSELVES, THEY CANNOT BE CALLED.
 TUMBANG PRESO
PERSONALLY, TUMBANG PRESO WAS MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD GAME. YOU JUST NEED A CAN AND YOUR
SLIPPERS TO PLAY.

MECHANICS:

1. PLAYERS WHO ARE PARTICIPANTS MUST FLIP THE CAN OVER AND MAKE IT STAND. LAST PLAYER WHO
FAILS TO MAKE THE CAN STAND IS THE GUARDIAN.

2. THERE ARE TWO BOUNDARIES IN THIS GAME: THE TOE LINE (TYPICALLY 4 METERS AWAY THE CENTER)
AND THE CENTER CIRCLE.

3. THE TOE LINE IS THE POINT WHERE HITTERS CAN THROW THEIR SLIPPERS TO THE CAN IN HOPES TO TAKE
IT DOWN. CROSSING OVER THE LINE WILL RESULT TO ELIMINATION.

4. THE CAN IS PLACED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTER CIRCLE. IF THERE CAN IS KNOCKED DOWN, THE
GUARDIAN MUST PUT IN BACK TO THE CENTER CIRCLE. HITTERS, AT THIS TIME, ARE TASKED TO RETRIEVE
THEIR SLIPPERS. THEY CAN ALSO KICK THE CAN SOME MORE SO THE GUARDIAN WILL HAVE A HARD TIME
RETRIEVING IT.

5. FOR THE GUARDIAN, ONCE HE/SHE RETRIEVES THE CAN, PLAYERS HOLDING A SLIPPER INSIDE THE TOE
LINE MAY BE TAGGED. ALTERNATIVELY, IF A HITTER FAILS TO RETRIEVE HIS/HER SLIPPER, THE GUARDIAN
CAN STEP ON THE CAN WHILE REACHING FOR THE SLIPPER THAT IS LYING AROUND. IF SUCCESSFUL, THE
PLAYER WHO OWNS THE SLIPPER IS THE NEW GUARDIAN. IF NOT, HITTERS MAY CONTINUE WITH KNOCKING
THE CAN DOWN.
 PIKO
PICO MAY BE MISTAKEN FOR A GIRL’S GAME, BUT IT’S ACTUALLY A GAME FOR ALL. HERE, YOU WOULD NEED BALANCE
AND ACCURACY WHEN THROWING YOUR MARKER.

MECHANICS:

1. THIS GAME CAN BE PLAYED ALONE OR BY GROUP.

2. PLAYER/S NEED TO DRAW A DIAGRAM THAT GOES LIKE THIS “SMALL BOX 1, SMALL BOX 2, SMALL BOX 3, RECTANGLE
HALVED TO 4 AND 5, SMALL BOX 6, RECTANGLE HALVED TO 7 AND 8, SMALL BOX 9, RECTANGLE 10.

3. FIRST, PLAYER/S MUST THROW THE MARKER (CAN BE A STONE, TILE, ANYTHING SOLID) IN ASCENDING ORDER; SO
HE/SHE WILL START BY THROWING HIS/HER MARKER ON 1.

4. THEN, HE/SHE MUST NOT STEP ON 1 AND PROCEED ON JUMPING WITH ONE LEG ON 2, ONE LEG ON 3, RIGHT LEFT ON 5
& LEFT ON 4 SIMULTANEOUSLY, ONE LEG ON 6, RIGHT LEFT ON 8 & LEFT ON 7 SIMULTANEOUSLY, ONE LEG ON 9, AND
BOTH LEGS ON 10. TAKE NOTE THAT A PLAYER MUST ONLY CHOOSE ONE LEG TO USE!

5. UPON REACHING 10, HE/SHE MUST JUMP AROUND AND GO BACKWARDS.

6. WHEN HE/SHE REACHES 2 (THE BOX AFTER WHERE HE/SHE THREW THE MARKER), HE/SHE MUST PICK UP THE
MARKER, THEN JUMP BACK TO THE STARTING POINT.

7. THE GAME CONTINUES UNTIL THE MARKER IS THROWN AT RECTANGLE 10.

8. PLAYER/S WHO STUMBLE, FAILED TO THROW THE MARKER TO THE CORRESPONDING NUMBER, FAILED TO RETRIEVE
THE MARKER MUST SKIP HIS/HER TURN.
 DR KWAK KWAK
THIS IS A GAME WHERE A LOT OF PLAYERS CAN PARTICIPATE INTO. IT IS BEST PLAYED OUTSIDE BECAUSE IT CAN TAKE A
LOT OF SPACE. HOWEVER, IT COULD ALSO BE PLAYED INSIDE A COVERED COURT. THIS GAME IS ALSO KNOWN AS DR.
KWAK-KWAK OR DR. QUACK-QUACK.

THE GOAL OF THE GAME IS LITERALLY TO HAVE FUN IN SOLVING PUZZLES. "OMPYANG: MAIBA TAYA!" CAN BE DONE TO
DECIDE WHO'LL BE DR. WAKWAK. OR SOMEONE COULD VOLUNTEER. HE WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE GROUP, CLOSE HIS
EYES OR LEAVE THE PLACE IN ORDER TO NOT SEE HOW THE PLAYERS DO THE PUZZLE.

NOW, THE PUZZLE IS THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES. THEY WILL FORM A CIRCLE AND HOLD HANDS. THEN, THEY WILL
ENTANGLE THEMSELVES IN VARIOUS, WEIRD BUT NOT PAINFUL WAYS. AFTER DOING SO, THEY WILL CALL:

"DR. WAKWAK, TULUNGAN MO KAMI!" (DR. WAKWAK, PLEASE HELP US!)

OR IN OTHER DIALECT:

"DR. WAKWAK, BULIGI KAMI!"

OR:
"DR. WAKWAK, TABANGI MI!"

THE DOCTOR WILL COME, THEN. AND HE WILL FIX THEM. HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDO ALL THE TANGLED ARMS. THE
GAME WILL END IF HE SUCCEEDS IN UNRAVELING THEM. THE GROUP WILL DECIDE WHO'LL BE THE NEXT DR. WAKWAK,
THEN AND REPEAT THE GAME.
 BENEFITS OF LARONG PINOY
A FEW DECADES AGO, KIDS USED TO GATHER IN THE STREETS OR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND TO PLAY THEIR FAVORITE LARONG
PINOY. IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF GROWING UP; IT ALSO TEACHES CAMARADERIE AND SPORTSMANSHIP. SOME GAMES ARE PHYSICALLY
CHALLENGING, SOME ARE INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING.

TRADITIONAL FILIPINO STREET GAMES ARE COMMONLY PLAYED USING NATIVE MATERIALS BUT SINCE THERE IS A LIMITED RESOURCE OF
TOYS, FILIPINO CHILDREN USUALLY COME UP ON INVENTING GAMES WITHOUT THE NEED OF ANYTHING BUT THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES.

WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF WESTERN SPORTS ACTIVITIES LIKE BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL AND THE EMERGENCE OF HIGH
TECH GADGETS, CHILDREN PLAYING TRADITIONAL STREET GAMES GRADUALLY REDUCED. IF ONLY WE COULD REVIVE IT AND MAINTAIN IT,
CHILDREN OF TODAY CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING THESE GAMES - A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND
EMOTIONAL WELL BEING.

ACCORDING TO MAGNA KULTURA FOUNDATION, LARONG PINOY FOSTERS APPRECIATION OF NATIONAL CULTURE ESPECIALLY THE NEW
GENERATION. THROUGH PLAY, CHILDREN CAN EXPERIENCE THE FILIPINO SPIRIT AND IN FUN WAY, IT INSTILLS PATRIOTISM.
 BENEFITS OF LARONG PINOY
A FEW DECADES AGO, KIDS USED TO GATHER IN THE STREETS OR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYGROUND TO PLAY THEIR FAVORITE LARONG
PINOY. IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF GROWING UP; IT ALSO TEACHES CAMARADERIE AND SPORTSMANSHIP. SOME GAMES ARE PHYSICALLY
CHALLENGING, SOME ARE INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING.

TRADITIONAL FILIPINO STREET GAMES ARE COMMONLY PLAYED USING NATIVE MATERIALS BUT SINCE THERE IS A LIMITED RESOURCE OF
TOYS, FILIPINO CHILDREN USUALLY COME UP ON INVENTING GAMES WITHOUT THE NEED OF ANYTHING BUT THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES.

WITH THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF WESTERN SPORTS ACTIVITIES LIKE BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL AND THE EMERGENCE OF HIGH
TECH GADGETS, CHILDREN PLAYING TRADITIONAL STREET GAMES GRADUALLY REDUCED. IF ONLY WE COULD REVIVE IT AND MAINTAIN IT,
CHILDREN OF TODAY CAN REAP THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING THESE GAMES - A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OUR PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND
EMOTIONAL WELL BEING.

ACCORDING TO MAGNA KULTURA FOUNDATION, LARONG PINOY FOSTERS APPRECIATION OF NATIONAL CULTURE ESPECIALLY THE NEW
GENERATION. THROUGH PLAY, CHILDREN CAN EXPERIENCE THE FILIPINO SPIRIT AND IN FUN WAY, IT INSTILLS PATRIOTISM.