Yoyo

While it did not originate in the Philippines, the yo-yo as a toy was popularized in the US by a Filipino. Historians actually consider the yo-yo to be one of the world's oldest toys, having been around for 2,500 years, second only to the doll. In the Philippines, however, Filipinos had used a version of the yo-yo as a weapon. The large weapon had sharp edges and studs and was flung at enemies or prey using twenty-foot long ropes. A Filipino immigrant named Pedro Flores began mass-manufacturing the yo-yo as a toy in California in the 1920s. Eventually, D.F. Duncan Sr. bought the rights for the toy from Flores in 1929 and registered the name Yo-Yo as a trademark.


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Tumabang Preso

Participants:Three to six persons
This is a relatively simple game. At least 3 players are needed, although the more, the merrier. One of the participants must volunteer to be the “it” first. Next, the participants must find a can, or something that can be knocked over easily from a distance. They should place it in the center of the game area (this will be the home plate or base). The game is played as follows: The “it” will defend the can from being knocked down. While the can is upright, the “it” can chase anyone and tag him or her. When a player is tagged and the can is still upright, the player tagged becomes the new “it.”The rest of the players must see to it that the can is always knocked down. The “it” can always put it back in the upright position. The rest of the players usually use their slippers to knock the can from a distance. If one gets close enough to the can without getting tagged, he or she can kick it and pick up the rest of the “weapons” or slippers that were thrown. Of course, it is usually up to the other players to get their own “weapons” or slippers. To be fair, it would be better if the players had only two slippers each to knock down the can, and no more than that. Once all the players are out of slippers, this would be a major opportunity for the “it” to chase everyone before the can is kicked. The can has to be positioned on a place that everyone will refer to as the base.

Taguan

Participants:As many as possible
The “it” is chosen through the Jack-en-poy (Rock, paper, scissor) process or another “it” selection process like “maalis taya” or “maiba taya.” The game’s American equivalent is the hide-and-seek. After the “it” selection process, the “it” goes to a pre-determined “home-base,” closes or covers his or her eyes with his or her hands while standing in front of a wall, and starts to count from 1 to the number the players have agreed upon – say 1 to 10 or 1 to 30. After shouting the last number, the “it” searches for the participants who are currently hiding. If the “it” spots a participant, the “it” must shout “boom” or “bung” and run back and touch the “home base” and shout “save!” If the spotted player reaches the base first, the “it” remains the “it” and has to locate the other participants. The next “it” is determined depending on what has been agreed upon by the participants: the “it” may be first person who was seen hiding by the “it” and was beaten to the home base, or may be last person who was seen by the “it” and was beaten to the home base. The game ends when everybody is tired of playing.

Siato

Participants:Two players

A small cup-shaped hole should be dug in the ground or soil. Two sticks are also needed: a short and a long one. The short stick should be placed across the center of the hole as if the stick is a bridge connecting two roads that are separated by a cliff or river. The stick can also be placed on two rocks of the same size like a bridge connecting them. This is an alternative if the floor of where the game is going to be played is made of concrete. The participant should hit the middle of the short stick with a long stick, and while the short stick is in the air, the participant should try to hit it again to as far as it can go, then measure the distance using the long stick as a yardstick. If a participant fails to hit the short stick while it is in the air, then the opponent is declared the winner. The winner then gets to hit the short stick, starting from the hole, as many times as his or her winnings. The loser has to run from that distance back to the hole, all the while shouting "SIAAATO!" If he or she loses his or her breath while running, the winner hits the small stick again from that point, and the loser has to run and shout again

Piko

Participants:Two to Eight players
If two players are playing, diagram A is used; if there are 4 or 8 players, diagram B is used. Numbers 1, 6, 7, and 8 are the buwan (moon). Numbers 2 and 5 are the dibdib (chest). Numbers 3 and 4 are the pakpak (wings). A flat stone, shell, wallet or fruit peeling is used as the cue ball or pamato (object to be thrown). The first player is determined as follows: The players stand behind the edge of box 1, and each should throw their cue ball. The first to play is determined depending on the players’ agreement (e.g. nearest to the moon, wings or chest). Whoever succeeds in throwing the cue ball nearest to the place that they have agreed upon will play first. The next nearest is second, and so on. The first person to play should be able to place his or her cue ball in box 1. When the cue ball is placed at box 1 in diagram A, the player has to hop and land on one foot in box 2, step with each foot in 3 and 4 at the same time, one foot in box 5, and one foot in box 6. Upon reaching box 6, the player should turn around without touching the other foot in box 6, and go back while repeating the same process until he or she reaches box 2. When he or she reaches box 2, he or she should get the cue ball with one or two hands while he or she stands on one foot in box 2 before he or she hops and skips box 1.

Part I. The players choose their own moon before they start the game. The first hopper will begin at the place he or she chose as his or her moon. After placing his or her cue ball in his or her moon, he or she then hops inside and kicks the pamato/cue ball out of the moon. Then he or she throws it again in 2, then in 5, and 6. He or she hops in and kicks the pamato/cue ball out after each throw. When hopping, a player should only hop on either the left or the right foot but should land on both feet when he or she reaches 3 and 4, and hop again on 5 and 6. Every player plays the game twice; in the first part, he or she begins on his or her moon, and on his or her opponent’s moon the second time. The second part starts after he or she is through going back and forth on his or her moon. The cue ball and the player's foot must not touch any of the lines. Should the cue ball or the player's foot touch the line, the player should stop and allow the other player to take his or her turn. If the second player fails or makes a mistake, then player number one will resume the game.

Part II. The second part of the game is exactly the same as Part I, but instead of hopping, the player walks with his or her eyes turned up towards the sky. He or she steps in after throwing the cue ball without looking at the ground; he or she walks every step while asking his or her opponent/s if he or she has stepped on the line. He or she also picks the cue ball without looking. Should the player step on the line, he or she will lose his or her turn and the other player starts. The game goes on as in Part I. The player who finishes Parts I and II first is declared as the winner. Loser’s consequence: The winner pats the loser's hand rather heavily from ten to thirty times depending on the agreement. This is called bantilan (patting). Another variation of the penalty is the hanapan (to look for something). The winner blindfolds the loser and takes him or her to different places. The loser takes a stick or the cue ball with him or her. He or she drops it at the command of the winner. Then he or she is asked to take a few steps, so as to confuse him or her, before he or she is released to look for the stick or cue ball.

Patintero

Participants:Six or more
This game is very similar to Harangan Taga or Tubigan with a very slight variation in the number of squares that the two teams cover. Because it is so similar, some treat them as the same. Some children also prefer playing this game on dirt area and use water to make the lines. Thus it is usually played on a moonlit evening to prevent rapid evaporation of the water lines. The players are divided into two teams of equal numbers. The ground is marked off in a rectangle about five or six meters, divided into four equal parts. Winning the Jack-en-poy (Rock, scissor, paper) or toss coin entitles one group to be runners while the losing group becomes “it.” Each member of the group who is “it” stands on the water lines. The perpendicular line in the middle allows the “it” designated on that line to intersect the lines occupied by the “it” that the parallel line intersects, thus increasing the chances of the runners to be trapped. The runners should be able to pass all of the parallel lines and be able to go back to where they started without being tagged by any of the “it.” When one of the group of runners is able to accomplish a “home-run,” a point is scored in favor of the running team. However, if one of the runners is tagged in the process of passing through the parallel and the perpendicular lines, then the runners become the “it” and the former “it” becomes the runners. The first team that reaches a certain number of home runs is declared the winner. The number of home runs depends on the agreement of the two opposing teams. Consequence: The losers carry the winners on their backs to and fro, or the winners slap the hand or hit the knuckle of the losers using the middle finger emulating the principle of a slingshot (pitik).

Juego de Prenda

Participants:Three or more

“Juego de Prenda” is a Spanish phrase that means “Game of Penalty” in English. During a vigil for the dead, this game is played so that people will not fall asleep while watching the dead. There is no limit to the number of players that can play. Players sit in a circle with the leader in the middle. Each player adopts a name of a tree or flower that is given by the leader. The leader recounts the story of a lost bird that was owned by a king. He or she says, “The bird of the king was lost yesterday. Did you find it, Ylang-Ylang?” The player who adopted the name of the Ylang-Ylang tree at once answers that he or she has not found it, so the leader continues to ask the other “trees” whether the bird has hidden in them. If a player cannot answer after the third count, he or she is made to deposit a thing he or she owns to the leader until the leader has been able to gather a lot of things from the members. Each one can only regain his or her belonging by reciting a prayer or a verse. Once a player has complied with the penalty, the item that he or she has deposited is returned to him or her. A variation of the penalty might be truth or consequence

Luksong Tinik

Participants:Three or more
The name of the game was derived from how the game is played. Two teams with an equal number of players elect their respective leaders; the one who can jump the highest is usually appointed by the members as their leader, who is then called the “mother.” A toss coin or Jack-en-poy by the two leaders determines who plays first. Two players serve as the base of the tinik (thorn) by putting their right or left feet together (soles touching gradually building the tinik). A starting point is set by all the players, giving enough runway for the players to achieve a higher jump, so as not to hit the tinik. Players of the other team start jumping over the tinik, followed by the other team members. If they all successfully jump without touching any of the feet of the base players, the game is advanced to the next degree of difficulty. The base players extend their right or left hands one on top of the other (fingers spread apart to symbolize thorns). The other team continues the same jumping process until the base players have used all their feet and hands or as long as none of the jumping team members' clothes, foot or any part of the body touches the tinik. Should this happen, the jumping team's mother gets to jump to redeem the player who failed in the earlier jump. If the leader fails that jump, the teams exchange places and the game starts anew.

Habulan Estatwa

Participants:Three or more
Habulan Estatwa is translated literally to English as “Chase Statue.” When the “it” is selected, he or she has to chase everyone and the person tagged must “freeze” or become a “statue” in the position he or she was tagged. If the “statue” moves (voluntarily or not), he or she becomes the new “it.” Everybody, even those who “froze” in the process, is free to run! If an untagged player manages to tag a “statue,” the statue can move and play again. However, if the “it” manages to tag everyone, he or she will have to wait for someone to move again. Once one of the “statues” moves, he or she becomes the new “it.” Everyone is again free to move and run away from the new “it.” In a variation of the game, when everyone has been tagged, whoever is the last to shout “VIVA!” the new “it.”

Agawan Base

Participants:as many as possible

The participants are divided into two teams with equal number of members. The objective of the game is for one team to try and capture the base of the other by reaching the other's home base first and tagging a pre-decided item (e.g. a tree trunk, a rock, etc.) symbolizing the opposite team’s home base without getting tagged by the defending members of the opposite team. A safety line is drawn between the two teams. A member of an opposing team who crosses the safety line into the territory of the other team can be chased and tagged by the team that owns that base. If the attacker gets tagged before he or she manages to get back to his or her safety zone or home base, he or she becomes a prisoner of the opposite team. He or she can be rescued by a teammate when tagged without the teammate getting tagged by the guard or one of the defenders of the opposing team.The game ends when a member of an opposing team manages to tag the symbol of the other team or when all the members of one team are captured by the other team, leaving their home base free for the opposite team to attack and capture

Sungka

Participants:Two or three persons
Sungka is a traditional Filipino Game played by two participants. The objective of the game is to amass stones or cowrie shells in the player’s home base (bahay) by continuously distributing the shells around smaller holes until the player runs out of shells to distribute. The person who collects the most shells in his or her bahay wins. A Sungka board consists of a set of cups that hold stones. Each player has six playing cups, along with a home cup at the far right end. Each cup (except for the home cup) initially holds seven stones. The players take turns removing the stones from a cup on their side and depositing a stone in each of the other cups in a counterclockwise fashion. When the player reaches the end of his or her row, he or she will drop a stone in his or her home cup, and then continue to drop stones on his or her opponent’s side. If he or she reaches the end of his or her opponent's row, he or she will not drop a stone in his or her opponent's home cup. When a player runs out of stones, several things can happen depending on where the last stone was dropped: 1.If the player’s last stone was dropped on the opponent’s side, the player's turn ends.2. If the player’s last stone was dropped in his or her home cup, his or her turn continues, and the player may select any cup from his or her side to pick up stones from. Play continues until his or her turn ends. 3. If the player’s last stone was dropped on his or her own side and last the cup he or she dropped a stone in contains other stones, he or she must take all the stones from that particular cup, and continue dropping stones in a counterclockwise fashion. This can occur multiple times, and the player continues the same process until his or her turn ends due to the other rules. 4. If the player’s last stone was dropped in an empty cup on his or her side, the player takes his or her own stone and the stones directly across his or her cup, and deposits all of them in his or her home cup. The player’s turn then ends. Play continues until all stones are in the home cups. If a player has no possible moves left – say there are no stones in any of the cups in his or her side – the player then loses his or her turn. When the game is over, both players count the number of stones in their home cup. Whoever has the most stones wins. Sungka also has a three-player variation. When a capture occurs, the player will capture all the stones in the next player's opposing cup. Play continues in a rotating fashion among all three players.