What is Laro ng Lahi

Have you heard of the traditional games your grandfathers and grandmothers played when they were
young? These games are part of your cultural heritage so they should be handed down to you by your elders.
This module speaks of the fun and enjoyment Filipinos get from their traditional games commonly known
as “LARO”. These indigenous games are usually played during wakes, festivals and town fiestas. Awareness and
knowledge of these “Mga Laro ng Lahi” helps every Filipino develop a sense of nationalism and the recognition of
national identity as a Philippine culture.

“LARO” is the Pilipino generic term for all forms of recreational play. Filipinos say “Laro tayo” meaning
“Let’s play whether they wish to play for fun without concern for consequence or engage in a highly competitive
contest.
Indigenous games widely known as “Laro ng Lahi” are Hispanic in origin. It is not only played by
youngsters but also by anybody who love childish humor. While these games are recreational in nature, they are
also used to test an individual or group’s strength, endurance and dexterity.

Different Types of Larong lahi

1. Piko
 Piko is a popular game played in yards or alleys. A geometric figure is drawn on the ground and
provided with divisions or compartments.
 Make available flat pieces of stones which may be used as “pamato” A brick chips, the bottom piece
of a clay pot or a smooth chunk of window glass maybe used, too.

2. Culliot
 This game is similar to tug of war in principle. It is sometimes called “Hatakang Lubid”. The purpose
of a team is to pull the other team over the borderline.
 How to Play the Game
 Have equal number of players for each team. The head player is the team’s captain.
 Separate the two teams who should be facing each other about five meters apart with the
centreline in the middle of both teams.
 Let each member of each team hold on the rope. The end of the rope should be tied on the
waist of the last player.
 Tie a piece of ribbon or handkerchiefs on the center of the rope which should fall on the
centerline.
 On signal, each team pulls each other until one’s team captain crosses the middle line.
 The team that pulls the other over the borderline is declared as the winner.

3. Patintero
 Patintero or “Harang Taga” is the most popular among the Philippine games. It is played everywhere,
anytime of the day most especially at night during full moon.
 A team is composed of five (5) players and a coach. The officials of the game are the referee, scorer,
timekeeper and five (5) linesmen. Two teams compete (the offensive and the defensive teams) to
 accumulate as many points by passing the lines without being tagged. The defensive team is called
the line guards while the offensive team is called the “passers”. The objective of a team is to
accumulate as many points by passing the lines without being tagged.

4. Sangkayaw/ Sambunot
 Sangkayaw is popularly known as coconut shell race. It is commonly played in the Tagalog and
Central Luzon provinces. This game makes use of a coconut shell tied to a string under each foot. The
string is placed between the toe and thenext one. The loose end of the string is being held by the
hands.

5. Tiyakad/ Kadangkadang
 This is a Philippine game with the use of bamboo stilts. Two bamboo poles of equal length are used
with a foot size tongue in each pole to serve as platform for the player’s feet. The principle of the
game is to walk on stilt from a starting line to the finish line. The length to be traveled is 100 meters.
 Rules of the Game
 Have four players in each team.
 Arrange the players in such a way that the first player stands behind the starting line, the
second player behind the 25th mark, the third player behind the 50th mark and the fourth
and last player behind the 75th mark.
 On the signal “G0” the first player mounts on his stilts and starts walking to the 25th
mark. He gets off from the stilts, hand then down to the second player who does the same
while going to the 50th mark.
 The third and fourth players repeat the pattern until all players have experienced the
bamboo stilt race.
 The first team that reaches the finish line without getting off the stilts, wins.
 A team will be disqualified if:
a. a player falls twice from the bamboo stilts.
b. a player walks for more than two steps after a fall

6. TUMBANG PRESO (Knock the Can Down)

 This is a very common game played in the backyard or even in streets with less vehicular traffic. It
started during the Spanish regime in the Tagalog region. It was handed down in the different
parts of the country and was given different names. The equipment needed are empty milk can,
slipper or a piece of flat stone used as “pamato”.
 Any number of players may participate although it is recommended that players should not be
more than nine (9).
 The object of the game is to hit and knock down the milk can with the pamato and for the “It” to
put back the can inside a small circle, a few meters away from the toe-line. When a player is tag
while recovering his pamato, he becomes the new “It”.
  How to play the game
 Select an “It”. From the small circle where the empty milk can is standing, throw your
“pamato” to the starting line. Whoever has the farthest pamato from the toe-line becomes
the “It”.
 Let the “It” guard the empty milk can in the small circle
 Line up at the back of the starting line. When the “It” shouts “Game”, each of you should
hit the can trying to topple it down.
 The toe-line serves as your home base. You are safe once you stay in the home base with
your slippers or stones with you.

7. Sungka
 For as long as anyone can remember, there has always been a sungka board in the Filipino homes.
The sungka board is a small treasure-the older it is, the more precious, it sits on a side table or a top
a bench, waiting to be played.
Sungka Board
 A shallow boat made of solid wood at both ends of, which are large deep bowls carved out of the
wood. The whole length of the boat is lined with seven smaller bowls carved in pairs.
 PROPS Pebbles, "Sigay" or shells seeds
 MECHANICS
 Sungka is always played by two people.
 Each players fills up his seven smaller bowls with 7 "Sigay" each.
 Both players start at the same time.
 The object of the game is to put as many "Sigay" as possible in the large bowl as to cause
the opponent to lose one or two of his smaller bowls in the succeeding games which
means he losses.
 If at the end of 15 minutes, nobody has been declared as winner, the game will be called
off. Each player counts the number of "Sigay" in the opponent's large bowl.
 The player with the most number of "Sigay" wins.
8. Sack Race
 Very popular indigenous game in the Philippines where in the players used sack as the main
material/equipment in the game.
 Mechanic
 Each team should compose of five players.
 Player must be able to reach in the turning point and go back to the starting line for the
next player join the race, until all the 5 players enter the sack and turn around to the
starting line.
 The first team who will finish the race will be the winner.