BANAUE, Ifugao Province—There are many obscure games played by ethnic tribes that need to be appreciated.
Philippine Sports Commissioner Celia Kiram said this after she and officials of the PSC travelled yesterday to the Province of Ifugao to witness first-hand how indigenous games are played in a competitive setting.
This will be the first time officials of the PSC will see these under the watch of Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.
“Makikita natin ang laro ng ating mga kapatid na Ifugao. It’s high time that these games are popularized, traditional games na dapat ma-replicate ng mga kabataan,” said Kiram, who added that she is eager to find out what they are and appreciate their nature.
She will have a chance to do so when the two-day Gender and Development Indigenous Games in the municipality of Lagawe get going Friday.
“Makikita natin ang mga katutubong laro na hindi pa natin nakikita. It’s time for us to take note of these games,” said Kiram.
Twelve games played by ethnic tribes in the Province of Ifugao will be showcased during the affair.
The batawel race, a palay-carrying contest, and the stilt walking competition of akkad, will be among the team competitions that will be seen during the Games set on June 23 and 24.
The competitions will be held at the provincial capitol plaza starting at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Guyyudan, or tug-of-war, among elementary and secondary students will kick off the start of activities.
A wrestling match called hinukting will be next on tap, followed by the batawel race, and the bangngunan, or leg wrestling.
There will also be competitions in akkad, followed by the ab-abba, or the man-carrying race.