Exploring Filipino Indigenous Games

Our customs and traditions are not limited only to rituals, folklore, language and arts. Going back to the ancient ways, our ancestors proved to be resourceful when it came to providing fun and entertainment to themselves through games.

However, these traditional games are not as simple as one might think. Some were quite brutal and have a deep connection to our very own indigenous combat sport.

Let’s start by examining two seemingly forgotten –  but equally important  – games from the Bontoc and Dumagat groups.  We shall see how leisure time was spent by our ancestors and how it impacted their identity as a community.

Fagfagto: A Game of Blood and Stone

Bontocs from the northern part of the Philippines are among the tribes that persist to preserve their culture against the tides of modernization. Their iconic clothing such as the Bahag and exquisite head dress are not just for show; it also proves a dedication to their roots.

During their annual crop planting, the Bontoc men also prepare for a certain “war game” akin to our paintball  or airsoft gun matches today. But this game requires you to fully embrace the pain of getting wounded or injured. In accordance with their celebration of lesles or thanks-giving for the good harvest and the with the start of planting sweet potato, all of the young and old men will also play Fagfagto.

Armed with nothing but worn out wooden shields and stones of varying sizes, men are divided into two groups and engage in a battle of stone hurling. There is no referee or umpire in this game that sometimes last up to four days. Players don’t stay in one spot; they can move to and fro to evade or even charge straight to their enemies to inflict maximum damage. Winners are decided when one group will retreat to their village.

Cuts and bruises are common during this bloody game and the Bontoc believe that these wounds affects their camote tuber during harvest time; the bigger the wounds received, the bigger the tuber they will grow.

It runs in a similar vein to the concept of sympathetic magic (ritual acts or objects influencing a certain phenomenon) which is widely practice in primitive tribes around the world as noted in The Golden Bough by James George Frazer. The players don’t consider one another as enemies after the game. In fact they come together as friends which might be their way of showing a sort of sportsmanship.

The scholar S.C Simms who visited the Igorot of Benguet on one of his expeditions found a more harmless version of Fagfagto wherein players sling mud balls instead of stones at the other players.

Alejandro R. Roces, from his article in Philstar, commented “The Bontocs and the Samokis invented an intertribal festival sport that channels violent emotions that may have found expression in headhunting.” In other studies made by Josefino Constanhno and Dassy H. Aveilana, Fagfagto is viewed as a “war/drama play” that portrays the ‘tribal’ war as they try to defend the land they till and cultivate.

Kag-Kag-Tin: Ancient Foot Fighting Game of the North

Filipinos are no stranger to combat sports. Our ancestors practiced various fighting systems – some of which are kept alive by local martial artists. Some of the most popular martial arts that originate from the Philippines include the stick fighting system Kali/Eskrima and the much more contemporary Yaw-Yan (Sayaw ng Kamatayan or Dance of Death) which is based on older Filipino martial arts.

Another combat game that sprang from the Bontoc tribe is called Kag-Kag-Tin which, as its name implies, is a kicking game. Albert Ernest Jenks, in his book “The Bontoc Igorot”, has a detailed record of this kicking game. Dozens of  boys are divided into groups and use their naked feet to fight and charge one another. The kicks usually aim at the trunk or head of the opponent. From the records of S.C. Simms, the way the players kick is noteworthy since they use the sole of the foot with a sudden upward or backward kick.

As the game progress, some players would even gang up on a single member of the opposite group until an ally comes to help. The game eventually ends when one group surrenders and retreats.

Consequently during the same year Kag-Kag-Tin was documented, another kicking game was supposedly discovered from Baras, Rizal.  Sikaran is thought to have been a past-time for farmers. The rules of Sikaran are simple: in a circle drawn on the ground two combatants will fight using their legs and feet. The most acknowledged fighter often stays inside the circle while the other will stay on its rim and aim to push the other outside the circle.

These fighting systems would inspire many Filipinos to further develop our local martial arts to global recognition.

Buno: The Native’s Own WWE

A native wrestling game called Buno was conducted by the Aeta  Dumagat tribe where it played a major role in a courtship like ritual. Here the players will try their best to lock, pin, or submit their opponent to the ground. They do this while grabbing the loincloth strap of each other –  much like what Sumo wrestlers do. Buno was used in order to capture the attention of the girl they are wishing to court. And the winner of course will take the girl.

Buno is associated with the Filipino wrestling/grapple system called Dumog that also emphasizes on chokes and joint lock techniques. Some even consider the two terms synonymous with one another. Filipino martial artists often included Dumog or Buno in their Arnis training, to add more depth tn the fighting style of their students.

Mali: A Game to Break Disputes

Long before we began to settle in cities, land and territory disputes were often a problem. When our ancestors encountered these issues, instead of hiring a lawyer, the Dumagat people played a ball game to decide who should own it.

Mali is a game usually played by two teams and it has a bit of similarity to American Football with a little bit of Basketball thrown in. First, a ball made of cloth will be thrown in the air and the teams will try their best to reach or catch it first. The player who manages to get the cloth ball must run towards the base of their enemy to win the game. However things will keep getting interesting here as the opposing team will try their best to tackle, block or pull the player with the cloth ball and defend their base. It will take some jumping skills and agile footwork to be able to win this kind of game.

The winner would be given the rights to own the territory. Just imagine the scenario if Mali was used to today to settle land dispute. That could be really interesting?

Playing the Game of our Lineage

The above mentioned games might be too harsh in relation to today’s standards. However, these past times of our ancestors enable us to recognize how they gave importance to the concept of strength and athleticism.  This seems contradictory to today where lesser numbers of the youth seem to engage in any past time that requires such physical prowess. Moreover, these games were not a simple way to burn their time but provided a way of managing their community’s psyche and even settling problems.

These traditional games (“Laro ng Lahi”) have almost been completely replaced by our fascination with technology. While the above games are extreme, it is sad that fewer and fewer children today are introduced to indigenous martial arts. Instead of an afternoon playing competitive games like Patintero, Siatong and even Kadang-Kadang, young children are opting for social media and gaming cafes.

I’m not saying the people of today should start slinging stones at each other, but understanding the games of our ancestors can impart an understanding of how precious our culture is and encourage the preservation of its remnants.

 

Sources:

Encyclopedia of the Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs Vol. 1 by Fr. Francisco Demetrio, S.J.
http://www.northphiltimes.blogspot.com/2016/03/lang-ay-festival-nostalgic-look-at.com
“The Native Theatre” from Philippine Quarterly 1 by Dassy H. Aveilana (1952)
“Early Drama Forms in the Philippines” from Philippine Quarteriy 1 by Josefino Constantino (1961)
“Games of Katutubo” from Roses and Thorns by Alejandro R.Roces, published on Philstar (2009)
Filipino Foot Fighting by Perry Gil S Mallari published on FMApulse.com (2010)
Dumog article published on FMApulse.com (2009)
I Juander: The Tribal Games: Exploring Native Filipino Combat Sports aired on GMA TV (April 29, 2015)