Youths play tubig-tubig, one of the native games revived by barangay Maribago through a contest. (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
Many youths in barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City were unfamiliar with native games introduced to them last Sunday in a contest.
They tried their hand at games like “bato lata,” “tubig-tubig,” “takyan” and “karang.
These games are no longer played by today’s young generation, who are more likely than not playing computer games online or on their cellphones.
“Maybe those born in the 1980s are the ones who know these games because in the 1990s, almost each household had a television, a cassette and a movie player. Those born in the ‘80s are now getting older and will no longer play these games, said Maribago barangay councilor Marvin Abing in Cebuano.
Abing, chairman of the youth committee, initiated the move to revive native games.
“It is important for them (youth) to know their origins and history and pass it to the next generation,” Abing added.
A game called “karang” (a pair of sticks where one mounts a knee-high stick and uses it for walking) was cancelled because the participants did not know how to use the walking sticks.
Councilor Russel Abing, chairman of the committee on tourism and sports, said they are planning to hold the native games competition during the barangay’s fiesta.
“We will do this every fiesta or where there is an occasion so these games before the computer age will not be forgotten,” Russel said in Cebuano.
Barangay captain Joseph Pangatungan supported the activity and provided a budget for it.
Each sitio of Maribago is enjoined to register a team to participate in the competition.