Magna Kultura’s Revives The Traditional Filipino Games

Larong Pinoy is the games of our heritage ( Laro ng Lahi ).  It is a cultural treasure ( yaman ng lahi ) cherished by generations of Filipinos. It favorite past-time that is close to the hearts of Filipinos, encompassing generations --- from our grandparents, to our parents, and among the youth & toddlers of today.  

Considering that almost 60% of the mass population in the Philippines don't have computers and still can't afford the high-tech game gadgets, the Filipino Traditional Street Games are still a favorite past-time among children in heavy urban areas and provinces.  

The Filipino games brings good memories of friendship and fun among those who have played it.  It brings a smile among our elders whenever they remember the days when they used to play it.  It brings out the child among our parents when they mention it, and vividly remembering their childhood playmates and the neighborhood where they use to play it.  It actually every adult's wish for the new generation of Filipino to experience the fun of the Traditional Street Games.   

Recognizing the vital role of “outdoor play” on the overall well-being and development of children, Magna Kultura Foundation, an arts & culture NGO launched activities at the grassroots to reintroduction of traditional Pinoy games.

Dubbed as “LARONG PINOY”, the program aims to bring back the fun and excitement of Traditional Filipino Games that our parents and grandparents used to play.  Before the advent of the popular virtual games, these Pinoy games were the favorite pastime of young kids for generations.

Since most of the kids nowadays are no longer familiar with these traditional games,  Magna Kultura Foundation endeavors to reintroduce these once popular games to as many kids as possible through sports clinics & tournaments.

The Play Camp sports clinics features play instruction sessions with systematic drills and exercises, and mini-tournaments that teaches the official rules of the games.  These Play Camps teaches children a host of favorite Pinoy street games like patintero, tumbang preso, piko, sipa, luksong tinik,, siyato, holen, trumpo, and other street games.  

Larong Pinoy is all about giving kids fun in the communities where they live, at the same time, promote healthy outdoor activities through play. Through this project, we aim to promote the healthy physical, mental and social development of today’s young people,” said Mr. Dickie Aguado, Executive Director of the Magna Kultura Foundation.

Larong Pinoy Pinoy is a Philippine cultural treasure.  Magna Kultura’s purpose in conducting Larong Pinoy is to revive the games back in the mainstream of society, and to instill fundamental social values among the new generation of youth. The activities of the Larong Pinoy are intended to promote patriotism, strengthen family ties, involve the community in worthwhile activities.

LARONG PINOY’S PROGRAMS GOALS ARE:

1. To INSTILL PATRIOTISM and love of things that are Filipino.  Larong Pinoy is a light and subtle way of instilling the Filipino Spirit among children without lecturing or “preaching” about Patriotism. Anyone who experience Larong Pinoy never forget the memories  of playing the games.  It will always be a part of their lives. 

2. To use the games as A Bridge for BONDING the YOUTH with PARENTS and ELDERS (lolo, lola, uncles, etc.)  Before the era of modern games and high-gadgets, Larong Pinoy was the game of our parents and ancestors. Providing children with the knowledge and experience of the games allows them to “connect” & relate with their relatives and other adults.

3. To ENLIVEN COMMUNITIES by bringing back the fun in neighborhood, with kids playing with their peers.  In today’s modern age, kids seldom interact with neighbourhood children, having no “kababata”, having only  “ka-Chat” who are virtual friends Facebook or YM.  Larong Pinoy allows physical activity and paves the way to interaction with other children in the neighborhood.

Magna Kultura revives the traditional Filipino street games.  Reaching out to children in communities, reviving fun in the neighborhood.  Larong Pinoy promotes active play by giving children in the community something to play on.  Larong Pinoy promotes healthy physical, social and mental development of young people. And best of all, it is all about giving kids fun in the communities where they live. 

Larong Pinoy promotes healthy outdoor activities through play. Larong Pinoy promotes a healthy lifestyle and active outdoor play among children in schools and barangays. It promotes physical (energy), social (camaraderie) and emotional (fun / shapes character) activities through outdoor activities.  The physical and health benefits of outdoor play  are obvious, yet the social and personal benefits are equally  as important.  

Play is the way kids grow, learn and live. As children continue to grow, so do the skills they learn on the playground.  From agility and strength-building to socialization and independence, some of our most important lifelong lessons are learned outside of the classroom.

So, let the children play.  And let them play the games of our heritage.  It's the game of Filipinos.

IT'S MORE THAN JUST A GAME; IT IS A VEHICLE

TO INSTILL PATRIOTISM AMONG THE NEW GENERATION. 

One day these kids will join society's league, 

and they will Play with the TEAM called Filipino race.

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For more details about the program, contact

MAGNA KULTURA FOUNDATION

Direct Line: Tel No. 5145868

CP Nos.: 0917.899.0025 (Globe) or 0922.899.0026 (Sun)

Email Address: kulturapilipinas@gmail.com

VISIT THE LARONG PINOY INFORMATION SITES AT

Palarong Pinoy:  hhttp://kulturapilipinas.webs.com/

Company Sports Fests  http://kulturapilipinas.webs.com/sports-clinics

Wikipedia Info on Traditional Games of the Philippines

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_games_in_the_Philippines#Reference

WikiPilipinas on the Traditional Filipino Games

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Filipino_Traditional_Games

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Magna Kultura Celebrates Earth Day

Magna Kultura Foundation celebrates Earth Day Festival together with Cultural Center of the Philippines and Greenpeace Philippines in a crusade for global environmentalism at the CCP Complex on April 22, 2012 (Sunday).

Bring your family and friends. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be trade fairs, cultural variety shows, and more than 10 bands who will jam all through the day --- a powerful display of crusade for environmentalism with a colorful celebration.

More than 20 NGO's will be making a showcase at the CCP Complex:  Greenpeace, Haribon Foundation.  Eco-Waste Foundation; with performances by Sanghabi (ethnic & natural instruments), Paul Zialcita (aqua drums), Ermitanyo, Unitiima, Ganhava, Jonan Aguilar, Jeck Pilpil and Peacepipe. 

The event also highlights an Eco Exhibits, Eco Market, a Family Picnic for the Planet, and outdoor fun activities for adults and children.

Join the thousands of fellow-Filipinos celebrating Earth Day.  The celebrations provide a chance to remember what an amazing planet we live on.  And make the spirit of Earth Day a part of life.

More than a billion people will be celebrating Earth Day worldwide. It is a day to think of the environmental challenges we face and how to solve them.  Earth Day reminds us that we all share the same planet. Sharing Earth means taking responsibility for what we use and how we use it. Protecting Earth is every person’s and every country’s responsibility. 

Earth Day isn’t the only day when the world can and should celebrate the planet we all share. We believe that protecting the environment should be part of our consciousness, in the way to live. There are many different things each of us can do to help protect species, keep Earth clean, and fix damage that has been done. It will help make sure that future generations won’t run out of the things we all need, like clean water, air, and soil. 

Celebrate Earth Day.  Together let's create a higher level of environmental consciousness among our fellow-Filipinos.  Join the thousands of fellow-Filipinos celebrating Earth Day.  The celebrations provide a chance to remember what an amazing planet we live on.  And make the spirit Earth Day a part of life.

Buhay Na Buhay Ang Mga Palarong Pilipino Sa Iba't Ibang Lugar

"Nawaawala na ba ang mga larong Pinoy sa Pilipinas?"  ("Are the traditional Filipino Games vanishing in Philippine society?")

This is a question often asked by students, media, and other PR practitioners during interviews with Magna Kultura.  My straight answer is "No".  


It is actually an intergroup perception --- of social classes, of social world, of distance among  economic sectors.  


Whenever they ask me about the perception, I asked back: Where do you live? Where are the places you frequently go to?  


The Traditional Filipino Street Games are actually very much alive.  If you visit places like Tondo (Manila), Tatalon or Payatas (Quezon City), or even C.A.A. (Las Pinas) --- there they’ll  see lots of children in the streets (like a “factory of kids”), and what are they doing?  They are all playing in the streets.  What are they playing?  Street games.

One of the perceived reason why some think that Larong Pinoy has vanished is because of they say that is has been replaced with computers and high tech games.  Again, the perception is “socio-economic”.   How many people in the country has computers, or have access to the internet?  I believe that roughly 30% of the population has access to modern technology --- people from the AB & C socio-economic classes.  But a big majority from the lower C, D & E classes --- which is about 60% of the population still don’t have regular access (or even budgets) for computers and internet.


I repeat: it’s an intergroup perception.  Distance between social classes,  social world, and among  economic sectors.


Without prejudice, I believe that the two group’s rarely interface.  Those who are exposed to computers rarely go out to interact with people in the neighborhood; instead of having “kababata’s” --- and friendships are vitual, having “ka-chat’s”, “ka-Facebook”, or “ka-Text”.  (In fact, they rarely visit the nearby sari-sari stores; visiting more of the malls, supermarkets and 7/11’s.)

In the advent of high tech gadgets and computer games, larong Pinoy is very much alive.  Children in the provinces still play the Filipino games.  Public school students regularly meet with neighborhood kids after school and still play Piko, rubberbands games, tansans, trumpo, and even invent new ways of playing the games.  Citizens in many Metro-Manila Barangays celebrate fiesta’s still organizes the traditional “Fiesta Games”.  


Ang Larong Pinoy ay di mawawala sa Pilipinas.  Ito ay yaman ng ating lahi. Patuloy itong nilalaro ng maraming kabataan sa mga barangay.