House bill seeks preservation of indigenous games

Several members of the House of Representatives are pushing for the preservation of indigenous games through a bill that will enable nationwide competitions and include them in the school curriculum.

Those games are bunong braso, hilahang lubid, karera sa sako, luksong tinik, patintero, syato, and unggoy-unggoyan.

“This is to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Filipino indigenous peoples and promote the significance of traditional games in uplifting the well-being of Filipinos, especially the youth,” the measure read.

“This will safeguard indigenous games as living heritage and foster cultural awareness,” it added.

The Philippine Indigenous Games Preservation Bill has been endorsed by the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development and the House Committee on Appropriations for approval.

If passed into law, the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and local government units shall conduct annual regional and national indigenous sports competitions, including the Palarong Pambansa.

To further preserve the country’s indigenous games, the bill proposes that these be included in school curriculum and school activities, in documentaries, and in national sports events.

In addition, the NCIP and the NCCA are also tasked to conduct research on the various sports and games traditionally played by different indigenous groups, in consultation with the concerned indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples.

The budget necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. —with Llanesca T. Panti/ VAL, GMA Integrated News