Local Sports in Ilocos Norte

SUNGKA

Sungka is a popular game in the Philippines. It involves dropping shells or stones into large holes on a long canoe-shaped board. This game is called mancala in the US. It is also known as "count and capture" or "sowing game" in English. The latter moniker is because seeds are sometimes used instead of shells or stones. Filipinos ordinarily use cowrie shells.

PATINTERO

Patintero

This game is played by boys and girls, ages 5 to 10 years old in mixed teams. Adults though tend to rank themselves according to sex. There are two sets of this game. One requires six players to a team while the other needs eight players. The game is played outdoor at anytime of the day and at night when the moon is out.The game is prepared on the ground by drawing a rectangular field (usually five to six meter with four parallel lines inside) using either water, stick and charcoal on the ground to define the boundary.To play, one set of taggers or the 'it' situate themselves inside the lines of the rectangle while the runners will try to get through both ends of the field and back without being tagged or blocked. When caught, they right away change roles. The group that has lesser tagged incidents is declared winner.


SIKLOT

Siklot is a popular traditional game in the Philippines. Some say that it is the Filipino version of "jackstones" which is sometimes called "sintak." This game is usually played by female children ages ranging from 7 to 16.Siklot is one of the most popular traditional games in the Philippines. The game is usually played by children from seven to sixteen years old.  It can be played with two, three, four or more players, indoor or outdoor. I remember having great times playing the game at home with my siblings when I was young.  In those days having a big family was the norm in the Philippines (I have four brothers and a sister), and in those days we didn’t have the technologies that children of today have, so when the weather (the Philippines has only two types of weather; super hot or lots of rain) was non-cooperative for an outdoor adventures, we usually gathered around in one part of the living room and played Siklot.

What is Siklot? Siklot means flick in the Philippines. It is a game similar to jacks or jackstones. The objective of the game is to successfully flick “stones” that are dropped on the floor.  Each player starts with six or more “stones” (but there are variations, children who live along coastal parts of the country prefer sea shells or pebbles, children in rural areas prefer seeds, while children in the cities prefer marble.

TAGUAN

Taguan ay isang popular na larong pambata sa Pilipinas. Hango ito sa ingles na Hide and Seek - isang laro na kung saan ang mga manlalaro ay magtatago at ang taya ang siyang maghahanap.Pipili ng taya ang mga manlalaro at pipili din ng lugar ng pagbibilingan - ito ay maaring poste, haligi o puno . Gamit ang "maiba taya" o "maiba alis" na panuntunan. Magtatalaga ng ng numero na bibilangin ang mga manlalaro. Maaring nilang gamitin ang sistema ng pamimili ng daliri. Ginagawa ito sa pamamagitan ng pagtalikod ng taya. Kakalabitin ng isang manlalaro ang ulo ng taya gamit ang isang daliri, at pagkatapos huhulaan ng taya kung anong daliri ang ginamit ng manlalaro sa pangangalabit. Kung mahulaan ng manlalaro ang bibilangin niya ay sampu lamang, kung hindi naman ay manghuhula pa din siya at paghindi na nahulaan tataas ang bibilangin niya ng hanggan limampu.

Pupunta sa nakatalagang pagbibilangan ang taya at bibilang. Magtatago ang mga manlalaro at pagkatapos bumilang ay isa-isa ng hahanapin ng taya ang mga ito. Ang unang makikita ang siyang susunod na taya. Kailangan bantayan ng taya ang lugar na pinagbilangan kasi maari siyang maging taya ulit pagnaka-save ang ibang manlalaro.

Ang "save" ay ang pagtapik ng mga kamay ng manlalaro sa lugar na pinagbilangan.

PIKO

Piko is often a girls' game but even boys enjoy it. Piko or hopscotch is very popular in the Philippines. You can use chalk or charcoal to write the boxes on the ground. If it is on soil, you can use a stick to create the boxes. Boxes are either 8, 10 or 12 and their steps (whether 1 or 2) may vary. A child can play this alone but it is usually much more fun if you have several playmates to play with you. To begin, create boxes that should look like this, numbered 1 to 10.Then find a puck - could be a smooth stone or a rounded tile that you can use as your marker. Each player has their own individual markers or pucks. Nice stones, a smoothened terra cotta or piece from a broken pottery, it has to be heavy enough to stay when thrown but flat enough to get the right balance so you can throw it easily to where you want it to land (onto which box and/or number).You begin with the puck at number one. If your puck is in box 1, you skip that box and jump to box number two using only one leg. You can only land with both feet in each box at numbers 4 and 5 and also on numbers 8 and 9. When you reach box ten, you can pivot so you can skip back down to box number 2, thne you pick up your puck by bending and keeping one leg up and jump out of the boxes on both feet.Now you throw your puck and make sure it lands on box 2. Start with one foot in box 1, skip box 2 where your puck is, using the same leg, land your foot on box 3 and continue up to box 10. Pivot and go back down, at box 3, bend to pick up your puck on box 2, since box 2 is empty, you can now jump into it down to box 1 and out of the boxes.Players take turns throwing their pucks starting at number 1. If you didn't throw your puck on the correct box, you miss your turn and will have a chance after all the other players have finished their turns.

LUKSONG TINIK

Luksong Tinik is a very common game played largely by girls ages between 7 to 12, though, in some areas, boys join in. This game is played outside with players divided into sets, comprising of the mother ('inay) and her child ('anak'). The 'it' are two players who seat facing each other, stacking their feet and hands together, gradually increasing the height while the opponents jump over it. Any 'child' player who touches any part of this hurdle is saved by the 'mother' who would jump on the former's behalf. If she, too, fails to accomplish the feat, both 'mother' and 'child' becomes the 'it' who would assume the seated position.

   The players are divided into two equal teams.  Two players are chosen as mothers of the teams.  The rest of the players are children.   The mothers are supposed to be high jumpers,  for the object of the game is for players to able to jump the height of the hands placed one on top of the other without touching them.
    The first to jump will be decided by the mothers, who toss a slipper or wooden shoe.  The mother who wins the toss will have the first jump,  and the other team players will be the taya (on base). 

TUMBANG PRESO

Tumbang Preso is a relatively simple game. At least 3 players are needed, although the more, the merrier. First, select the "it" or the defender. Next, find a can, or something that can be knocked over easily from a distance. Position this can in the center of the game area (this will be it's home plate or base). The game is played as follows. The "it" will defend the can from being knocked down. While it is in the upright position, the "it" can chase anyone and tag him/her. When a player is tagged, and the can is still in the upright position, that player becomes the new "it". The rest of the players must then see to it that the can is always knocked down. The "it" of course can always put it back in the upright position. The rest of the players usually use their slippers to knock the can from a distance. Or if one gets close enough to the can without getting tagged, he can kick it and pick-up the rest of the "weapons" or slippers used. Of course, it is usually up to the other players to get their own "weapons" or slippers. For fairness, it would be nice if the players had only two slippers to knock down the can, no more than that. Once all the players are out of slippers, this would be a major opportunity for the "it" to chase everyone before the can is kicked. The can has to be positioned in a particular area of responsibility


HOLEN  

HOLEN You should hold the ball called holen in your hand then throw it to hit the players ball out of the playing area. Holen is called marble in USA. It is played a more precise way by tucking the marble with your 3rd finger, the thumb under the marble, the fourth finger used as to stable the marble. You aim at grouped marbles inside a circle and flick the marble from your fingers and anything you hit out of the circle is yours. Who ever got the most marbles win the game. You can also win the game by eliminating your opponent by aiming and hitting his marble. You have to be sharp shooter to be a winner.





JACK N POY

JACK N POY is the local version of Rock-paper-scissors. Though the spelling seems American in influence, the game is really Japanese in origin (janken) with the lyrics in the Japanese version sounding very similar to the "gibberish" sung in the Philippines.







PALO SEBO

Palo sebo (from the Spanish stick/pole grease) is a traditional Filipino game. A local variant of the greasy pole, it is likely derived from the Spanish cucaña. This game is usually played by boys during a town fiesta or on special occasions in the various Provinces of the Philippines. Long and straight bamboo poles are polished and greased, after which a small bag containing the prize is tied to the top. The bag usually contains money, sweets, or toys. Sometimes a small flag is used instead of the actual prize, which is given to the winner afterwards.Contestants try to climb the pole in turns to secure the prize, and anyone who fails to reach the top is disqualified. The winner is the one who succeeds in reaching and untying the prize or retrieving the flag.
SIPA

Sipa - game of Kick - The object being used to play the game is also called sipa. It is made of a washer with colorful threads, usually plastic straw, attached to it. The sipa is then thrown upwards for the player toss using his/her foot. The player must not allow the sipa to touch the ground by hitting it several times with his/her foot, and sometimes the part just above the knee. The player must count the number of times he/she was able to kick the sipa. The one with most number of kicks wins the game.

TSATO

TSATO stick game, better be good at it - Two players, one flat stick (usually 3') and one short flat piece of wood (4" usually a piece cut from the flat stick).

Player A hitter and Player B as the catcher. Played outside on the ground where you dig a small square hole (slanted) where you put the small wood so it sticks out.

Player A hits the wood with the stick so it catches air enough to be hit by the stick.

The further the wood gets hit the more points you get (usually counted by the number of stick length

Player B on the other hand has to anticipate and catch the small piece of wood to nullify the points and become his turn OR looks forward to Player A to miss hitting the wood. In Ilocos, it is called "kudisi".