PHILIPPINES—One hundred eighteen brethren from Angeles City, Quezon City, Baguio and La Union congregations flocked together for a day of fun, laughter, fellowship and exciting family games and prizes on December 2 at the playground area of the Carmenville Subdivision in Angeles City, Pampanga. The event was organized by Local Church Elder Benedict Marquez. Evangelist Alex Harrison, Local Elder Broderick Tongco and Local Elder Reniel Padua were also present.
Clear blue skies, warm sunshine and a cool gentle breeze provided the perfect backdrop for the family event.
Families with children, teens and seniors all played together in various games that required team work, communication, problem solving, patience and balance.
The games were divided into 3 categories: group relay games (such as “Wheel You Barrow Me,” “Spell My Body,” “Simon Says With a Twist”), food-related games (such as “The Cookie Challenge,” “Boiled Corn Eating,” “Juice Drinking”) and traditional Philippine games (“Sipa,” “Patintero,” “Lastiko,” and “Chinese Garter,” to name a few).*
Everyone was willing and enthusiastic to participate in the games. The traditional Filipino games proved to be the highlight for everyone.
Teens and pre-teens were engrossed with Patintero, which is a fast-paced, challenging team game.
The ladies gathered around to play Chinese Garter. “It was reminiscent of my childhood days,” commented Quezon City member Lai Cruz.
The men enjoyed the challenge of playing Sipa. One father mentioned that he is going to teach his sons how to play, so they can play together when they get home.
“I love the game of Sipa,” said Angeles City member Erian Gallardo. “It’s my favorite. I’ll practice to be a better player.”
The game of Lastiko was appealing to everyone, especially the seniors.
Prizes were handed out during the games. A special prize for the Early Bird was awarded to a teen, Celeste.
After all the fun and games, everyone ate lunch together, followed by ice cream. During lunch, the children and some seniors played the Mystery Box Challenge. The children commented that it was the best family day activity they experienced.
The brethren look forward to the next family day activity.
Traditional Philippine Games*
- Sipa: literally a game of kick, played similar to hacky sack/footbag
- Patintero: Two teams of 5 players each; one is an attack team and the other a defense team. The attack team must try to run along the perpendicular lines from the home-base to the back-end and return without being tagged by the defense team players.
- Lastiko: rubber band game similar to horseshoe game
- Chinese Garter: a game where a garter or a chain of rubber bands is held by two people at both ends while others attempt to cross over it. The goal is to cross without tripping on the garter, or rubber bands. With each round, the garter’s height raises until is it positioned above the head.