• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) continues to promote Filipino culture by holding its second leg of the Indigenous People (IP) Games this year at the Manuel Y. Torres Sports Center in Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Sept. 28, where about 300 IP members participated, coming from 17 local government units of Negros Occidental.
Through the sports activity, PSC chairman Richard Bachmann, who personally attended the opening ceremony, with Mayor Nicholas Yulo and May Alkalde Oral, regional director of the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) for Western VIsayas, said “we are trying to tell our children that we do have this kind of sports, as part of our culture.”
Following the opening ceremony, the participating IPs started competing in 10 indigenous games such as bangkaw, pana, fir making, trompo, panit lubi, kadang, palo sebo, tumba patis, bayo gisig, and galing mais.
The localities with participants are Binalbagan, Cadiz City, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, Don Salvador Benedicto, Himamaylan City, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Isabela, Kabankalan City, Sagay City, San Carlos City, Silay City, Sipalay City, Talisay City, and the host city, Bago.
Bachmann said he is excited and happy to experience and to know all the IP games. “Hopefully, our children will go into it, to remind us of our culture”, he added.
Yulo said he is happy that Bago City was chosen to host the Visayas Leg of the IP Games this year.
“It’s an honor to welcome all our participants here (in Bago City),” he said, adding “I am also happy that the national and local governments are giving importance on acknowledging and recognizing the members of our IP communities.”
Bachmann further said the PSC’s task to bring the spirit of sports to all the members of society is among its top priorities in line with the commission’s mandate of promoting a healthy citizenry and an inclusive landscape for promoting the value of physical wellness.
The IP Games Visayas Leg 2024 is also being supported by various private partners like Milo and Pocari Sweat.
The PSC has been organizing the IP Games since 2018 as part of its mandate of showcasing and preserving the traditional sports and games.
The program also conducts Indigenous People’s Forum that emphasizes the importance of the IP community and its preservation across generations.
In partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) and the local government units (LGUs), the program aims to expand and reach more IP communities annually.*
