HOUSE PANEL APPROVES BILL PRESERVING INDIGENOUS GAMES OF THE PHILIPPINES
THE COMMITTEE on Youth and Sports Development of the House of Representatives has approved a measure integrating indigenous games in basic and higher education.
House Bill 6192 or the proposed Philippine Indigenous Games Preservation Act was introduced by Representatives Tyrone Agabas, Angelo Marcos Barba, Eric Martinez, Alberto Pacquiao, Divina Grace Yu, Kristine Alexie Tutor, Jose Teves Jr., Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, Anthony Peter Crisologo, Sarah Jane Elago, Carl Nicolas Cari and Rodante Marcoleta.
The bill aims to preserve the cultural heritage of Filipino indigenous peoples and promote the significance of traditional games in uplifting the well-being of the youth.
Indigenous games include traditional sports and games such as tribal archery, blowpipe, javelin, dug-out canoe race, rock balancing, sumpit, sungka, and kadang-kadang.
The measure mandates the Philippine Sports Commission, in coordination with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and the local government units to conduct annual regional and national indigenous sports competitions.
It also requires the inclusion of indigenous games as regular demonstration sports in the Palarong Pambansa and in other national sports events.
House Bill 6192 also mandates the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), in coordination with the Department of Education (DEPED), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) to produce documentary or other useful means, and the conduct of regular demonstration of games in the Palarong Pambansa.