 |
| kadang-kadang (bamboo stilt racing) at the Visayas leg of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)'s Indigenous Games held in Bago City, Negros Occidental (Image Source: Manila Standard/Philippine Sports Commission) |
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by its chairman Richard Bachmann is making strides in promoting the rights and culture of Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities through the power of sports. During the recent culmination of the Visayas leg of the PSC's Indigenous Peoples Games (IP Games) held at the Manuel Torres Sports Complex in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Bachmann emphasized the importance of preserving the rich heritage of the nation’s indigenous groups. “This is our way of looking back and helping preserve our heritage by promoting indigenous peoples’ games,” Bachmann remarked, underlining the PSC’s mission to celebrate cultural traditions through sports.
Beyond the goal of preserving these traditional games, Bachmann envisions a broader impact — one that includes discovering exceptional talent among the IP communities. These talents could potentially be tapped for the national training team, further integrating Indigenous athletes into mainstream sports development. “The PSC’s commitment extends to nurturing our aspiring athletes from minority communities. We are always ready to support all sectors of society, from our national athletes to those participating in the Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games (PNG), Para Games, and now, the IP Games," said Bachmann who expressed gratitude to Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo for sharing the PSC’s advocacy and recognizing his contribution to the successful hosting of the games. The IP Games are not only an avenue for competition but also serve as a platform for promoting the rights and welfare of Indigenous communities through meaningful participation in sports.
The IP Games highlighted a range of traditional sports that showcase the unique skills and mastery of Indigenous communities. The event featured pana (archery), lightning-fast panit lubi (coconut husking), agility displays in kadang-kadang (a race on bamboo stilts or coconut husks), and palo sebo, a crowd-favorite competition where participants climb a greasy pole to retrieve a prize. The two-day competition saw the enthusiastic participation of over 300 members from various IP communities across 17 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental. Participants hailed from cities such as Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sagay, San Carlos, Silay, Sipalay, and Talisay, along with the municipalities of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, Don Salvador Benedicto, Hinoba-an, Ilog, and Isabela. Aside from pana, panit lubi, kadang-kadang and palo sebo, the event also showcased bangkaw (spear throwing), fire-making, trompo (spinning top), tumba patis (a variation of tumbang preso), bayo gisig (pounding rice grains), and giling mais (corn grinding).
