By Charissa Luci-Atienza

The House Committee on Youth and Sports Development has endorsed for plenary deliberation and approval of a bill seeking to preserve the country’s indigenous games.

The House panel approved the committee report on the substitute bill to House Bill No. 3680, principally authored by Pangasinan Rep. Tyrone Agabas.

Agabas noted that, in the previous 17th Congress, the House of Representatives approved the bill on third and final reading.

He pointed out that indigenous games such as sungka, tumbang preso, piko and sepak takraw were part of the country’s rich cultural heritage.

“These games successfully thrived as part of our way of life. They have, in one way or the other, identified us traditionally, culturally, geographically, and ethnically in the various regions of the country, ” Agabas said.

The proposed Philippine Indigenous Games Preservation Act tasks the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), to initiate measures to preserve the traditional games in the country.

The measure calls for the inclusion of games as part of the curriculum in the basic education system of schools; production of documentary or other useful means; and the conduct of regular demonstration of such games in national events and in appropriate school activities.

It requires the NCCA to conduct research on the various sports traditionally played by different indigenous groups within their region to ensure the preservation and development of these games.

The bill provides that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), in coordination with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the local government units (LGUs), to conduct annual regional and national indigenous sports competitions.

The host LGU shall have the prerogative to choose the sports events to be included in the indigenous sports competitions, the measure provides.

The bill tasks the NCAA and DepEd to promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed Act within 60 days after its effectivity.