Who didn’t play games in childhood? From leron-leron sinta to piko, every child always wanted to play every afternoon so much so that when they came home they started to smell like sweat and dust or “amoy-araw”. Kids of immigrated families do not sometimes get the same experience, so it is important to always bridge the gap to connect with fellow Filipinos all around the world.
Back in February, the art exhibition, “MapagLAROng Likha: Reimagining Philippine Traditional Games Through Art”, was launched at the Micronesia Mall, Dededo, Guam. It aimed to promote the sense of community of overseas Filipinos as they reminisced about their childhood years playing traditional Filipino games such as piko (hopscotch) and sungka (chungka or congkak) while looking at the displayed artworks.
The exhibition ran from Feb. 22 to Mar. 2, featuring art pieces from Trexie Berondo, Richelle Canto, Anette Catahay, Grace Gueco, Olivia Newman, Lolit Poblete, Maila Pujol, and Marcus Villaverde, along with Viola Roces and Merc Tenorio, who were not able to attend as they were off island.
The LARO/PLAY animation series, as well as the Consulate’s PowerPoint presentation on how some of these games were played, were beneficial to locals and foreign nationals who visited the exhibit and wanted to learn more about them.
The exhibition emphasized the vibrancy of Filipino culture and heritage, and also promoted a connection for overseas Filipinos and their local community through the arts.
