PSC kickstarts nationwide Indigenous People’s Games

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) will hold three regional legs of the Indigenous People’s (IP) Games this year that will start in Luzon at the Municipality of Salcedo, Ilocos Sur on April 19-20.

The IP Games made a successful comeback last year in Palawan after the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, PSC eyes Bacolod City in Visayas and General Santos City in Mindanao as possible hosts of the remaining two legs.

“We are acknowledging the culture and traditions in these games. We are expecting to see a bigger number of participants this year, well over a thousand for all the three regional legs. We might even have an additional leg for Bangsamoro,” said Commissioner Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston who oversees the IP Games.

“We would like to acknowledge our LGU partner and host in Ilocos Sur, headed by Gov. Jeremias “Jerry” Singson and Salcedo Mayor Ninya Grazielle Gironella-Itchon, together with our support sponsors Milo and Pocari for their assistance,” he added.

The PSC has been organizing the IP Games since 2018 as part of its mandate of showcasing and preserving the traditional sports and games. Among the games popularly played in the program all throughout are pana, sumpit, kadang-kadang, trumpo, and javelin.

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.