Before viral videos, virtual adventures, and social media apps, Filipino kids derived their fun from playing outdoor games. Remember tumbang preso, agawan base, and patintero? Remember hot summer afternoons when you would call out your playmates’ names and wait for them to come out? Remember coming home sweaty and happily flushed from the day’s heated games with your neighborhood friends?
These may be nostalgic tales that we tell our kids today, as they’ve been accustomed to fun within the four corners of a handheld gadget. In a timely effort to break this norm, a homecare brand has gone beyond product performance and launched an initiative designed to engage Filipino youth through active play.
The Breeze EcoPlay: Sige sa Mantsa, Tuloy ang Laro program is a partnership with 68 elementary schools across Taguig, Pateros, Marikina, and Quezon City. This year’s edition utilized traditional Filipino games to foster the values of resilience, teamwork, and sportsmanship among young students. The initiative emphasized the value of holistic learning in driving positive change for the environment and society. This was done through the integration of traditional Filipino games into their physical education curriculum.
The months-long initiative culminated in a palarong Pinoy-themed mini-Olympics last December 10 at the Marikina City Sports Complex. Over 700 children in grades 4 to 6 from 17 Marikina public elementary schools experienced actively getting dirty as they participated in games like tumbang preso, patintero, and agawan base.
“This year we wanted to bring in Filipino games kasi alam namin na ‘yung mga bata hindi na lahat nakaka-experience ng paglalaro outside. We wanted to bring back ‘yung naexperience natin growing up kasi alam namin na may mga value na natututunan…tulad ng teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience.” (This year we wanted to bring in Filipino games because we knew that not all kids today experience playing outdoors. We wanted to bring back what we experienced growing up because there are values that can be learned like teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience.”) This was the reply of Ms. Lara Santos, Brand Manager of Breeze Philippines, when asked why they chose games as the anchor of this year’s event.
Watch more of the fun and games here:
Breeze is truly about being an instrument for positive change, going beyond laundry solutions to nurturing character-building opportunities for children. “Ang importante is ma-experience ng mga bata how it feels na matalo or manalo, it doesn’t matter. Ang importante ay bumangon ulit, matutong makipagkapwa-tao at tibayan ang loob…gusto naming madala ng mga bata ito sa ibang aspeto ng buhay nila through our event”, Ms. Santos said, summing up the event’s vision. (The important thing is for the children to experience how it feels to win and lose, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is learning the value of getting up after falling, having a sense of community and a steadfast character…we want them to take these values with them in other aspects of life through our event.)
The Breeze EcoPlay initiative will have three more legs early next year with partner elementary schools in Quezon City, Taguig and Pateros. It is envisioned to continue in the coming years with its mission of creating a generation that sees stains as part of the journey and not as setbacks.
For more information about Breeze EcoPlay: Sige sa Mantsa, Tuloy ang Laro, visit Breeze Philippines official Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/BreezePhilippines.
