Lingaw Duwa
It was a fun weekend on Oct. 24 among 200-plus Filipinos in the Waikato region of New Zealand as they congregated in Hamilton City’s scenic Claudelands Park on what was predicted as a rainy day. But not a single drop of rain disrupted the merriment of both matured and young participants of LingawDuwa LarongPinoy that I’ve organized since 2013.
Dubbed as the Filipino Sporting Event of the Year, the gathering features Pinoy street games – patintero/ tubig-tubig; siatong; tumba preso/ batolata; kariling; sipa/ takyan; dama and sungka. Both young and old were engaged in the games. To the former, these were one of discovery, while for the latter, a time to reminisce. The teams carried such names as Tribu Bola-bola, Tribu Guapohon, Tribu KaBol-anoNZ and Tribu Halo-halo. The event, hosted by the Waikato Filipino Association, attracted the attention of the regional newspaper, Waikato Times, that put up a lengthy feature in its epublication and a whole page of photos in its paper edition two days later.
Hamilton City mayor Paula Southgate not
of those who invented these games. I told them that we made do with what limited resources we had – sticks, a can, slippers, used tires – and still had much fun. I guess that is the reason baseball did not flourish much in the Philippines as this required gloves and equipment. Basketball, on the other hand, needs only a ball, a vacant lot and a goal, making it accessible to all. But the main reason I keep organizing LingawDuwa is the togetherness of Filipinos, who for a moment take a break from the demanding life overseas. You do everything – house chores, shopping, bringing the children to school, etc.
Plus thinking about your loved ones in the Philippines, sending financial support, especially during emergency situations. And yes, for those on temporary visas, the prospect of returning home and be unemployed.
I must say one of the most exciting contests was takyan where surprisingly all the competitors were fast and skilled. Tribu Bola-bola took the championship trophy. Though they didn’t end up as winner, most of the members of Tribu KaBol-anoNZ got their photos in the news not only with their attractive “kinumpay” tribe color, but also because of their camp’s fiesta atmosphere that even had a lechon for lunch. All left the event with a smile, even the food vendors who sold out their best Filipino dishes that delighted both Filipinos present and people of other ethnicities who dropped by. For a day, we filled Aotearoa with laughter, fun and shouts of “Mabuhay!”