"Games Pinoys Play" at Pasko! 2008

It was saksakan ng saya! Never mind the off and on downpour; it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd that flocked to celebrate Pasko! last December 14 once again.

Siyempre, UP’ians were all over the map: from planning the annual Filcom Center Production to organizing and (wo)manning booths!Toy Arre, as President-CEO of Filcom Center, worked with the oversight committee to make sure this year’s celebration was no less successful than the one before. Two other members of this committee were Ka Ray Liongson and UPAA President Alma Phocas. Carolyn Weygan-Hildebrand coordinated …. Ime Gasmen led Katipunan Club’s perennially popular parol-making booth. Ka Ray’s Philippine Studies young students…

This year, UPAA was responsible for showcasing Filipino games. UP? Fun? "Nahihibang na ba kayo? Di ba oxymoron yun?" some would be tempted to say. But those who were there that day would have agreed that UP alums are good at anything, including fun and games!

At the booth we labeled “Games Pinoys Play,” six sungkaans surrounding a dama board were arrayed around the edge of the table. The dama was complete with Budweiser tansan properly positioned on the squares at opposite sides of the board. Red sipa tassles sat on their bottoms like tired octopuses. Typed rules of the games were taped onto the table. Bags of goodies which would be given to winners of challenges were arrayed at the ledge at the back of booth. After getting the booth ready, Serge Domondon, Alma Phocas, Jon Ellis Pangilinan, Debs Robillard and Bea Ramos Razon took turns (wo)manning the booth.

People, young and old, swarmed the booth. Not one sungkaan, sipa and dama board was left unused for long. Onlookers would take over the games as soon as one is free. Debs introduced sungkaan, Chinese style and soon, partners were playing it with gusto. Niko Phocas, UPAA First Child, played with somebody at the dama board almost non-stop. Even when the prizes were gone, people still came to play. Young people from Leeward Community College Philippine Studies (c/o Ray Liongson), soon overflowed into ours, totally engaged in the fun of the games!

Promptly at 5pm, Alma rang the bell announcing the start of the pabitin.

High fives to UP alums involved in making Pasko! the cultural highlight of the 2008 Christmas season in the Filipino community!