“Isa, Dalawa, Tatlo”

Traditional games are on their way to extinction. They are now living only as memories—existing only in the amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex of each of today's Millennial and Generation Z. It is fascinating how a simple topic slowly turns into a blurry picture over time, but at the same time offers a very delightful encounter with the past when remembered.

The 21st century served as a big leap in the transformation of Filipino customs and traditions. The Filipinos started to become technology junkies back in 2008 when the Philippines was identified as the “Texting Capital of the World.” After this, the Internet became a trend that despite having a slow connection, Filipinos were very enthusiastic in using it which resulted in the Philippines to be branded as “Social Networking Capital of the World.”

“Laro tayo, laro tayo!”

Wide pleasing smiles, tiny hands clutching someone’s arms and high-pitched voices of children are common to surround the cafeteria. Snack break in schools are not solely for snacks, but it is also the time where the students break free from their academic responsibilities. It is a 15-minute-short break that is truly treasured by children to spend some laughter and some sweat with their peers.

“Laro tayo, laro tayo!”

Wide pleasing smiles, tiny hands clutching cellular phones or tablets and high-pitched voices of children are now actualized by virtual interactions. A 15-minute-long break in school is not enough to enjoy the games on their gadgets.

Same emotions and expressions for the same age. And the same excitement was felt, but it was found in different ways. The gap between the two generations is very thin and not certain enough to tell the need to be addressed.

In the gallery of the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) in Intramuros, Manila, a big number of artworks were displayed until the fifth of February 2020. The artworks were filled with alluring colors: white, red, green, blue, yellow and brown at most. The kind of colors that enthrall different emotions and bring someone back to the past. With the abundant use of mixed-media, Oliver Olivete, a Baguio-based artist, highlighted his artworks with a theme of Laro Tayo: Pagbilang ko ng Tatlo, Nakatago Na Kayo. It was the first exhibit where Oliver showcased his artworks as a one-man exhibitor. The first exhibit that he held so dear.

In Laro Tayo, Oliver took inspiration from his childhood. Sadness took over the smiles when the moon slowly replaced the sun in the horizon, sadness took over the smiles of the young Oliver. This signaled that he must now bid his goodbyes to his friends and go home. Using this memory, Oliver exemplified that his artworks tell that kids before did not need expensive gadgets to be happy. This is quite different from that of his children whom he usually found engaged not only with flashy toys, but also gadgets and the Internet. Oliver's artworks cater to all regardless of their age, because, "it is a reminder of simple joys of childhood that is slowly disappearing and changing now."

“ERoPLANONG Pa-FEEL”

Image from Oliver Olivete’s Facebook Profile

Modernization. Transformation.

“Old wooden houses in Baguio are also slowly being replaced by concrete condos and hotels just like old-fashioned outdoor games being ‘citified.’” For this instance, Oliver said that one of the purposes of the exhibit was to show people how things are gradually modernized and transformed. It caused plenty of changes in the everyday living of every human being.

Woods from various kinds of trees with shades of light brown, umber, pecan, chocolate, and painted woods were the materials used by Oliver. Back when he was young, Oliver watched his uncle collecting discarded woods. After a while, he excitedly reached out for the toy cars that his uncle made out of the woods. The happiness that Oliver felt during this time inspired him from exploring the same theme of using old woods.

Aside from the use of woods, Oliver’s Laro Tayo artworks were created with the use of different found objects like tiles and he extensively used both materials in his artworks. This type of art is what he is best known for. Oliver saw the limitless possibilities of using upcycled or reused objects in making art and to promote the beauty of the ordinary things that one would normally just throw became his advocacy.

Oliver’s Laro Tayo Exhibit

One of Oliver’s art pieces called “Si Pat,” depicts a boy holding “jolen” or marbles, wearing his tsinelas (slippers). The art shows a typical child in the street who aims to hit his opponent’s jolen. The “SPiDer dance” artwork illustrates another kind of a Filipino traditional game that catches the attention of a child before. It depicts the laban ng gagamba (fight of the spiders), where the first spider to be out of the stick loses. Reminiscing the old time by Oliver’s “ERoPLANONG Pa-FEEL” gives the vision that a paper-folded-to-an-airplane fly far away from what was expected. These are only some of Oliver’s masterpieces.

“Si Pat”

Image from Oliver Olivete’s Facebook Profile

“SPiDeR dance”

Image from Oliver Olivete’s Facebook Profile

Besides remembering the past, Oliver mentioned the exhibit was also a great way for the families and friends to bond as they come together to view his artworks. The same applies to Oliver. His exhibit enabled him to reconnect with his childhood friends—his writer, his photographer, and his curator were all his childhood friends. The experiences and relationship that he had with his friends helped him big time in making his artworks for the exhibit.

The collective idea of Oliver and his friends’ childhood-reminiscing-moment resulted in one high school spectator to come to the impression that Oliver’s artworks “can take you back in the time of nostalgic journey.” While the current teenagers' capacity to still reminisce childhood moments through the concept of the traditional game of Laro Tayo, children of today will most probably be estranged from it.

With all the developments that are happening to technology, there will come a day when the sun may rise without troubling the children when it will set. Wishful “laro pa tayo,” will never be a problem as the progression of technology regarding the unnoticeable decline of traditional games in the life of the children of today and the future. However, in line with his artworks, Oliver only hopes that people will not forget these Filipino traditional games. He also hopes for “a way that tradition and technology can mingle together.”

How many more generations will pass before the game of jolens, laban ng gagamba and eroplanong papel will completely be forgotten? Is this the last generation where there would still be two different ways of saying, “Laro Tayo?”

by Patricia Anne May Nas

Images from: Oliver Olivete. [ca. 2020]. In Facebook [Profile Page]. Retrieved February 12, 2020, from https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158480799427565&id=752047564&sfnsn=mo