Tribal games: Promoting sports and biodiversity conservation

MANILA, Philippines - “Baboy ramo! Baboy ramo! (Wild pig! Wild pig!)” Bernard Santos, an Aeta from Mabalacat, Pampanga, shouted before throwing the long spear with all his might.   

Santos was not in the forest hunting for wild pig. He was at the Clark Freeport Picnic Grounds in Pampanga to compete in the first-ever Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)–ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) MAD Tribal Games. MAD stands for Mangyan, Aeta and Dumagat, indigenous peoples of the Philippines. With a score of 99.8 percent, Santos bested 14 other Aetas in the spear or sibat throwing competition.

Clad in their traditional G-string, 40 Aetas and their families were all smiles as they eagerly awaited their turn to participate in the various sporting events, including tribal archery, sibat throwing, obstacle assault course, and a three-kilometer foot race. Some cheered their other Aeta brothers as they competed while others practiced in one corner; some discussed winning strategies while others gamely posed for photos. Enterprising mothers and their children sold souvenir items such as mini bows and arrows, homemade necklaces and trinkets, and food stuff.

Asked who their inspirations are, the athletes quickly named world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and US President Barack Obama. “If they can do it, so can we!” they said.

Antu Sumilang, officer of the Mabalacat Aeta Tribal Association, welcomed the big crowd who came to witness the tribal games. Members of the Philippine Archery Team acted as game facilitators and scorers.

Antu said the MAD Tribal Games is a great way to showcase the culture and natural heritage of Aetas, especially in the fields of sports and biodiversity conservation. “We have so much to show our fellow Filipinos, as well as our counterparts in other parts of Southeast Asia,” the tribal leader said in the vernacular.

Rodrigo Fuentes, executive director of the European Union-assisted ACB, expressed his appreciation to the Aetas for the opportunity to work with them in promoting their rich cultural heritage, and their role as original protectors of the environment and its biodiversity. “We have so much to learn from you,” he told the Aetas before joining them in their native dance.  

“For millennia, indigenous peoples have developed a relationship with their environment that has sustained and nourished their bodies, fostered community relations, and strengthened their culture. Local communities who depend on their environment for food and livelihood have also developed close ties with nature. This is a relationship that respects the changing of the seasons, life cycles of crops and livestock, and the significance of all forms of life on earth,” Fuentes explained.

With the theme Protecting Our Natural Heritage, the MAD Tribal Games aims to showcase how indigenous people conserve their natural environments and generate a greater public awareness for biodiversity conservation.

Rolly Inciong, head of ACB Public Affairs, said the MAD Tribal Games serves as preparatory stage for 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, when the Tribal Games is envisioned to draw the participation of ASEAN members-states, through their respective National Olympic Committees. Inciong reported that during its 10th Meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand, the ACB Governing Board endorsed the project, calling it an innovative way of promoting conservation. The ACB Public Affairs team held an exhibit on the values of biodiversity and the importance of conservation.

Coach Jovy Mamawal of the Philippine Soft Tennis Association, who served as games coordinator, said the tribal games will bring together students, youth, media, local executives, and the general public on a personal encounter with the tribes to get first-hand information on how to protect and appreciate the environment and its biodiversity. 

Next stop will be General Nakar in Quezon on Sept. 18 where the Dumagats will try their mettle in the same sporting events. The Mangyans will show their athletic skills on Oct. 16 in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. The three tribal champions will compete for the final games slated on Nov. 6 in Clark, Pampanga. The finals will be highlighted by a public forum where representatives from the three tribes will serve as key resource speakers on biodiversity conservation.