Preventing juvenile seniles

Long ago, not in a galaxy far away but just around the neighborhood, things were simply simple.  With no hi-tech gadgets, children of that generation were content and happy with improvisation thus eliminating the need for fancy gizmos.

I was part of that generation when summer vacations were anticipated.  We line the asphalt with either water or chalk so we can all play “biko-biko” or “bato-lata” on the streets after dinner as vehicles had become random in the evenings.  We liked to go hiking on hills to look for “kaka” or gather perdigones seeds as ammunition for our bamboo “luthangs”, along the way raiding some fruit bearing manzanitas, caimito or santol trees.

Malls were from another galaxy during those times that whenever we go to the city, it is within the vicinity of Manalili, Borromeo, Magallanes and Plaridel streets where my mother usually brings me and my two younger siblings.  Restaurants of choice were either Majestic, Manila or Visayan.  The hi-end store that time was White Gold along Osmena Blvd. fronting Ludo and Luym bldg.  There was SM at the ground floor of Luym but it only sells shoes, yes, because it’s Shoe Mart.  If our father fells like spending, we climb up to the top of Luym and dine at the revolving restaurant, marvelling at the 360 degree scenery of the city slowly unfolding.

TVs were in black and white during the late 60s and had a maximum of 6 channels which usually sign on at noon.   VCRs and DVDs were unheard of and the worldwide web mere cobwebs.  Telephone lines are within the city limits only so for us living outside the metro area had to make arrangements or deals a week or two before the agreed dates and must never postpone.   These circumstances forced us all to be active from sunrise to sundown.

From “dakop-dakop” in the mornings to “tago-tago” in the afternoons, no football or basketball clinics can out-perspire us then.  We go out of our houses in those white Guitar camisetas and get back home with the shirts in different shades of khaki to the horror of our labandera.  There also was the “taksi” where we fold different empty cigarette packages into triangles, place a few of them in a small circle on the ground then try to get as much of those triangles out of the ring with the use of an “awayan”, mostly a 2in by 2in remnant of a leaf spring.

There was the “jolens” where we take pride in our “mamords” marbles and those having the most number of “bakunots” will be the butt of jokes.  Me and my younger brother used to pester our mom to bring us to SenHiapHing on weekends so we can buy marbles by the bag.  “Siatong” comes in and guava trees will be at our mercy for we need to find and have a straight and solid branch.

Nearing adolescence, we got infatuated with basketball because of the exploits of Visayan basketball heroes Abet Guidaben, Manny Paner and Yoyong  Martirez when they won the 1973 ABC championships.  A young Mon Fernandez was on that title squad with Jawo, Francis Arnaiz and Bogs Adornado. 

I vaguely remember that game versus South Korea and the legendary Shin Dong Pa.  What I recall was that our sala was full of our playmates and some older neighbors who came over to watch the live feed.  We were among the few in our area who had TV so it’s some kind of natural to have neighbors coming over to watch some shows.

Some days, we play softball at an open field behind our house using an improvised bat and some tennis balls so that when you hit that ball really well, it’s a sure home run.  It was on that field that I had my first sinumbagay with my father and my opponent’s father watching, probably enjoying what they were seeing because neither one of us got a reprimand.  Yup, encouragements from playmates like “labtikiangdunggan” or “hikapaangtotoy” always triggers a fight.

Sinumbagays had become rare these days.  Cool kids, rich kids and whatever kind of kids now resort to weapons to settle things.  And yes, brat wars had gone hi-tech thru social media. 

I’m doing some reminiscing of those wonderful times because young people now chose to be sedentary.  I highly doubt if some of the young people following this column are familiar with the games mentioned above.  The internet confines them for long hours that even little household chores seems like an agonizing burden.  At least summer clinics had brought a good number of kids out of their comfort zones and become active in sports.  Like what I said last week, we need sustainability for these sports clinics.  Only then can we rid of our juvenile seniles.

Beaches were an afterthought during our time because we enjoyed the fun and games.  It would be nice if there will be a revival of those childhood games of yesteryears for the younger generation to also experience and enjoy.  Maybe the Cebu Provincial Sports Commission can entertain the possibility and make it as a yearly event, incorporating this with their existing sports programs with chosen LGUs as pilot areas.