NMP-Bohol relives traditional games through ‘Bibo Biyernes’

By Elvira C. Bongosia

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA) — The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)-Bohol has launched its “Bibo Biyernes” program to relive the games Filipino children play in their childhood.

The “Bibo Biyernes” will be held every Friday at the NMP Bohol.

“Bibo Biyernes, or Fun Friday, is an interactive activity to allow everyone to rediscover the thrill of childhood games including patintero, piko, sungka, dampa, and other popular traditional games, before these games will only be known in history books,” said NMP-Bohol information officer Neil Gerurd Reyes.

One of the top-performing regional component museums of the national museum, the NMP-Bohol added these games to make Fridays more chill, fun, and unforgettable for museum-goers.

Paul Matthew Gonzales, a professor from Cainta, Rizal, who was on an educational tour with his graduating students from Siena College of Taytay, described his first visit to the NMP-Bohol as unique.

“What makes this museum unique from any other museums is the Larong Pinoy and it adds fun. Most of the museums we visited, we need to be silent, we need to be careful with the things that we will be seeing. Most of the time, we’re just seeing paintings, sculptures, figurines, etc… But here, they added a new taste of what a museum should have – the Palarong Pinoy,” Gonzales said.

“As most Filipinos today spend hours staring at screens, living sedentary lives, here, they are trying to revive the culture that we have in the Philippines, the traditional games,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior citizen from Gen. Santos City Rosemarie Apduhan, who also visited the museum for the first time, did not expect to be able to play sungka, her favorite childhood game.

“Gidala ko sa akong amiga diri sa museum ug wala ko nag-expect nga naa diay mga dula, abi ko mag-picture-picture lang me diri,” Apduhan said.

(My friend brought me here, and I didn’t expect there would be games. I thought we would just take pictures here.)

Bibo Biyernes is open to the public, admission-free, at NMP-Bohol every Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ECB/PIA7 Bohol)