LAGAWE, Ifugao(PIA)-- Different indigenous games were played during the Ap-appoh Di Bimmoble or Indigenous Games Competition of the Gotad Ad Ifugao 2023 held at the Provincial Plaza and along the streets of Lagawe recently in line with the goal to transmit, appreciate, and sustain the Ifugao ethnic games.

The different municipalities fielded their respective participants in the indigenous games like the batawel and akkad relay, labba/caba race, kadang-kadang, hinukting, bultong, guyyudan(tug of war), munbayu(pounding rice) Munlagim hi Manok(roasting the chicken), Mundikhal/Manglon, Dopap di Manuk(chicken catching ) and Dopap di Baboy(pig catching ).

The municipality of Lamut won in the Hinukting, a game of strength between two or more players and the “labba” race for women carrying native basket full of crops in their heads.

The municipality of Kiangan won in the “Bultung”, the Ifugao version of wrestling. Hingyon both won in the Guyyudan under the men and women categories.

Tinoc ranked first in the 'Kadang-kadang' while Asipulo  emerged the  winner   in the 'Akkad'  relay race.  Kadang-kadang is a game that uses two poles, about   five feet high with a toe hold which is one foot above the base of the pole. These pair of poles are used by the competing teams to run a distance. Akkad,  on the other hand,  uses coconut shells as footwear of the participants with a string in the middle.  

The Batawel relay was won by Lagawe. This a game played by men carrying pole with bundles of palay at both ends as they race against each other.

The munbayu adult category was won by Lamut while Lagawe won in the youth category.

For the munlagim hi manuk, Lagawe placed first while Lamut won in the mundikhal. Lamut won in dopap hi babuy while Asipulo won in the dopap hi manuk.

The indigenous games competition is a way of preserving the heritage and culture of the Ifugao people.(JDP/FBR-PIA CAR, Ifugao)