The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has organized traditional Filipino games for employees to foster team camaraderie and local culture, as part of the agency’s 35th founding anniversary celebration on June 13-17.
According to DENR Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna, the event known as “Palarong Pinoy,” is a “good way to re-energize our employees as the country gradually recovers from the pandemic and reinforce team spirit, boost mental health, and bring back fond memories of childhood.”
The week-long activity showcased traditional Filipino games, such as “bato-bato pick,” “bunong braso,” “hampas-palayok,” Jackstones, “kadang-kadang,” “luksong-lubid,” “palo-sebo,” “patintero,” “piko,” “sipa,” “sungka,” “tumbang preso,” and “pabitin.”
Employees from various DENR offices who took part in the activities were grouped into different teams or “barangays.”
“We have activities for our employees almost every day for the entire month of June. We aim that our personnel will have fun, bonding, and enjoyment as these are well-deserved amid their hard work for the Department,” Sampulna said.
He added: “With Palarong Pinoy, I hope it contributes to the overall well-being of our employees so we can work better and become a stronger organization in the years ahead.”
With this year’s DENR anniversary theme “Pistang Pamilyang DENR para sa Tuloy-Tuloy na Pagkakaisa at Tagumpay,” the DENR bureaus and regional offices also simultaneously hold their respective Palarong Pinoy and anniversary activities.
The organization of the anniversary festivities is a directive from Sampulna in recognition of the officials and employees as drivers in the fulfillment of DENR’s mandates.
DENR Employees Union (DENREU) vice president for membership and grievances Ethel De Guzman said she has received positive feedback so far among the players and audiences as many are currently joining and enjoying the games.
“Rest and recreation activities are important for the workforce today to de-stress and refresh. Although, at the end of the day, we return to our respective work, we cannot replace the kind of fun and excitement that Palarong Pinoy can bring to our employees,” said De Guzman, one of the organizers of the event.
Recently concluded were patintero, a group game where a team is challenged to “attack” and prevent another team to pass through a finish line, and kadang-kadang, a game where players of each team race to the finish line while stepping on coconut shells.
Two members from the winning teams—Ronie M. Mamado, a monitoring officer from the Office of the Secretary (OSEC) and Reggie Sambajon, an administrative assistant from the Knowledge and Information Systems Service (KISS)—said their participation in the patintero fostered camaraderie among their teammates and brought them back to their memories of elementary school.
Moreover, Jovan Christian Opeña, an administrative assistant from the Financial Management Service (FMS), and a team member who won the 1st place in the kadang-kadang, said that it was a stress-reliever from his workload and a source of happiness as he got to enjoy the game with his co-employees.
Palarong Pinoy is organized by DENR’s Human Resource Development Service, Kalipunan ng mga Kawani sa Kagawaran ng Kalikasan, and DENREU.
DENR offices include the OSEC, Task Force Tayo ang Kalikasan, Environment Law Enforcement Service, Internal Audit Service, Office of the Undersecretaries, Manila Bay Coordinating Office, Office of the Assistance Secretaries and River Basin Coordinating Office, Administrative Service, Climate Change Service, and Gender and Development Office.
It also includes the CARP National Coordinating Office, Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service, Human Resource Development Service, Legal Affairs Service, Planning and Policy Service, Strategic Communication and Initiatives Service, FMS, KISS, and Quality Management System Secretariat. ###
