ANTIQUE – Around 350 Indigenous Peoples (IPs) from across Antique will gather at the Binirayan Sports Complex in San Jose de Buenavista on November 7-8 for the 2026 Indigenous Peoples (IP) Games, showcasing traditional sports, cultural skills and centuries-old practices.
The provincial staging is organized by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Provincial Government of Antique, and the offices of Senator Loren Legarda and Congressman AA Legarda.
Participants from the Ati, Iraynon-Bukidnon and Cuyun-on communities representing 13 municipalities will compete in various traditional games.
The event will feature demonstration games such as ukbo, turnilyo, pikol, pitiw, patintero and pana.
Competitive events will include pukol, mat weaving, turtle racing, kudkud, lisik-lisik, palosebo, kadang-kadang sa kawayan, kadang-kadang sa paya, banggid, butungay and bayo-bayo.
Gov. Paolo S. Javier said the event provides Indigenous communities an opportunity to showcase their traditions to a wider audience while encouraging younger generations to learn about and appreciate their cultural heritage.
He invited the public to watch the competitions and support the participating communities. All activities will be held at the Binirayan Sports Complex and are open to the public.
Launched in 2018, the IP Games is a PSC-led initiative implemented in partnership with the NCIP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. It provides Indigenous communities with a platform to celebrate and preserve their heritage through traditional sports, games and cultural competitions.
The 2025 Antique leg of the IP Games was also held in San Jose de Buenavista as part of the Binirayan Festival./PN
