filipino childhood memories essay

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12 Best Filipino Childhood Memories

Do not get me wrong; I am entirely impressed with how tech-savvy the kids are these days. I see batang Pinoy or Filipino kids as young as eleven coding their app or creating social movement on Tiktok, and it leaves me dumbfounded and amazed. But when I see the younger Pinoy childhood generations spending almost all their time either on their phones or their computers, I can’t help but feel like they’re missing out on many Filipino childhood memories that I treasure to this day.

I know nothing makes someone sound like a stodgy older man more than telling kids about the good old days, but the good old days are just tough to beat when it comes to Filipino childhood memories.

Back in the day, it was common for all the kids in the neighborhood to know each other and play together, especially in the provinces. We played together, rode our bikes together, and grew up as best friends, forging lasting and genuine bonds. That is a far cry from just chatting with someone online.

That is why the best childhood memories Filipino are always the ones you have in the provinces, if I may say so myself. The Philippines’ Probinsya life is all about being a tight-knit community where everyone knew everyone else and where it was safe for batang Pinoy to play outdoors until the sun went down.

To prove my point, here are my 12 best Filipino childhood games and Filipino childhood snacks to be remembered:

• Hide and seek during a “brownout.”

What do kids do these days when there is a power outage or a “brownout”?

I heard a joke once that the best way to bond with your family is to turn off the wi-fi and wait for everyone to come out of their rooms. As funny as that sounds, most families indeed spend their time logged into the internet these days.

Before the internet became commonplace, a “brownout” for us, kids usually meant one thing – it was time for a game of hiding and sought! With everyone waiting for the power to come back on, even the older kids, the Ates and Kuyas, would join the game, creating some of the best memories that I have with my siblings.

No internet? No problem. All we needed was a concrete road, and we could play the crazy game of patintero.

The rules are simple, just run from one end of the road to the other without letting the people guard each line and the road tag you. Does that sound easy? It is not, but it is a lot of fun.

Strategies, speed, and mayhem all come into play. Also, watch out for passing cars!

• Walking to school

It sounds funny to say that walking to and from school is one of my best Filipino childhood memories, but it is true. The simple act of walking with a brother or sister or friend makes for some great bonding moments.

Also, let us not forget the snack vendors along the way. There are Banana cues for one peso, chichirya for two pesos, and an enormous ice cream scoop for five pesos. But my favorite Filipino childhood snacks were always the hot pancake covered in margarine and sugar. Yum!

• Marbles and trumpo or Kuti

These days we collect mechanical keyboards, RGB gaming mice, the latest Bluetooth headsets.

When I was a kid, we were collecting too, but it was all about the tex cards, trumpo or tops, and marbles. I particularly remember my wooden trumpo with a nail that I sanded and sanded until it was needle-sharp, making it spin faster than any other trumpo in the neighborhood. The pin was so sharp, and the trumpo turned so well that I could spin it right on top of a piece of rope!

• Climbing up the tree for mangoes or star apple or alateris

By far, one of the best Pinoy childhood memories I had was climbing up our neighbor’s fruit trees and stealing mangoes, star apples, and the small Filipino cherries we call alateris . The sheer carnal pleasure of biting into a perfectly ripe mango has absolutely no comparison.

Also, there was the added thrill of “stealing” the fruits. But looking back, I realize my neighbors knew precisely who was taking their mangoes and were indulging the neighborhood kids.

• Shower under the rain

When was a kid, heavy rainfall in the middle of the day can only mean one thing – it was time to shower under the rain!

It is crazy to think that running under the pouring rain would be unthinkable for most kids these days. But during my time, all the neighborhood children would run out to greet the downpour together, and no one took pictures for Instagram . It was a blast!

• Bazooka chewing gum

How much does gum cost these days? Before, bazooka chewing gum was the gum that all the cool kids were chewing. For a whopping fifty centavos, you could have some gum and a small mini-comic book inside the wrapping paper too! For batang Pinoy, this considered to be one of the best childhood snacks during the ’80s and ’90s.

• Langit-lupa Chasing Game

Every culture has its version of chasing games, and it always makes for good times. For Filipinos, the best chasing games will always be langit-lupa.

Langit-lupa directly translates to heaven for Langit and the ground for Lupa. The rules are easy – you must climb onto something, a desk or table or chair, and that will be your langit where you are safe from being tagged.

When the person who is “it” shouts Lupa, everyone must run and find a different langit to climb onto, and chaos ensues, giving him a chance to tag someone. It provides a whole different spin on the usual chasing plays and makes some incredible Filipino childhood games.

• Bahay-bahayan or balay-balay

In the Filipino language, bahay means house, and bahay-bahayan means playing house. The parts with playing house for me was building the house itself, with some of my mother’s old blankets and some chairs.

Another great thing about playing bahay-bahayan ? If you are playing the role of parent, you get to boss your “children” around.

• Building and Flying a Kite

Indeed, one of the best Filipino childhood games that I had was when my papa taught me how to build a kite from old sticks and plastic bags. A builder by nature, he was able to take those random pieces of wood and plastic and turn it into an elegant kite that my brother and I played with for weeks. At the time, that kite was my most prized possession and is also one of my father’s fondest memories.

• Swinging on the trees

Ask any kid who grew in the Philippines, and they will tell you that one of their best Filipino memories was trying to build a treehouse with their cousins at one point or another. But instead of making anything resembling a treehouse, they likely ended up with a harness crisscrossing ropes that they would swing from. Such were the delights of growing up in the provinces.

• Swimming i n the river

What is one of the fondest childhood memories Filipino most have? It is jumping into the clear waters of the batis or the river on a hot summer day. There is nothing like floating in an ice-cold stream and running home completely soaked just in time for merienda or afternoon snacks.

Here is an insider tip to swimming in the river – banana tree trunks float! Ditch the float tubes; banana tree trunks are the way to go.

Looking back on my favorite Filipino childhood memories, I would hate to have my kids miss out on any single one of them. That is why I have the full intention of taking them to the province where I grew up and introduced them to the joys of the probinsya life. I am sure all that it would take are some backyard barbecues, a few new friends, and a couple of bikes to lure them into making their cherished Filipino childhood memories for themselves.

How about you bayan, what are the fondest childhood memories you have? Leave a comment below and share your story.

For a similar content of this type, please listen to Barok and Takya Bisaya Podcast Episode: Remembering Childhood Memories or download your favorite podcasts apps like Podbean , Google Podcasts , Apple Podcasts , and Spotify to hear this episode. You could also see Barok and Takya Youtube Channel BISAYA PODCAST for more of their content. Daghan Salamat Bayan for listening to Barok and Takya Bisaya Podcast – the best Filipino podcast in Cebuano language !

Check out our Blogs:

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8 Best Filipino Pastimes of All Time

Celebrating All Souls Day in the Philippines

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2 thoughts on “ 12 Best Filipino Childhood Memories ”

Comment No#12 bayan maligo sa suba lami kaayo mag langoylangoy tapos pag uli naanay bunal???

hahaha peskot naa pa jud imong ge bring house na alimatok mao na! hehehe

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8 Things ’90s, Pre-Internet Pinoy Kids Know to Be True

• Posted on Sep 26, 2015 Dec 12, 2019
• 3 minute read

Kevin Christian L. Santos

Sep 26, 2015   •   Kevin Christian L. Santos

8 Things 90s Pre-Internet Pinoy Kids Know to Be True

Remember how we lived back when the internet wasn’t such an important part of our lives? When we had to look things up in books instead of Googling everything? If you do remember, congrats, you’re old.

It was a simpler, more carefree time. Who needed wi-fi when you were having the time of your life?

Grab your Rambo or Islander tsinelas and take a trip back down memory lane.

8. We Used to Play Outside

Whether it was patintero, tumbang preso,or luksong tinik, kids back then actually ran around and played outside. They were living their childhood and not glued to a smartphone playing the latest app or stalking so-and-so on Facebook.

7. You died a little inside whenever you had to give up your teks

It was a good day whenever you won some of your opponent’s cards that you were eyeing. However, it felt like the whole world caved in when you lost yours.

6. Family Computer was a machine of sheer bliss

Before you moved on to the PS1 , Nintendo’s Family Computer was your jam. You loved the Super Mario series and you hated any form of water level in any game ever. You were also duped by those “500 in 1” cartridges. Those cartridges were LIES. 500 in 1? More like 5 in 1.

You also blew into a game cartridge in hopes of getting it to work again, which actually did  more harm than good .

You also knew the cheat code to this game:

5. You rocked a Walkman and a Discman

And you felt like the coolest kid listening to your favorite jams. You’d eventually move on to the Discman. The only downside was you had to carry your CDs around and it skipped whenever you moved.

4. You had 1.44 MB of power

You were able to save important stuff on those floppy disks back then. What can 1.44 MB do now? Store a few Excel and Word documents? Pfft. Back then, 1.44 MB was important. It could bring the world to its knees:

Man, how the times have changed since the 90s #90scartoons #90s #art #90skid #cartoon #illustration #90schild #tmnt #nickelodeon #cartoonnetwork #fanart #digitalart #japan #childhood #playstation #animeboy #tampaart #90stv #nostalgia #tmnt #streetsharks #floppydisk A photo posted by Instagram’s Official Batman (@zakkisbatman) on Aug 17, 2015 at 6:40pm PDT

3. Cartoons were waaaaay more awesome

Namedrop the awesome cartoons in the 90s you used to watch. X-Men? Batman the Animated Series? Sailor Moon? They don’t make cartoons like they used to. Also, cartoons had the power to predict the future:

Who knew that the gang from Yu Yu Hakusho were such fashion trendsetters?

2. Magandang Gabi Bayan’s Halloween special scared the hell out of you

Come Halloween time, Magandang Gabi Bayan turned up the scare factor as Noli De Castro dished out spine-chilling tales of horror, complete with low-budget (and now laughable) re-enactments. There were numerous tales of a  White Lady , lost spirits,  headless ghosts  and more.  You’d torture yourself by watching this show and regretting it immediately after since you couldn’t sleep. Possibly because someone was watching you. Like an aswang. Or a kapre. But you know they’re nothing compared to the evil being in the next entry.

1. Selina Pereira-Matias was a poor excuse for a human being

Princess Punzalan’s portrayal of Selina Pereira-Matias in Mula Sa Puso was top-notch, in the sense that you saw a vile, repulsive human being on TV. Selina had no redeeming qualities. She was a straight-up evil she-bitch. What made things worse was how she cheated death at every turn. We all breathed a sigh of relief with what happened to her in the end.

How about you? Got any pre-internet memories growing up in the Philippines? Put your Rambo slippers and let us know in the Comments Section!

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Having a love for fart jokes and offensive humor, KC Santos isn't as mature an individual as he thought. He works as 8List.ph's social media manager while juggling migraines and occasional bouts of weeping. His passions include skateboarding, music, dinosaurs and scratching his nether regions.

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Filipino Childhood Days; Then and Now

If you were part of the Pinoy kids born in the 80’s and 90’s, then you are lucky to have experience the best of both generations.

Long before tablets, social media and the world with virtual friends have ruled our children’s minds; we were all simple kids, and gadgets are not our Toys.

We normally see the children gathered in shades. Games require Physical and motor activity. We call them,“Larong Pinoys”. These were passed from our Lolo’s and   Lola’s, from one generation to the next. Others were creatively reinvented, with new rules, with the used of simple materials like, Cans, slippers and anything that are readily available.

But over the years, we have seen how much of the new technology have affected us. Kids were more entertained in playing online games, video streaming and posting everything in their social media account.

Every now and then it’s good to reminisce our childhood days. Browsing these photos would bring us back to the days when life was simple, playing our games were sweaty and fun.

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

"the childhood memories of a filipino man".

There is something about growing up that makes you yearn for the simplicity of your childhood. Maybe it is the ease of decision making or the difference of what money can buy. When you’re a child, you can make decisions by using the “eenie meenie miney moe” or “one potato, two potato” method. If everything were as easy these methods, life would be less stressful. When things get tough, these are the moments when we start missing our happy childhood memories.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are the summers I spent in my Grandparents’ (Lolo and Lola) family summer home in our province. My Lolo and Lola had a nice and elegant house. Upstairs there were five bedrooms and three full baths. In four bedrooms there were two full-size beds and in the other were three sets of bunk beds. My cousins and I would stay in the room with the bunk beds. We would jump off the beds, do pillow fights, and play board games until midnight. My two slightly older cousins and I were the three musketeers. We did everything together. Sometimes, we would sleep in our sleeping bags on the floor of the living room or out on the front porch. I loved the weekends. It felt like camping. Sometimes my Dad would come join us. I thought that was great. Little did I know then, my parents were going through a separation. I get it now, but back then I thought that my Dad just wanted to hang out with me. My Grandparents had a big backyard and big swimming pool. Growing up in the province, there weren’t many in ground pools unless you were wealthy. I can say that our family belongs to a well-off family. I can say that we are fortunate when it comes to financial aspect. We are moderately rich, we experienced a comfortable life and even wealthy by some standards. We spent many hot summer days and nights lounging and splashing about in that pool. My Mom, Aunt, and Lola would relax themselves in the metal and plastic lounge chairs smothered in baby oil in the hot baking sun. They did reminisce and talk about stories from the past. How my mom was the spoiled brat in the family and how my Aunt was nicest and most obedient daughter in the family. They would talk about my two Uncles who were abroad that time. My Lola talked about how my Lolo courted her and she would always be snobby and ignores him. She likes to reminisce like everything was just yesterday. We never got tired of these stories. My cousins and I would swim and play the day away in the heavily chlorine-filled pool. And since it’s very hot in the Philippines, we always got sun burn which made our moms really angry. But we never cared. Around noon, we would be called out of the water to eat our lunch which was most likely rice, barbeque, and adobo. Because we weren’t allowed to go back in the water due to the thirty minute rule and all, my Lola always liked to tell us old stories from her childhood. Then it was back to the pool to play in the cold water the whole afternoon. After dinner, we took some quick shower, put on our cute pajamas and drank our milk. Lola knocked on our door and say goodnight. But we never let her go until she tells us horror stories. We were all scared and shaking, but we never let her stop. Funny how we got scared and still, we want it for our bedtime story. I guess I learned family values and what family can really mean during those summer months. The rest of the year, our lives were so busy with school, sports, dancing, writing lectures, making projects and school friends. During summers, it was all about our family. As kids, we slowly appreciated and learned the importance of our family values. That even though we annoyed one another, we were still each other's protection and looked out for one another. And even now that were adults with our own families and have busy lives, we still find time to get together and share the same values from our past. In our life, our childhood memories are one of the most sweetest and unforgettable experience. It was simple and very childish compared to what we have right now. But one thing is for sure. There are lots of times that we want to trade things that we have right now, just to back to those sweet memories of our past. For me, those memories are one of my biggest treasures in life.

Hey my Grandpa has a cabin near whibey island. I love going there.I saw that your grandpa has one in province.Sounds like fun!

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• Childhood Days in Calamba

32 (mga) komento:

Nice work po

Nakita ko na po and nabasa ang galing nyo po

Childhood life ba talaga to? parang mature na mature na si Rizal

Hindi talaga ako maka.move on dito sa childhoold days in Rizal :( Kakaiba grabe!

Very impressive.

bata pa lang nakikitaan na ng potentials.

ibang-iba na ang mga kabataan ngayon kaysa tulad ni Rizal.

impressive =)

incredible kid

ang ganda nung picture.

very very nice! :)

tila ba nakatakda talaga siyang maging bayani kahit sa murang edad pa lamang

Very nice and cool

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Top 10 Traditional Filipino Games – Wished you were a kid again?

Top 10 Things that ‘90s Filipino Kids Missed – Part 1

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Who wouldn’t agree that the ‘90s Filipino kids had the best childhood ever? It was a totally different experience compared to the ‘techy’ world we live in nowadays. I describe the life of the ‘90s Filipino Kids as vibrant, fun, and exciting yet full of adventure and physical activities. Indeed, it was memorable!

Do you know that during this time, the source of happiness is simple? Children would play with whatever resources are available nearby. They would use their slippers to knock out an empty Alaska evaporated milk tin can, and they’ll still laugh their hearts out. Furthermore, they would use chalk to draw squares on the ground and still treasure this simple game. These are just examples of how creative and resourceful the ‘90s Filipino kids were.

Top 10 Things that ‘90s Filipino Kids Missed

If you want to know more about their childhood lifestyle, let me introduce you to the top 10 things that the ‘90s Filipino kids missed. Let’s see what games they played, the fashion statements that they followed, and their favorite snacks and drinks during ‘merienda.’

So, sit down and enjoy this trip down to the memory lane!

#1. Luksong Baka

This is the game for strong and powerful kids. ‘Luksong Baka’ literally means to jump over the cow in English. However, you don’t get to jump over a real one. Instead, your playmates have to play ‘baka’ or cow. But, it is not an easy role to play as your stance needs to be super sturdy. This is because a maximum of 9 kids will jump over the back until one hits a part of his body. He then gets the turn to play the cow.

It also has several levels. The kid who plays cow needs to get higher every time all the players have already jumped over his back.

This game requires skills such as mobility, stability, and strength. And when you have already mastered this game, you will surely feel proud to be called the King or Queen of Luksong Baka!

#2. Candy Necklace

Edible necklace? Isn’t that a genius fashion statement?!

Girls really enjoyed wearing these colorful necklaces around their necks. It was actually candy beads in a string, made to look like a necklace. Although, no one knows where and when it was invented. But, let us forget about those technical details as these sweets did not only fill our stomachs but also made us confident with who we are!

Surely, those kids ate those candies when they got hungry from dressing up like a Barbie girl!

#3. Paper Dolls

Kid from the ’90s, I bet you spent your allowance buying paper dolls! These are paper figures with colorful dresses of varying vibes: chick, casual, or formal. They are cut outs from a thin card, and the outfits have a little extra hook so that you can clip it to dress your makeshift doll.

They come as collectibles. No wonder the kids of the ’90s spent their allowance just to complete all the paper dolls series!

#4. Bazooka Bubble Gum

Who would forget about this bubble gum?

I bet you would go to the nearest sari-sari store from your house and then buy lots of this. Why not? For every bubble gum that you chew, you get a piece of comic strip. And maybe you did not appreciate it before when you were just a kid, but the comics that go with the bazooka bubble gum were inspirational ones.

These gums also feature your “fortune.” There are pieces on which some words of wisdom were written, and it usually tells you to chase your dreams, be brave, and other tips about success.

#5. Wansapanataym

Wansapantaym is the Filipinization of the phrase ‘once upon a time’ where most sentences of the children’s stories started. It was a Philippine fantasy anthology that was produced by and broadcasted by ABS-CBN .

90’s Filipino kids spent time watching all the episodes of Wansapanataym as its usual storyline is about a bad person who gets punishment from a fairy. Once the person faces the consequences of his or her actions, he or she would realize the mistakes and will promise not to do it again.

Aside from its storyline, the lesson that goes with it made this show indeed a phenomenal one.

#6. Power Rangers

Have you ever worn a made-up costume, mimicked your favorite power ranger’s stance, and then shouted, “Power Rangers, transform!” I know that was a thrilling experience!

The 90’s Filipino kids were fortunate to have witnessed the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on TV. This show has encouraged creativity and vivid imagination in these kids. I would bet many aspired to become superheroes because of this show!

Those circle-like cards with different designs are a treasure!

Many kids would collect pogs, go outside their house, and play these on the streets with their neighbors. Pogs is a slammers game. Kids would slam one on a set of pogs scattered on the ground, and if they turned to face up, it’s all yours!

#8. Plastic Balloons

You would surely enjoy this activity as a kid. You can buy a plastic balloon from the nearest sari-sari store for just Php 1!

Basically, it is a tube filled up with a sticky substance that comes with a separate small straw-like tool. The sticky content comes in different colors, such as yellow, green, red, orange, and blue. You have to twirl it on the other end of the straw-like tool and then blow on the other end to make a plastic balloon.

Such a unique experience, right?

#9. Tamagotchi

The ’90s was also the start of some technological advancements. The kids of the ’90s were the first ones to have a virtual pet inside a mini egg-shaped gadget. The challenge is to feed, bathe, and take care of your pet to keep it alive. You would even see students hang this up with their IDs!

Do you still remember these neon-colored drinks? Fanta is a flavored carbonated drink that comes in different vibrant colors such as neon green, neon orange, neon pink, and neon yellow. You were probably a celebrity back then upon showing this to your classmates! Isn’t it nostalgic to reminisce about the things that you enjoyed during your childhood? I hope you enjoyed our trip down the memory lane!

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20 Childhood Things Filipino Millennials Owned Before Social Media That’ll Make You Wish You Were 10 Again

Childhood millennial things in the Philippines

While the gadgets such as smartphones that we have today have exciting features, no technological invention can replace the fun we millennials had in the good ol’ days.

While there’s no going back to the days before social media dominated our lives, we’ve rounded up 20 childhood things that Filipino millennials owned , from playing teks or flexing our yo-yo moves with our kapitbahay – for a good reminiscing sesh about the good old days far behind. 

– School supplies –

1. abakada booklet – classic booklet that helped us learn our first tagalog words.

Abakada , with its plain yellow cover featuring a mother teaching her children how to read, was the classic booklet that helped us learn our first Tagalog words. Showing how words can be formed by combining letters or syllables, the classic booklet was considered an effective teaching material for batang ‘90s and even kids from previous generations. 

Used to be called Mga Unang Hakbang sa Pagbasa (First Steps in Reading), it was first printed during the ‘60s by the Cacho Hermanos printing company. Today, it’s still in print and parents can still find the classic booklet on sale in bookstores and even online . The latest editions aren’t as cheap as the old Abakadas were before, because the first editions of Abakada was only sold for only a few centavos. 

2. Slam books – notebook that contained our friends’ basic info

Before social media, autograph or slam books helped us know each of our friends better. Usually passed around classrooms, the notebooks contained sheets where each person asked to sign filled out their info such as names, hobbies, and favorite things. 

Aside from a way to get to know our friends’ basic deets, asking friends to sign our slam books was also our way to know their secrets such as their crushes. But some chose to leave a portion of the slam book asking info about secret love or crushes blank when they didn’t want to spill the beans. At the end, there was usually also a dedication page where friends could also compose a short message dedicated to the owner of the notebook.

Today, while these items aren’t around so much anymore, modern versions slam books exist, such as designer Karl Castro’s “Akala Mo Lang Wala Nang Slumbook Pero Meron, Meron, Meron!” slumbook which contains more playful questions. And of course, we also still ask our friends old-school slam book questions by tagging them with Instagram story stickers.

3. Magic Pencil – pencils with colorful plastic tubes that didn’t need sharpening

While our conventional wooden Mongol pencils always came in handy during our preschool to grade school days, we always heaved a sigh of relief whenever we found a couple of stacking point pencils or magic pencils in our pencil cases.

Because unlike our basic Mongol pencils, the magic pencils, usually made of interconnected and individually detachable pencil tips with images of our favorite anime or cartoon characters, didn’t need sharpening. So we happily replaced each blunt pencil tip with a sharp one without the hassles of messy sharpening, while also careful not to lose any single tip to keep each pencil intact.

4. Coloring art set – complete with coloring materials from crayons to watercolors

Aside from collecting crayons, we also took pride in having the biggest collections of coloring materials that we could possibly get. We asked our parents to buy us coloring art sets in thick black plastic holders, designed with prints of our favorite cartoon characters. 

The coloring art set had everything we needed – from crayons to colored pencils to watercolor to markers – to ace our art classes with the fanciest of materials.

5. Artista notebooks – designed with bright colors, flashy fonts, and clip art

To support our favorite celebrities such as Judy Ann Santos and Jolina Magdangal back in the 90s or early 2000s, we bought artista notebooks printed with their faces. 

The notebooks reflected the time where digital editing software was beginning to be used, and were characterized by bright colors, flashy fonts, and clip art.

Their designs could sometimes get over the top, as there were covers that even showed John Lloyd Cruz as Harry Potter – what we’d probably call a funny meme today. 

Today these types of notebooks are actually still around, although they have been printed with the faces of zoomer-era celebrities and love teams such as MayWard and LizQuen .

6. Jollibee Kiddie Meal toys – collectible toys of Jollibee and his friends

Millennials were the OG generation who enjoyed collecting Jollibee Kiddie Meal toys of Jollibee and his friends. We would ask our parents to buy our meals in a nearby Jollibee store, only because we also wanted them to get us the newest toys on offer. These included figurines, walkie-talkies, and stamps, to name a few. 

Collectible toys have become a staple Jollibee product, but some of Jollibee’s friends aren’t around anymore or have gotten revamped into new personas. Mr. Yum, for example, had been around until 2008 when his character was transformed into Yum, a young boy wearing t-shirts and funky shades instead of Mr. Yum’s serious business suits.

7. Teks – small cards that featured anime characters

When online games weren’t a thing yet, we were often in the streets playing our teks cards with friends. The cards, usually depicting characters from our favorite anime such as Slam Dunk, Dragonball , and Ghost Fighter, were played by betting which among their two sides would come up. The results were decided by flicking the cards in the air, and whoever won would be given a new set of cards by the losing side.

Before and after the game, we would also count our teks by saying “I-sa! Dala-wa!, Tat-lo! A-pat! Li-ma!.” When not betting, we usually traded our cards with friends.

What’s unknown to many younger folks today is that teks cards were actually already around as early as the 1930s. These cards were bigger than the ones we played with and showcased pre-war Filipino actors such as Domingo Principe, Fernando Poe Sr., and Jose Padilla, Jr.

8. Paper dolls – prints of girls and fashion accessories we cut out of paper

Aside from Barbie dolls, millennial Pinays also loved to indulge their sense of fashion when they were young with paper dolls . The paper dolls were more affordable and were easy to get, as the dolls could be purchased from any nearby sari-sari store. 

Each of the paper dolls came with a colored print of a character, usually from favorite anime such as Sailor Moon , that girls could dress up with paper accessories from tops to dresses to shoes.

But before the paper dolls most of us grew up with, there had been paper dolls designed in more localized fashion during the time of our lolas. A character called Rosing, for example, was from a paper doll that appeared in the earliest editions of Liwayway magazine and came with Filipiniana attire.

9. Plastic Balloon – plastic tubes with sticky substance formed as balloons

While it smelled like thinner, the tiny plastic balloon composed of a plastic tube holding a sticky substance was one of our staple toys in the streets aside from teks . It was easy to play – we only squeezed the plastic tube to get the sticky, resin-like substance that we put on the tip of a straw and blew until a transparent balloon was produced. 

Forming the perfect balloon required some practice though, as we had to ensure the right amount of air was blown through the straw while using the right amount of lung strength.

10. Yo-yo – two circular discs with a string

Yo-yos, composed of a string inside two, connected circular discs, became popular in the Philippines when local businessman Pedro Flores introduced them to our shores in the 1930s. 

These were still popular in the early 2000s, when we would play with these tiny toys, usually printed with anime characters, with our friends to showcase our moves. We would perform moves such as Loop the Loop, tossing the yo-yo forward and letting it swing continuously, or Around the World, where we’d spin the yo-yo to form a full circle. 

The toy is said to have been around since 440 BC, when Greek vase paintings from the era depicted boys playing with the toy known then as bandalore .

11. Slinky – cylindrical toy with compressed, colorful rings

A classic toy that originated from the United States, a slinky is a long cylindrical spring toy made up of compressed rings.  Most of our childhood slinky toys were made with colorful and affordable plastic rings that we loved tossing between our hands because of the way each ring successively moved one after the other. 

When we’re lucky, we also managed to let these colorful rings descend on their own down our stairs at home. 

– Apparel –

12. denim overalls – favorite pang-alis.

Even batang 90s weren’t exempted from the denim trend, as a go-to look back then were denim overalls that were not only durable, but were also easy to pair with tops. 

Sometimes, we would also have one strap undone to make our appearance more casual.

13. Rambbo slippers – used when playing Tumbang Preso

Before pricey slippers such as Havaianas and Ipanema were a thing, there was a time when we were contented with a pair of Rambbo slippers , if only because we could use them as pamato to win in Tumbang Preso , a Filipino street game that involves hitting a can using an object or pamato . 

Aside from using it in the streets, we grew up with the slippers because of their durability and affordability. With the slippers’ vivid red straps and insole edges that featured rainbow colors, Rambo slippers were also considered fashionable to wear. 

Nowadays, these slippers can’t be found in most palengkes anymore, but you can sometimes score a pair online. 

14. Roller shoes – pair of shoes built with tiny wheels

Being trendy often means having the most funky shoes or sneakers possible, and back in the day, we’d spring for roller shoes which looked like a usual pair of rubber shoes, but with tiny wheels built into their heels. 

They produced noise when we walked in them, but we would often exchange comfort for these shoes so we could also explore the streets in them with our friends. We proudly kept going in these shoes to master how to wear them without losing our balance or falling on the road and scraping a knee.

15. Butterfly clips – colorful clips shaped like butterflies

Local celebrities such as Jolina Magdangal made this trend even more popular. Recently, she even recalled wearing these butterfly clips on an Instagram post with a recent picture that shows her wearing not multiple clips this time, but a pair of gold dragonfly clips.

– Gadgets –

16. brick games – featured simple games such as tetris.

Assembled inside a rectangular plastic that usually came in grey and was powered by batteries, the brick game was our affordable handheld gaming device back then. It wasn’t as fancy as the early Gameboys, but the user-friendly device, introduced in the mid-1980s in China, featured simple but addictive games, the most popular being Tetris.

Strategizing over our tiles’ angles and positions and rotating and moving them to form straight lines as they fell from the top of the LCD screens was something we took pleasure in for hours. ‘90s kids who had to fight with siblings over this game back in the day will be glad to know you can still buy one all for yourself online .

17. Gameboy – one of the first handheld game consoles from Nintendo

Most 90’s dudes were at one point wide-eyed over Nintendo’s Game Boy . Introduced in Japan in 1989, the device, which is one of the first handheld game consoles from Nintendo, became a craze among young Filipinos because it could be used to play multiple games by inserting different bala or cartridges. The device could last up to 15 hours with four AA batteries. 

The Game Boy was discontinued in 2003. But its popularity started our hobby of anticipating the subsequent Game Boy devices, such as Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance, that we wanted to get first before our friends did.

18. Nintendo’s NES or Family Computer – introduced us to a variety of games from Super Mario to Circus Charlie

Aside from Game Boy, growing up in the 90s or early 2000s was exciting because of Nintendo’s family computer or Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) . It was introduced in Japan in 1983 but also found popularity among Filipinos. 

The red-and-white console had two controllers, and we would only connect the console to our TV screens to be able to play the games on screen without needing an Internet connection. It introduced us to an expansive selection of games, because game bala that could be inserted into it were aplenty, from Super Mario to Battle City to Contra to Circus Charlie .

19. Nokia phones – the OG phones that introduced us to group messaging

Before our sleek, touchscreen smartphones came the OG Nokia phones , which came with thick plastic casing and tactile keypads. 

While it’s hard to imagine that these clunky phones were once hyped, they introduced us to the age of texting and group messages. We would send these GMs to our group of friends, and during holidays, greeting our friends meant we would painstakingly create messages that consisted of letters and symbols to form a picture.

The earliest Nokia models we had were the Nokia 3210 or 3310, and the Nokia 6600, released in 2003, became one of the most popular Nokia models in the Philippines. It pioneered several features such as a VGA rear camera, considered high-end during the time.

20. Tamagotchi – egg-shaped devices with virtual pets

Shaped like an egg, a tamagotchi was a small handheld device that featured virtual pets we had to take care of. To keep them happy or ensure that they wouldn’t die, we would watch over them as if they were our real pets by feeding them regularly or giving them medicine when they were sick.

Today, the latest version of the 1996 toy is called Tamagotchi On, released in Japan in 2018. The new device can connect to mobile phones via its built-in app and comes with a colored screen, among other new features.

Childhood things Filipino millennials owned

From school supplies to gadgets, these childhood millennial things indeed made our childhood days more special. And while some of the items can still be bought online or have been released again, there’s no going back to the good ol’ days we spent with them while we were growing up. But through this list, we can have a good laugh and reminisce with our friends the things that used to matter so much to us in the past. 

Also check out:

• 10 Filipino childhood snacks
• 14 magazines from the 2000s
• 10 anime series Filipino millennials are nostalgic for

Cover image adapted from: Advance Paper , Jollibee Character Toys, Memorabilias and other Collectibles , @AdrianM35628401

Memories of My Town

In “Memories of My Town”, Jose Rizal spoke of his childhood days in Calamba, Laguna recalling his happiest memories of the place and the people.

In this nostalgic poem, Jose Rizal remembers his childhood days in Calamba, Laguna. Rizal had the happiest and most beautiful memories of the place, the hospitality and friendliness as well as the industry of the people of Calamba. Those memories were influential in molding his character and his values.

When I remember the days that saw my early childhood spent on the green shores of a murmurous lagoon; when I remember the coolness, delicious and refreshing, that on my face I felt as I heard Favonius croon;

when I behold the white lily swell to the wind’s impulsion, and that tempestuous element meekly asleep on the sand; when I inhale the dear intoxicating essence the flowers exude when dawn is smiling on the land;

sadly, sadly I recall your visage, precious childhood, which an affectionate mother made beautiful and bright; I recall a simple town, my comfort, joy and cradle, beside a balmy lake, the seat of my delight.

Ah, yes, my awkward foot explored your sombre woodlands, and on the banks of your rivers in frolic I took part. I prayed in your rustic temple, a child, with a child’s devotion; and your unsullied breeze exhilarated my heart.

The Creator I saw in the grandeur of your age-old forests; upon your bosom, sorrows were ever unknown to me; while at your azure skies I gazed, neither love nor tenderness failed me, for in nature lay my felicity.

Tender childhood, beautiful town, rich fountain of rejoicing and of harmonious music that drove away all pain: return to this heart of mine, return my gracious hours, return as the birds return when flowers spring again!

But O goodbye! May the Spirit of Good, a loving gift-giver, keep watch eternally over your peace, your joy, your sleep! For you, my fervent pryers; for you, my constant desire to learn; and I pray heaven your innocence to keep!

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