Simple things bring much delight to me, like waking up to nature and watching the morning mist lift, or falling asleep while counting the stars veiled by nightfall — from beside my tent in a campsite. There, every sign of routine, like the aroma of coffee, is savored mostly because you have to go through the ritual of making a cup without help from modern appliances.

A few weekends ago, that delight was flavored by the presence of the Dumagat tribe who were in River Ranch, a campsite I frequent. At least 300 of them were there for the 15th Hane Festival held by the Municipality of Tanay, Rizal, on Nov. 16. The games which were part of the festival — Palarong Lahi — was an extra treat of delight to campers like me. What more can add to an outdoor experience than a morning of games and “getting-to-know-you” conversations with the Dumagat tribe who live in the mountains of Tanay?

The games were simple, they brought memories of the time when gadgets were only in science fiction films and children had fun running and chasing dreams. At River Ranch that Sunday morning, the Dumagat children in their native costume, chased a pig — each of them blindfolded! Under the shade of a tree, they arm-wrestled in the Bunong Braso challenge.

Meanwhile, a large group of young men attracted the crowd with their archery skills, hitting a banana tree many meters away. The skill is not appreciated only for marksmanship but for the personal crafting of the bow and the long relationship the person has invested in knowing his weapon’s ability.

I watched the young men closely; I was not witnessing archery as a sport but as a craft and a way of life of an IP tribesman. While the bows spoke of tribal heritage, the young men, who allowed me to try their bows, carried names of modern times — I met Ruel, Rommel, Nestor among them.

While the younger members of the tribes chased a pig, and stretched their bows, the children displayed their creative nature in the art class conducted by the Tanay local government unit (LGU). Mingling with the crowd were officials of the LGU, one of them Ms. Brecia Mina, the head of the Municipality Social Work and Development (MSWD).

It was a good morning to be with the IPs at River Ranch in Barangay Cayabu, Tanay, where camp owner Justin Lim and his parents – Jason and MeAnn, and siblings Martin and Jeri – were the gracious hosts. And as dictated by Filipino culture, each guest went home with goodie bags of food stuff and essential items as gifts from the hosts.

On the side, we — members of the Senior Car Campers Plus (SCCP) — enjoyed the rich flavor the Palaro ng Lahi had added to our weekend camping. How can a weekend turn out better than that especially when you are with friends — Lawrence Dy, Bodz Rivera, George and Josie Coscolluela, Dean and Nette Baltazar, Danny and Beng Yan, Zaldy and Claire Ramones, PJ and Gay Beltran, and Richard Siy. And of course, the presence of a new-found history enthusiast — Justin Lim who provided insightful conversation, surprising at his young age, and girlfriend Yvette Macabuhay, a charming and polite lady who is an expert in navigating routes here and in Tokyo!

More members will be coming to celebrate Christmas with the barangay children this weekend.

Here are some photos to help you visualize the event. (Photos by Jeri Maxine Lim)