International Exchange Students experience Filipino culture at Ateneo Global’s Palaro Para sa IXS

Last 20 September at the College Covered Courts, 28 of Ateneo de Manila University’s international exchange students (IXS) participated in Palaro Para sa IXS – a pocket event organized by Ateneo Global, in collaboration with its student arm, the Ateneo Student Exchange Council (ASEC). ASEC students served as the hosts and marshals, helping the IXS students understand the games and ensuring that Palaro ran smoothly and fairly.

Palaro is one of the pocket events organized by Ateneo Global for the IXS and aims to help them build friendships and grow roots in the local community, while learning more about Filipino culture as well.

After a quick warm-up, the IXS students were divided into three teams then Palaro kicked off with the first game, the ever-popular Patintero, where the students tried to get past their opponents and reach the end of the court without being tagged. ASEC student hosts gave the instructions on how to play the game, after which the IXS focused hard to understand the rules of the game, and employed much agility and speed, and perhaps a bit of cunning, to get past the Patintero guards.

After three rounds of Patintero, the IXS students were next introduced to Agawang Panyo, another classic Filipino game that again requires both speed, agility, and teamwork to secure victory.

At the end of three rounds of Agawang Panyo, the winning team was rewarded with a selection of delicious Filipino snacks, a well-deserved treat for their efforts. All the students ended the event by enjoying various Filipino delicacies together such as pichi-pichi, pork barbeque skewers, isaw, puto, and more. 

The Palaro Para sa IXS aims to foster friendships between local and international students as well as give the IXS students a chance to learn more about Filipino culture through playing classic Filipino games as well as try some Filipino delicacies. The event reflects Ateneo’s commitment to bridging cultural divides as well as promoting intercultural understanding and collaboration.

See more from Palaro Para sa IXS on our Instagram and Facebook pages—and witness the spirit of Ateneo’s global community in action!