Pitiw 101 for the Curious and the Kids at Heart

So you want to know the art of playing pitiw. That you are reading this piece tells me so. Pitiw, my friend, is my old folks' version of the western world's baseball or softball, only that we don't use a ball but a stick. The knowledgeable will surely react at my simile (for it is actually a "snake game"), but let me finish. Let me describe it by laying down the materials and rules.

First, the materials:

• 1 stick, 2 cm diameter x 50 cm long - Kamagon is preferred but Coffee or Guava stem will do--they don't easily crack (This one serves as your bat)
• 1 stick, 2 cm diameter x 16 cm long - of the same wood with the bat (This serves as the ball or originally, the snake)

Second, the venue:

Find an open field to play--we used to play on the streets when the traffic was almost zero during our bygone years. Today, the Ceres Bus and the "Ro-Ro" are making a lot of cracks on the newly paved road which are ideal for playing Pitiw but the busy traffic won't allow.

Third, the players:

There are two teams to contend the game. Each team is composed of 1 up to 5 players, depending on the willingness of participants and it can be played "CoEd", i.e., girls and boys can play indiscriminately.

Fourth, the objective:

The objective of the game is to be the first team to complete the three stages/challenges of Pitiw depending on the agreed number of times they have to complete.

Fifth, the game:

• Find a crack or dig a hole at least 4 cm wide, 20 cm long and 6 cm deep. This will serve as the "homebase" and "batting station"
• To determine the first batter, each team has to have a representative--ideally, the "captain ball" or team captain-- to strike the "ball" positioned perpendicularly on the crack (hole) with the "bat". The team that hit the ball farthest from the base will be the first to play the offensive.
• Each player has to complete the 3 stages/challenges of pitiw.

1. The 1st stage is to throw out the "sleeping snake" or "ball" lying horizontally over the crack using the bat. The defensive team will try to catch the ball to put out the player. Otherwise, the player will place down the bat over the crack and the defenders' captain ball or whom ever the team elects will try to hit it using the ball. The station where the hitter will place himself in hitting the bat is at the point where the ball landed when it was thrown out by the batter. Precisely that the batter will exert all his strength throwing out the ball farthest so to make it difficult for the defensive players to hit his bat back.
2. If the defensive team failed in both attempts, the player will proceed to the next stage. The 2nd stage is to bat the flying snake held at arms length by the batter himself (Or if he prefers, he could toss it up and hit it hard. As in the first and on the third stages, the defensive players will attempt to catch the flying "ball" to make for an instant out. Otherwise they will resort to hitting the bat from as afar as where the ball landed which is difficult.
3. The 3rd stage is a tricky stage where the batter often failed to make a hit. This is called tapping the angry snake. He is required to place the "ball" inside the crack perpendicularly (about 45 degrees angle), tapped it lightly to toss upward and then hit it hard again into the field. The defensive team will respond as in the first two stages.

• Three put outs will make the defensive team to play the offensive.

And finally, the penalty:

The losing team will be penalized by the winning team in the following manner, viz.:

• The team captain of the winning team will do the 3rd step without the losing team preventing the thrust of the ball. From where it landed, he will do the 2nd stage, again without the losing team's opposition.
• Then from where the ball landed, the team captain of the losing team will sound off a cow's moo as he run as fast as he can towards to base. His mooing has to be done in single breath otherwise it will give his counterpart another chance of batting the ball back and he will moo again from where it landed back to the homebase.
• All of the members of the losing team will follow likewise with their respective counterparts doing the batting.

Playing pitiw is a sure fun. Aside from giving your child a chance to develop his/her motor skills, it will enhance his/her relationship with his/her peers and in the process help him/her develop teamwork and camaraderie with his/her playmates. Besides, his appreciation and awareness of his environment will be enhanced and save you of the soaring electric bill --and disposed you of potential rival in playing Farmville on your personal computer the entire summer break.