pinoy-culture:

Langit Lupa
Traditional Games from the Philippines

Langit-lupa is chasing game, a variation of habulan where players can be immune from being tagged as long they stand on an elevated surface.

Etymology - Langit is the Filipino word for “heaven” and lupa is “earth”. The game’s name describes how the chaser cannot reach players how are elevated from the “earth”.

The game is for at least three players, who will gather in a circle. One player points at everyone in succession while chanting “Langit, lupa, impyerno / Im-im-impyerno / Saksak puso / tulo ang dugo / Patay, buhay / Maalis ka na diyaan. (Heaven, Earth, Hell / Hell-Hell-Hell-Hell-Hell / Stab the heart / Out comes blood / Dead, Alive /And out you go.)”, pointing to the player next to the one he just pointed to with every syllable of the chant. Whoever the chanter is pointing at when the chant ends is the it.

The it chases the other players in an attempt to tag them. Whoever gets tagged will become the it, just like in habulan. However, players can climb or step onto an elevated space such as a flight of stairs, on top of a table, or simply dangle from a jungle gym. Players who manage this are immune from being tagged. Different rules are applied to govern this limitation. One is to time a player’s immunity. After a prearranged number of counts, the player has to come down and be vulnerable again. Some groups impose a ruling that the it must move away from elevated players to give them a chance to run away. The game ends when the players are exhausted or are called home.

Theme Song:
Langit lupa impyerno
im im impyerno
saksak puso tulo ang dugo
patay buhay
alis kana dyan!

With each syllable, the designate points to a player in the group until finally the rhyme finishes and with the last syllable, the “taya” or the “it” is chosen.
1. A mad scramble ensues as the remaining players search for elevated ground which is “Langit” or Heaven.
2. Here the It cannot go and the player cannot be touched. The unfortunate player who is caught and tagged standing on “Lupa” or the the level earth becomes the new “It”.
3. Then the running and tagging begins again.