Millions of people across the world, even in the Philippines, are spending a lot of time in online games like DOTA and Mobile Legends. These games, particularly DOTA, have become so popular that world championships are being held!
Amazingly, The International DOTA 2 Championships has raked in so much money that the prize pot crowdfunded by the community actually reached $25 million just for the 2018 championship games alone.
In the Philippines, a lot of students and even workers play DOTA, Mobile Legends, and other e-games, but some people are pushing for these games’ inclusion in the Palarong Pambansa. This came after it was announced that the country will host the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) wherein online games are included as medal sports.
Photo credit: ABS-CBN News
Would this mean that the Department of Education (DepEd) might also include online games like DOTA and Mobile Legends in Palarong Pambasa tournaments in the future?
DepEd undersecretary and Palarong Pambansa 2019 secretary-general Revsee Escobedo admitted that though they are mulling on adding some games/sports events to future tournaments, particularly those included in the SEA Games, the Palaro Board has not tackled the possibility of adding online or e-games yet.
Instead, they are looking into adding larong Pinoy as demo sports next year, as requested by Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
“The secretary wants to include larong Pinoy in the regular Palarong Pambansa sports. Maybe next year, we have larong Pinoy as demo sports with other sports. But not online games,” Escobedo revealed.
“Larong Pinoy is no longer part of the regular sports. But these larong Pinoy, these are cultural heritage that we cherished. This indeed a cultural treasure to Filipinos.”
Photo credit: Mark Demayo / ABS-CBN News
While he is open to the possibility of including online games at the Palarong Pambasa in the future, Escobedo said that DepEd’s priority in choosing sports or games are those that help develop and enhance learners’ motor and physical skills.
“There are positive and negative observations with regards to online games. What is important is we have to balance. What is important to us, the officials of DepEd, is the holistic development of our lifelong learners,” Escobedo explained.
The possibility of adding online games still lies in the future, but Escobedo assures that the DepEd will still study the benefits that students will get from these games before adding these to the official games included in the Palarong Pambansa.
In my honest opinion as an individual who has an addictive personality, and is actively playing online games, this push will likely not be received well as a whole and will not lead to a positive end in the long run. It will certainly open doors for private sponsorship for schools and school teams but I do not see it building a conducive environment to development teenagers as athletes or competitors in e-sports.