Folk game- tradition
Greased Pig:
A live pig is covered in grease. Children chase it around trying to catch it.
This is a variation on the Greased Pole. It is played interchangeably with the greased pole on all occasions. It too is a game that transcends the nation of the Philippines and can include children of all ages and regions. I imagine it is a variation played in rural regions more frequently than the pole, simply because a pole is typically more accessible than a pig. The informant described this as a very fun game, a chance to get dirty and, quite literally, act like a pig. She described that this would be done right inside the pigs pen, all the children would file in and flail about trying to grab and hold on to the pig. She told me about this just after tell me about the greased pole, often both these greasy games were offered simultaneously, as was the case on the Abukay Commemorative celebration.
A slightly more aggressive variation, this game must have been very much a special treat. It requires very few materials, simply pig, grease, and chaser. It makes use of items readily available in a Filipino and shows a resourcefulness that we see in many games. For example, throwing a ball through something is quite a simply concept that has led to fanatic industry and incomprehensible amounts of wealth. Perhaps in the future, greased pig catching will evolve into something of a more sophisticated game.