8 Things You’ve Experienced If You Went to Elementary in the Philippines in the 2000s

In all the issues surrounding literally everything these days, we can’t help but look back on our simpler days when all we worried about was what game to play after siesta. Even if for a brief moment let’s all be nostalgic together and relieve life as an elementary student in the 2000s!

1. Playing outdoor games before technology took over

Life was simple before technology really took over; people were forced to be more creative. As kids, most of the time spent outside of school was filled with playing street games with friends. That is if your parents forget to call you in for siesta.

The options were a healthy game of patintero, luksong baka, tagu-taguan and Chinese garter.  Even if you didn’t exercise, these games will do it all for you. If you’re not in the mood for physical games, you could always opt for teks, pogs, or even jackstone!

2. You test your future with your crush by F.L.A.M.E.S.

Admit it, you’ve done this multiple times, maybe even now in all your full grown adulthood! F.L.A.M.E.S. was used to determine the outcome of a relationship with your crush or a person you like.

F = Friends, L = Lovers, A = Anger, M = Marriage, E = Engagement, S = Soulmates.

Once you cross out all the similar letters in both full names, count the ones left. The number of letters left determines how long you’ll have to count through the acronym. The letter that you get is the prediction of your future with your crush. We used to get sad when the number falls on ‘A.’

And if that wasn’t enough for you, you would even write your crush’s surname at the back of your notebook. Always a wrong move because your other classmates almost always sees it!

3. The food of childhood: Zesto, sundot kulangot, and all those candies!

During recess you’d happily pull out your plastic containing one Zesto in the flavor you love, and two Lemon Square cheesecakes courtesy of your mom. If you had money, you’d line up for the basket being delivered to every room or you’d run to the canteen to buy junk food and candies like these:

MikMik, Ice Pop, Scramble, Doo Doo

Sundot kulangot was also a hit! A gross name but a great delicacy nonetheless.

4. You had to help the teacher lug this around

Ah the time of the over-head projectors. Don’t you miss helping the teacher transfer this from room to room? When it was your turn for reporting, you’d even make your own presentations in acetate.

5. Your school supplies were artista notebooks, magic pencils, and slam books in a trolley bag

Trolley bags made you feel really cool and rich pulling it around the whole day. You don’t need to suffer under the weight of books like your ordinary classmates do!

Your classmates in backpacks? They probably had notebooks bound by yarn with artistas as covers.

But one of the best notebooks you had was probably the slam book. You had to sign every one of your classmate’s slam books and answer “Who is your crush?” “Define love.” and give your personal message to the owner. Oftentimes this is where crushes in the classroom are revealed, much to your delight.

And of course don’t forget your magic pencils! Lose one pencil and you’re doomed!

6. Cleaner duties

Bunot and shoe rags were essentials if your row was the designated cleaner. Everybody else could leave but you had to stay to make the floors shiny. And when you’re done, all your friends have gone home already.

Grade 6 couples be like:

Girl: Hindi mo na ako hinahatid?

Boy: Sorry babe, cleaners eh.

— My Thoughts :) (@SweetLovePost) December 10, 2013

7. Invisible messages and Disappearing Ink pranks

Who didn’t love these things as kids? Secret messages were written on notebooks, walls, and even on the skin! We couldn’t resist the urge to shine the blue light on every blank page we saw thinking that there might be a message for us.

Pranking was also a thing when we used to buy Magic Disappearing Ink and smear it all over our pristine white uniforms, much to the horror of our moms.

8. Your toys consisted of Tamagotchis and Gameboys, and even Kisses!

Tamagotchi, Aroma Beads, Kisses, Gameboy

Tamagotchis and Gameboys might have been one of our first introductions to virtual reality. Those 8-bit games were really addicting and kept you up at night worrying about your pets or itching to play to win a game.

But the thing that fascinated us the most at one point are Kisses. One is the jelly marble type and the other are colorful scented beads. We believed that if we put them in a jar they would procreate! Sorry to rain on your childhood but they don’t procreate, they just become bigger, giving us the illusion of there being more. #ThatPartOfChildhoodWasALie

Oh how we miss elementary days! Now go and reminisce those days with your elementary friends!

Do you have more to add? Tell us in the comments below!