Yay or Nay: A QC Barangay Wants to Ban Lato-Lato

(SPOT.ph) A beloved 1970s toy is making a resounding comeback in Southeast Asia—and we don't even have to say lato-lato for you to know (and hear) what we're talking about. You've likely seen the clip of kids on a street in Quezon City making the rounds online, showing things turning rather violent from what was supposed to be a game. Now, authorities of the barangay it took place in is looking to ban the toy altogether. 

The clip captures a lato-lato showdown that took place in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City on Saturday, June 17. In it, you can see a bunch of kids playing with the clackers when a boy suddenly lunged towards another player and pushed him to the ground. More joined in on the brawl, with one of them hitting the other on the head using lato-lato.

Also read: Turns Out Lato-Lato Has Western Origins: What to Know About "Newton's Yo-Yo"

Quezon City barangay wants to ban trending lato-lato toy

The now-viral incident reportedly has nothing to do with the showdown (at least according to one of the grandfather of one of the kids involved, who said that the fuss started when someone insulted his grandson's mother), but last Saturday’s fight with the lato-lato was alarming enough for the barangay to want to intervene.

Barangay Chairperson Lydia Ballesteros is hoping to ban the trending toy in schools and shops in Barangay Holy Spirit, starting with a plead to parents at home.

“Tigilan na ‘yang lato-lato na ‘yan,” Ballesteros said in an interview with 24 Oras. “Nakikiusap kami sa mga magulang na sana huwag na nilang bigyan ng pera ‘yung mga anak para bumili ng lato-lato…Magpapakumpiksa na lang ako sa mga [Barangay Public Safety Officers].”

It isn’t the first time lato-lato brought out the worst in children, either. More fights involving lato-lato have been spotted in other barangays. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is also warning the public from purchasing unauthorized lato-lato toys as "the agency cannot assure their quality and safety."

Framing lato-lato as a weapon isn’t the reach you might think it is. The toy is actually similar to bolas, the Argentine weapon used by skilled horsemen and indigenous people to hunt animals in the 19th Century.

We've mentioned in a previous article that the lato-lato has Western origins, where it is better known as “clackers." It seems lato-lato's fate is similar wherever it's trending: issuances against the toy in the U.S. date as far back to 1971, according to an NY Times report that also recounts injuries sustained from it. 

Also read: Yes, the FDA Is Cracking Down on 'Unauthorized' Lato-Lato Toys