Ambeth R. Ocampo “Looking Back” Philippine Daily Inquirer 1988 — 1996 Lome sy the yoyo Filipino invention dating back to pre- Hispanic umes, and that our forebears even deployed i a a weapon. Once, Jon a ship, to Keep his fellow passengers entertained, Jose Rizal performed tricks on is yoyo and demonstrated to them hows, should there vere a need t, tur tint a weapon of defense” Twill say Thave serious ‘misgivings about Jose Rizal yoyo-a-a-weapon theory, but I donot doubt the yoyo origins in Filipino fabrication, Sohow did theyoyobbecome a widely recognizable tool/toy? Sometime {nthe 1920s, Pedro Flores, working a the me for an American fay Jn California, thought he would amuse the lite son of hs employers by ‘working with a kitchen knife on apiece of soft wood to fashion a yoyo for ‘hm. He then taught the boy tick with the yoye who in ten amazed his fiends with his own performance of them. Before long, a whole bunch ‘of these fiends became interested in owning one themelves. To meet the growing demand forthe toy Pedro made a few more. This caught the attention of Pedro’ employer who quickly saw the yoyo’ potential asa toy Jn 1928, hehelped Pedro take out patenton i, and farnished the start-up capital needed for its mass manufacture. In this manner was the Bist yoyo factory inthe United State establisbed. ‘A fellow from Chicago by the name, H.B, Preston, got bold of one of| ‘these yoyon, sought out is "inventor" todo an saventory with him ofthe tricks If could be made to perform. Pedro himself could do litle with the yoyo, except to bounce t up and down. Returning to Chicago, Preston {ollaborated with @ number of Filipinos on the production of more nopmt 243 —~ 3007 tricks, although they came up with ile that was more special than the {rcke Presion had learned about from Pedro Fores, So Preston decided he would study the yoyo himself, and proceeded to hita gold mine with sich spectacular ikea "The Spinner: "Walking the Dog’ "Breakaway? “around the World” "Over the Fas’ "Creeped” and the "Three Leaf Glover" sapes in any yoyo contest tay and ofthe nontime TV shows that feature As the Yoyos popularity grew: Preston with the support of group ot his fiends decided they would mass-produce the yoyo. They bought Pedro Flores rights tothe patent and, fn 1929, established the ‘Duncan Yoyo Company. Happy to Sa. the yoyo fad has rapidly spread scros the United Stes and throaghost Bxrope, making i way halfay {cron the world tothe home ofthe person who was its inventor In 1933, Preston, nove the yoyo exper pa the Philippines vist Upon his arrival, ‘he sued the flowing statement ‘Our company guaranties 150 een varie that on be performed on ou yoy, OF course, sch tk an nly Be Performed ns erie Duncan oj or the ys You make [Sc are hard play wth Inthe it place, he ae ot ‘enlyflanced The edgeotth root sharpandte ase Ugh me to ot exactly Ht Some o You Yves sectherto enya tolightand many hem aremadeso ‘Bn hy ac arora rea eyreeame hen tend of sng tnd Ton ht our boys ply thee wth the so tread that an be bout ‘Hom any come sae nour yoyos we use tring ‘ae of yp er cord kot oly dara Bt sd ‘Sho and she tpaney om ‘So while a Filipino invented the yoyo, it took an American to develop it, This American, representing the Duncan Yoo ‘Company tured up on our shores to sy something tous about the {inferiority of our yoyos in comparison with theirs. That was i 1933, Today, Americans continue to-do the same thing, They co-opt our satura resources and our people, in order to make thle county Heh, ‘When wil we ever wake up? [November 15,1988