Spirit of Football’s visit to the Philippines had been in the works ever since Valeree Nolasco reached out to Spirit after watching our presentation at COP-26 (the UN Climate Conference) in Glasgow in 2021. Valeree not only comes from the Philippines but she has a long history of working in the football-for-good sector here. She is also a climate advocate and also a keen supporter of indigenous peoples and a champion for gender equality. She pointed out: “The Philippine Women’s team has qualified for the 2023 FIFA World Cup. A feat that the Men haven’t achieved.” Accordingly, it was clear: The Ball had to come to the Philippines. It turned out to be a journey in search of the Spirit of Football in the Philippines.
Football in the Philippines has a long tradition, according to Wikipedia English sportsmen introduced the sport to the Philippines. The Philippines F.A. was established as the Philippine Amateur Football Association (PAFA) in 1907, the PFF is one of the oldest national football associations in Asia and is among the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). However, years of mismanagement, corruption and American social and political influence ensure that football is nowhere near as popular as it could or should be (basketball is the main sport here). The existing but somewhat limited infrastructure lacks meat on its bones. Namely, there is no national league or even local and regional leagues are hard to find, there are limited pathways for younger players, and a lack of football pitches, teams and leagues across the entire country.
Our team set out trying to understand the somewhat complicated football landscape, where it is being played, who is playing it and the pathways that it offers. We did this with the help of our local partner the Baguio Football Club and Barrio Football Club paving the way and connecting us to people at various levels of the game: From the Philippines F.A, to elite men’s and women’s university teams and the UAAP in Manila; from high ranking political actors to the grassroots in Baguio; from schools to indigenous communities in Sagada and from Cebu’s crowded inner city kicks to the beaches of Panglao and Bohol. The Ball has gotten some insight into the state of play in the Philippines, but all of this interaction has opened up even more questions than it has provided answers.