Local football stars play ball with Globe partner communities

MANILA, Philippines -What do Azkals captain Chieffy Caligdong, national women’s team the Malditas, and the Green Archers United (GAU) have in common? While the obvious answer is “football,” they also share something else — the passion for sharing the sport they love with those in the grassroots.

Chieffy says, “It’s important to develop talent in the grassroots. I love to teach kids, and my passion is really to share my talent. Diyan ako nagmula. (That’s where I came from) That’s my game, that’s my life – football.”

Chieffy, the Malditas, and GAU, helped to launch “Globe Football Para Sa Bayan,” Globe Telecom’s sports advocacy for children from various football communities — Gawad Kalinga FC, Dream Big Pilipinas FA, Futkal FC, Payatas FC, Muntinlupa United FC, and Pinay Futbol.

Fernando Esguerra, OIC of Globe corporate social responsibility, says, “We hope that Globe Telecom’s partnerships with the country’s top talent will enable us to strengthen our sports advocacy among our different partner communities. Globe hopes to use football as a way to engage children from disadvantaged backgrounds to stay in school, get good grades, and strive for a better future.”

“Through football, marami ka nang matutunan (you learn a lot). This is a team sport. We teach them how to share ideas, be positive when you play and give chances to your teammates to succeed. Kailangan ng (you need) teamwork,” says Chieffy.

Going beyond values formation, Chieffy and the others also hope football will become the means by which many of these children find opportunities they may never have gotten otherwise. “We’re here to teach them paano yung laro ng (how to play) football and basic skills sa paglaro nito. Sana magamit nila balang araw sa scholarship (Hopefully they get to use these skills to get a scholarship),” says Chieffy.

Raymark “BoiBoi” Fernandez from GAU shares the same sentiment. “Like me, I was able to study for free in college. I got a scholarship. So hopefully it will be the same for them  — that they’ll be able to go to school for free and to have the things they couldn’t have before.”

Globe “Football Para Sa Bayan” didn’t only benefit the kids — it also left a lasting impact on Chieffy and the rest. “It’s a good experience because it’s not just about playing football. It’s also about giving back,” says Stephanie Dan from the Malditas. Jesse Martindale from GAU also shared her enthusiasm, saying, “It feels great! It’s giving back what we’ve learned from our coaches to the kids, who are the future of the sport.”

“It’s really good that Globe supports this,” says Chieffy. “We’re here to motivate and give them inspiration, so masaya ako that naging part ako ng (I’m happy to be a part of) Globe ‘Football Para sa Bayan.’”