Calamba JMC Cup football fest unfolds

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 109 teams will see action today in the third level of the Calamba Football Festival’s JMC Cup at the sprawling grounds of the Rizal Plaza in Calamba City, Laguna.

Calamba City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco Jr., in his continuing effort to boost sports development especially among the youth in the city, said the event is sanctioned by the Philippine Football Federation and managed by the Laguna Football Association.

The tournament also serves as the National Football Invitationals for players under-9, under-13 and under-17 years old.

PFF secretary-general Roland Tulay and Department of Interior and Local Governments Region IV-A director Josie Castilla will grace the event together with Rep. Timmy Chipeco and former senator and former Laguna Gov. Joey Lina.

The venue of the tournament is also the site of the tallest statue of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero.

Chipeco, of the second district of Laguna, said coming up with the tournament was an offshoot of the tremendous success generated by the Azkals for football. With this they have formed a team now known as the Calamba Puppies.

Lina, head of the Calamba Football Festival, Inc., said private sector support is crucial in this long-term grassroots development program now supported by the Lina Group of Companies, Air21, San Miguel Corporation, with the help of Cherifer and Stotsenberg Hotel, and in cooperation with Union Galvasteel, Yakult and Greenfields Development Corp. and other donors. 

Chipeco added that everything is being done in coordination with the PFF under its president, Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.

“We hope to discover young football players who may one day play for the Philippine national team,” said Chipeco. 

Lina hopes to see the Calamba football grassroots program to be duplicated by other LGUs and become feeder of raw football talents in support of the PFF grassroots program. This way, Philippine football benefits from programs emanating from the ground.

Lina announced that CFFI will soon sign a partnership agreement with the PFF institutionalizing the Calamba Football Festival as a major component of PFF’s Kasibulan Program, as specified in the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2012-85 signed by the late DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo.

Top winners of this event will qualify to the JMC CUP Level 4 or the International Football Invitationals to be held on Dec. 8-9, 2012 in Calamba, which is also being supported by DepEd Calamba under its school division superintendent Myrna Pamplona and Dr. Vivian Frias.

The first level of the JMC CUP 1 and 2 successfully took off last Feb. 12 and May 19, respectively, in Calamba, with no less than FIFA vice president, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, as special guest.