A National Football League for the Philippines

On December 2013, it was reported that the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) would launch a task force to establish a national football league in 2 to 3 years.

The league, aside from its nationwide scope, would be professional and community-based that would have fans support clubs from their respective cities. It would then be composed of ten teams for its inaugural year: 4 from Luzon, 3-4 from Visayas, and 2 from Mindanao.

For those targeted cities to qualify, the club requirements would include A licenses for all coaching staff members, an under-14 team, and an A-class stadium with 5000-seat capacity, press tribune and wi-fi connection.

It was seen as possible because travel expenses have become cheaper, that a “home-and-away” format for the league games would be economically cheaper. It also gathers the support of the top teams from the existing United Football League which have expressed that they too share a vision of having a national league.

On top of that, AFC, together with FIFA, will also be extending assistance in establishing systems for a national league to work. It will also provide programs for clubs and its players to comply with the confederations standards which the PFF will apply.

The announcement was December 2013. The plan was to have it 3-4 years after the declaration, so it should be around this year 2015 or next year 2016. Yet still we don’t hear any updates about it. I truly hope the plan comes true and was not made to tease us.

I truly wish that the plans for a national league for Philippine football will materialize.

Having a national league will truly help propel the growth and popularity of football in the country. And it does not stop at football as the national league can spread out opportunities for tourism, business and employment.

I remember the times when ABS-CBN tried to make a national league for basketball, the MBA. It did not flourish as its rival, the PBA was too strong as it started buying out the star players from the MBA. Yet, how short the existence of the MBA, it showed that such a concept can flourish in the country.

Different regions wholeheartedly supported their teams. There was excitement in the air. There was unity within the cities. It was a good time and I wish something like that would happen again.

To have a national league for football can bring that excitement back. Yes, it might not be basketball but there a lot of Filipinos who play football and understand the game. Then football is also a sport best seen live, so there is a big chance that people will come out and support the games.

Of course, I don’t think our regional pride will allow our teams to lose. Especially Cebuanos, I don’t think we like hearing the news of our team getting beat up by Bacolod, Ilo-ilo or the NCR teams. So the games would indeed rally and unite us.

This truly has potential to get real and get big.

Football right now has no existing league like the PBA to stop its tracks if ever such a national league will come out. The closest thing to that one would be the UFL, but the UFL also wants a national league. They too know that for football to even try to rival the popularity of basketball, it needs to expand and reach out to the other regions.

And as I said earlier a successful national football league for the Philippines promotes tourism, opens up business and job opportunities.

It can even open up the possibility for sports like volleyball and rugby to create a national league for themselves as well. It seems far fetch right now but it can happen and only a successful national football league can make us believe that it is possible.

So let us start including this plan in our prayers. We may not yet fathom the opportunities this one opens up, but I tell you we all need a national football league right now.

About the author:  N.M. CABANGBANG or “BANGBANG” has been writing about events, art and culture for MetroCebuNews since June 2014. He is a graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting at the University of the Philippines Cebu and was the chairperson for two major student organizations, namely Fine Arts Student Organization (1997-1998) and Nagkahiusang Kusug sa Estudyante political party (1998-1999).

Since 2010, he has been an ART teacher at B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy and is also the football coach for the school’s women’s team. He is also the singer/songwriter of the rock & roll band PALTIK which has released their self-produced album, “Here Come the Guns of the South”.

He is happily married to his beautiful and talented wife, Rizza Del Castillo –Cabangbang and lives with their three beloved dogs: Choknut, Cream-O and Moby.