Congratulations to the Cebu City football teams for sweeping the Cviraa titles.  Hope you make it all the way to the national title in Palawan.

Break out the champagne, pop that cork!

No, it’s not about the CebuFA elections—congratulations to the new BOD by the way—it’s what outgoing president Jonathan Maximo announced just before the votes were tallied.

Cebu’s got a new football pitch, and its just a month away from being opened.  It’s 120 meters by 90 meters.

(For the record, Maxi did ask me to hold the media release until the Aboitiz Company gives the go signal.  So I did, no reporting in the papers…except this blog)

At last, the Aboitiz Company has done what most in the community has wished or dreamed it would do, put up an international-size pitch in the city.
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Here are the list of the new members of the Board of Governors for the Cebu Football Association.

Richard Montayre (31 votes), Bro. Mari Aberasturi (30), Ricky Dakay (30), Tony Moraza (24), Raffy Musni (19), Rachel Genco (17), Eleazer Toledo (16), Manfred Schuwerk (15) and Adonis Quitoy (12).

Only 33 showed up to vote.

FORMER CebuFA president Jonathan Maximo reiterated his wish not to serve in the new board and will be withdrawing from the CebuFA elections on March 29.

Maximo was nominated during the assembly last March 15.

Here’s his e-mail.

This is in connection with the CebuFA nominations last March 15, as published in Sun Star Daily March 16 issue.

I would like to thank the club(s), whoever they may be, who have nominated me for the position of CebuFA Board of Director, but I am respectfully declining the nomination and have no intention to stand in the forthcoming elections.

I was not able to attend the March 15 meeting because I have to attend to my daughter’s important school activity.  She is due to graduate this year.

I have already announced before my intention not to seek re-election as early as July 2007.  Four years at the helm is enough for me.  Its time for others to lead the local football body.

My sincere and deep appreciation for all the support.  Keep in touch.

This year, Barili FC, along with four or six other teams, lost their right to vote for failing to hand in their registration papers during the March 15 meeting at Bright Academy.  They will still be eligible to be members of the CebuFA, but they won’t get to vote.

The case of Barili FC is particularly interesting. Apparently, one got the papers for them and volunteered to hand it to the club, only to say during yesterday’s meeting, that he wasn’t able to give it because he had no contact with the club.

“Ngano gikuha man sad nimo” and versions of that statement were hurled at him.

Jeez. I hope that that guy (if he was nominated), or whoever he nominates, won’t win in the elections.

FCIC’s Manfred Schuwerk also asked for a financial report from the previous board before the elections.  This is a laudable move, but aside from the financial report, I think the previous board should answer why there was no Aboitiz tournament in 2007.  Based on a previous chat with an Aboitiz representative, there was nothing wrong in their end, they were waiting for an advice from the board when to hold the tournament.

Another thing, the CebuFA new board should point out the advantages of becoming a member or registering with the group. It seems, aside from the right to vote, there is no other difference, or distinct advantage of becoming a member.

The one club/institution is a good move, and something to be expected from an Ad Hoc committee made up of active coaches and local football personalities.

However, I wish they could have given more weight to a club’s strength in numbers to reward schools like DBC, CIS, Springdale, SHS-J (Did I miss a club?) for fielding teams in almost all divisions. I wasn’t present when they deliberated on the rules, but I think schools like this, whose players are the future of Cebu football, have a greater say in charting the future of the sport.

At the present set up, five 36-and above clubs have more power than the four. They could have given two votes for a club or school that fields more than six teams in CebuFA tournaments for the past two years, while those who fielded less than six gets only one.

Anyway, see you at the elections.

SIX noted football coaches in Cebu and an awardee of the Sportswriters Association of Cebu lead the list of nominees for the Cebu Football Association elections on March 29 during an assembly yesterday at the Bright Academy in Banilad.
Manfred Schuwerk, this year’s recipient of the Orlacsan award from SAC, was nominated together with noted coaches Richard Montayre, Eleazar Toledo, Bro. Mari Aberastri, Glenn Ramos, Joselito Bono and Francis Ramirez.
Aside from the coaches, those who also got nominated for the elections were Adonis Quitoy, Nilo Ferraren, Rachel Genco, Ricky Dakay, Tony Moraza, Allan Nuñez, Edward Chu, Jonathan Maximo, David Sharpe, Jackie Lotzoff, Antonio Trebol, Raffy Musni, Glenn Quisido, Fr. Lamberto Paradian, Ann Albarece, Ivan Ancajas, Robert Nicart, Bert Eco and Harou Iwananga.

Meanwhile, the list of eligible schools which can vote for the elections were trimmed to 21 from 24, while the clubs were reduced to 17 from 20.
The clubs and schools who failed to have a representative and submit their registration papers during yesterday’s meeting lost their right to vote, though they will still be accepted as members.

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A section on the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism regarding its review on the “Corruption and Commercialization of the Philippine Media.” It makes for good reading.

The section reads, “It is open knowledge that sports columnists and EDITORS are among the most spoiled of the lot and a cursory survey would reveal that many  of them on this beat drive cars that they could not otherwise buy on their legitimate pay.”

Vrooom, vrooom, let me check on my Ferrari.