From Sun.Star Cebu, by Rene H. Martel

CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will not reconsider the one-year suspension imposed on the Abellana National School (ANS) football team after its coach appealed that the players be excluded from the punishment. 

The team joined a Dumaguete City sporting event last July without permission from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the City Government. 

Worse, the school represented Cebu Province instead of Cebu City, prompting the mayor to ask for the imposition of a penalty. 

After an investigation, Cebu City Schools Superintendent Lorna Rances ordered a one-year ban on the team and coach Francis Ramirez. 

The order prevents the team from joining the Milo Olympics this Friday, the City Olympics, and other DepEd-sanctioned activities, including the district and division meets. 

The ANS, therefore, does not have the chance to represent Cebu City in the Palarong Pambansa. 

Interviewed by Sun.Star Cebu last Tuesday, Ramirez said he will accept the sanction, but begged that the players be spared, especially that not all of them joined the Philippine Olympic Festival in Dumaguete. 

But in a press conference yesterday, the mayor said the suspension stays. 

“When you do an act in your authority as head of the team, the team will suffer for whatever actions you did. Otherwise, he will do it again,” the mayor said. 

“Why do we sanction these people? It is also to set that everybody has to follow the rules and know the consequences for breaking the rules,” he added. 

He said that if he will spare the students, Ramirez might again have them join tournaments without informing the DepEd and the City. 

In a letter to ANS principal Ernesto Jacel explaining his side, Ramirez said the trip to the Philippine Football Festival was sanctioned by the Cebu Football Association. 

They left for Dumaguete last July 22, and was told after they arrived there that participating teams must represent the local government units they came from. 

Since there was already another team that represented Cebu City, the ANS team was registered as from the Cebu province, to which he reluctantly agreed, fearing that the sponsors might get angry at him. 

And seeing that the players were “very expectant” in joining the games and had already sacrificed a lot, he decided to agree on the arrangement. 

However, Sun.Star Cebu already reported last July 12 that ANS will represent Cebu Province, while Paref-Springdale will don Cebu City’s colors in the event. 

During the launching of the press conference of the Milo Olympics last Sept. 4, I specifically asked Ricky Ballesteros what Abellana National School team was suspended.  

He said, when he first got the memo, only the “ANS football team” was listed and he asked DepED for a clarification.  But the suspension stands.

The whole ANS team is suspended.  

Nevermind if only seven players, according to a source, from ANS played in that team.  Everybody will miss out on the Milo Little Olympics and the Cebu City Olympics.

Francis Ramirez, and the ANS football team has been suspended from joining tournaments for a year after joining the POF festival in Dumaguete.

The team, which represented Cebu province in the tournament, asked permission from their principal, who in turn, failed to inform DepEd about their participation.

The principal, in turn, admitted his lapse and is taking full responsibility for the error.

But whatever the principal says now, or in the future, the team stays suspended from the Milo Little Olympics, and sadly, the Cebu City Olympics, which it has won regularly over the years.

The Sun.Star report didn’t say anything about the sanction against the erring principal, who I think, deserves to be sanctioned for sleeping on the job.

The coach, according to the report, did his.  He informed the principal of the week-long tournament in Dumaguete.  And the players?  They did what anyone would do, follow where the coach goes.

On the other hand, though failing to inform DepED may be the official reason for the suspension, I think, ANS, which sits right smack in the middle of Cebu City, representing Cebu Province in the tournament maybe the real reason for it.

Collateral damage, you may call it, for the war between the lady governor and the city mayor.

Add to this, if my sources are correct, ANS was sponsored by Ciudad de Cebu, the project of the governor long stalled because of the falling out with Mayor Osmeña.

Football sponsorships are hard to come by, and Coach Ramirez, may have been just too thankful for a sponsor and didn’t mind the political implications, it’s football, not politics.

Now, he and his team sits out the rest of the year.

As to the principal?

It’s interesting how the Cebu Football Association would act–if they will take such actions at all–in this matter.  After all, the CebuFA is the REASON why ANS got suspended in the first place.

Why send two Cebu teams?

I’ve long wanted to write about the “Fil-foreigners” rather on the use of the term ever since I heard Chad Gould’s father’s remarks during Mari Martinez’s visit in the CebuFA elections.

(Please check Jack Biantan, my former boss’, column at Pinoysoccer.com for reference.
To sum it up, the term Fil-foreigners, according to the senior Gould, is an insult, since these folks are 100 percent Filipinos.

They got it wrong.

The Fil-foreigner tag isn’t supposed to denote a Pinoy’s lineage, it simply serves to identify where that certain Pinoy learned the sport. Note that the “Fil-foreigner” is a term unique to Philippine football—owing perhaps to football’s global reach.

In the PBA, they are identified as Fil-Ams, or Fil-Tsongan, or as others would have it, as Fil-Shams.

These Pinoys learning of the sport–and training—is what makes them different. It’s not about lineage, or ancestry. Hence, the Fil-foreigner tag. By being named or tagged as a Fil-foreigner, they are supposed to save or to deliver…lineage notwithstanding (unless you include the purists)…Philippine football from the doldrums.

Why then do we have reports that say, the Philippine team, bannered by Fil-foreigners…or the Philippines will pin its hope on basketball gold on Fil-Ams…It is never–and was NEVER– about lineage, it is always about skills.

Take the case of billiards for crying out loud. If football has Pele, or basketball has Jordan, we have Efren Reyes. Do we have FIl-foreigners in billiards? We don’t! Instead, we have players who are identified as “Filipinos who are now based in Indonesia, Malysia or Dubai.”

No Fil-foreigners!

To the Goulds, Younghusbands, Greatwitches, Del Rosarios, don’t you ever think that being branded a Fil-foreigner is an insult. It isn’t. It should be an honor, and a privilege, something you must prove that you deserve, hence you have local players asking, what does this dude have against me that I don’t and have not experienced..except for the place where he learned the sport?

As to the change of attitude or rather the attitude that the team should adopt and learn from these Fil-foreigners (and yes, I shall continue to use that term).

In previous tournaments, the Philippines played not to lose, and not only that, they played not to lose by 10 goals or more.

When these guys showed up, they showed that not only do we have to play to win, but we CAN play to WIN!

And that, is what a Fil-foreigner is all about!

I was going to tackle the Phil Younghusband and Joyce Ramirez “scandal” (an upgrade-your-traffice-sort-of-post), when I got the chance to read the comments in the shoutbox.

First, as to the interference, all I can say is, “Ablate Español?”

Second, as to the concern of the teams that most of the referees in the Beach Soccer Open were from Don Bosco, all I can say is:

“Duh!”

The event was organized by the Don Bosco Alumni Football Club, where will they get their referees?  Slrap?

Referees always make a judgment call, and for each call, half the players on the field will agree with it and the other half will think the referee should be skinned alive.

Unless of course, there was blatant bias, say the water boy of Opposing team punches his fellow waterboy of Don Bosco affiliated team and the star striker (or keeper) of non-Don Bosco team gets red carded for drinking water, then we have a reason to cry foul.

Otherwise, the participants should have raised the issue, knowing the organizer is affiliated with football teams, during the coaches meeting (insert sarcastic question mark and smirk.)

Of course, we could also question why the Milo Olympics, or the Cebu City Olympics have referees who are mostly affiliated with Abellana National School.

Now back to the Phil Younghusband + Joyce Ramirez “scandal.”

There isn’t.

For me, the scandal is Ramirez’s failure to aggressively promote Younghusband and the RP team.  They were in Cebu for crying out loud.  A mall tour here, a clinic there, heck even a boodle fight involving the team and the fans would have done wonders.

Courtesy of Sun.Star Cebu by Edri K. Aznar

THIS summer, the heat of the shores of Moalboal will turn up a notch as 35 teams will battle it out in the 2nd Beach Football Open at Basdako, Moalboal tomorrow.

The defending champions in both the Men’s and Women’s Opens, the San Roque Football Club, will send three teams, two for the Men’s category and one for the Ladies division.

Joining them in the Men’s category are three teams from XP Moalboal, two teams from San Roque Royal United, University of the Philippines Foundation Alumni, Monger Inc., St. John Bosco United, two squads from FC Inter Cebu, CSAT-FC, two groups from Queen City United, two teams from Danao FC, Barili FC, two squads from Don Bosco Lawaan, Crazy Horse, Don Bosco Alumni Youth, Maitland Smith, Cravings and Kapuge (both from San Carlos City).

In the Women’s Open it will be a battle between the Lasalle Alumni from Bacolod, Mobelhaus, Don Bosco Women’s, Queen City United, Bangan (University of the Philippines Alumni), CSAT Women’s, University of San Carlos and Turnbouts.

Games will be played with two 10-minute periods with five players per team inside the pitch. Each team has a maximum of 10 players in their squad.
Aside from the tournament itself, the event also be serves as the selection for the first Cebu Beach Football team, which will be sent to San Carlos City for the National Championships on May 31 to June 1.

The president of the Beach Football Association of the Philippines (BFAP) Mike Athap, BFAP chairman of Cebu Dido Aviles and Cebu Football Association board member Bro. Mari Aberasturi will handpick the individuals worthy for a spot in team.

The games will start at 8 in the morning.

Registration fee will be P2,000 per team

I’ve heard that the media center for the Asian Challenge Cup only had one PC on it. Phew.

It isn’t surprising since it was also the case during the Asean Football Federation Qualifiers, hosted by Bacolod City in 2006.

Good thing our office provided us with a laptop then, but the problem was our bulky laptop didn’t have any wi fi, I had to wait for the guy in charge of that lone PC to get finished so I can send my report.

(This is me, pretending to be busy at the AFF Qualifers. Note the photo in the lap top)
I remember, after the second game of the Philippines in the AFF Qualifiers, the guy with the PC (I think he wrote for the AFF Website) left his unit to interview somebody, and I went and commandeered his PC, wrote and submitted my report in under five minutes.

Back to that one-pc media center.

Amazing isn’t it? All this time, football doesn’t get any publicity in the papers and for the biggest tournament this year, this is what we get?

And here’s a quote from one of the PFF’s new moves, “The PFF President hopes to utilize Ramirez’s international track record and media expertise to aggressively work on the sports PR and promotional marketing of its sponsorship programs and to develop awareness for the sport thru extensive media coverage and strategic alliances.”

Aaah, extensive media coverage. Must be all those brown envelopes thingy.

If I was the one in charge with the publicity and promotions of PFF…

Step one simply involves giving Ernie (Or anyone involved in the TV coverage of the games) a gofer with an internet access, hence the people who look for updates of the game through the net can get one, without having to call for a mom, or a friend or anybody who’s watching the game. Ever wonder why the NBA—one of the most publicized league in the world—even offer shot-by-shot update through websites?

Step two. Widescreens. Lots and lots of widescreens. Require each FA to have at least two—on opposite ends of each FA’s jurisdiction—to air the Solar coverage. If the FA is under Stupidcable…er Skycable, let that FA go to the nearest area where Solar Sports is offered and show the games. Gather the fans.

Step three. Read the forums. Read Pinoysoccer.com, Asiasfinest, or whatever forum there is that touches on Philippine football.

Step four, of course, after you read, you have to respond, it shows that the PFF does exist, at least in the cyberworld.

Step five. Pics and videos. Get the local pros, hire them, pay them. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have any outlet to send or have those videos aired, we have the internet, everyone is a budding journalist. Ever heard of youtube?

The Philippines will have one of its most important games this Saturday, and unless a miracle occurs, we are again left to our own devices for real-time updates of the match.

This B.S. about extensive media coverage remains that, unless of course, you define “extensive media coverage” as reading the same report, word-for-word in every paper.

Media coverage shouldn’t be about the media covering or writing about Philippine football, it should be people reading, watching or listening to news about Philippine football. (Add clicking)

Here’s a bet, buy three national papers, compare the write up, and if it isn’t the same, I’ll fight Manny Pacquiao today, with my left hand tied up, sitting.

That my friend, is “extensive media coverage.”

The organizers of the Cebu Interclub Invitational Tournament decided to transfer the venue to the finals to San Roque because the USC field–add a cow and a plank–looked more like a rice paddy than a football field.

Despite the sudden transfer, the club didn’t have any problems–owing to its strong logistical support.  Also during the semifinals, things were done more smoothly.  No more istambays in the teams’ benches.

Also, in the U15 finals, two (was it three) parent/doctors were able to help the injured Abellana striker, while the Eruf ambulance, though a bit late, arrived to ferry the poor boy to the hospital.  Ricky Dakay said they will shoulder the expenses.

Early results: U12 final, Springdale beats Canduman, 1-0 U15: ANS beats Springdale, 2-0 and queen city wins women’s crown, 1-0

I HOPE Pinoysoccer.com had it wrong (or had it incomplete) when they reported that PFF president Mari Martinez will severely punish collegiate teams who will join Charlie Cojuangco’s stupid tournament next month.

Why severely punish those who got invited to the bastard ball Mr. President, why don’t you go for those who is organizing the ball?

Collegiate teams, because of the lack of tournaments in the country, would grab any chance that would have them competing against the champions of the other areas, what with the failure of the PFF, or any organization for that matter, to have a tournament that pits the best teams in the country.

Why punish them?

Why not NOFA?  Why not punish Charlie, Mari?

The Charlie and Mari show.

Charlie, pissed that he is that Bacolod—the place where the national team should be playing—got left out in hosting the meet, wants to play spoil sport, not unlike that kindergarten KSP who would go out on his way to get noticed, soiled shorts be damned.

And, Martinez shows that he can’t be bullied and shows his power—that he can twist everyone’s elbow with his threat of a “severe sanction.”

Of course, we can ask ourselves a few questions.

Why can’t these two old farts work together?  With Charlie’s money and Martinez’s “twisting powers,” they can get a major network to air the games.

Instead, we get Charlie organizing a bastard tournament, and Mari threatening those who join that tournament.

For the good of football.

In the business of sports, I coined the then infamous term of christianizing, the common practice when a reporter, who does his or her job, writes his or her stories, then only to have someone collect from the source, “You got your story, pay up (And no, this is not about DJ Montano, though he must pay up)

Or, during a coverage, when every reporter is supposed to submit a story, somebody goes to the event organizer and collects the payment “so the reporters will write a story.”

You’ve been christianized, I always told them, or in some instances, I or we say, “Na-christianize mi.”

There is another term I will introduce. It’s CHARLIED, and the honor goes to the president of NOFA.

NOFA, in all it’s brilliance and love for football for this country,  is organizing a tournament for the best collegiate teams–you know, the major source of players for the national teams–the same week the national team will be playing.

The PFF is about to get charlied and will be charlied because of Charlie Cojuangco.

And boy, it’s all for the love of the game, the charlie is, Pinoysoccer.com reported, “This is the launching tournament of what we envision to become an annual summer event,” Cojuangco, president of the Negros Occidental Football Association, said in a press release. “We hope to provide an avenue for our football community to come together, play, and on the whole, bond,“ he added.”

This launching tournament, I bet my left ball, wouldn’t be held if Iloilo didn’t get Bacolod’s job–to host the Asian Challenge Cup.

And I bet my right ball, that this annual tournament won’t be here next year, you know, because there are no more Challenge Cup that you can charlie.

Bacolod cried foul because they were left in the dark in the hosting job of the Challenge Cup, since they hosted the SEA Games and the AFF Qualifiers, that meant, they weren’t left in the dark then?

So get us out of the dark then and tell us where the P300,000 budget for the media go during the Challenge Cup, which NOFA co-hosted and which, you weren’t left out of the dark.

The figure, I got, from Bacolod.

During that Challenge Cup, I got invited to a media party, and they had this paper, knowing all the christianizing in the business, I didn’t want to sign anything, much less an attendance sheet.  But having that paper thrusted to me, twice and more, I got to sign it, it was for the raffles they say.

When I got to sign it, I was around No. 25 or higher, which got me to thinking, where were the 24 other reporters during the game (there were at most, six of us).  But the raffle proved  me right,  everybody  won, which showed they didn’t need our names since they already have it.  What they needed was our signatures.

All I hope is that I was able to down enough beer to get my share of the P300,000.