PFF - boon or bane?

According to Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mari Martinez, the world’s most popular sport is on the upswing in the country. He lists a slew of accomplishments since taking over the PFF leadership from Johnny Romualdez in 2008.

But two of his most outspoken critics beg to disagree. Former national coach Juan Cutillas and NCR Football Association president Pocholo Borromeo are calling for a new order to bring the sport out of the doldrums.

Is Philippine football dying or is it enjoying some kind of rebirth?

“With the enthusiasm generated by the recent World Cup, I hope that now football can take off in the Philippines but first, it’s imperative that there is a change in the PFF,” said Cutillas. “I think the PFF is in a real, big mess.”

Borromeo chimed in: “So many sportswriters and even regular columnists have been asking why Philippine football is nowhere close to other countries. All miss the point. None of them know the culprit is right under our noses – gross inadequacy of the PFF leadership the past 40 years or so, especially when the real, big money started coming in after the 1998 World Cup where after the profits came in, FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and eventually the rich Asian soccer political powers like Japan and Korea started to give to ‘poor’ neighbors like the Philippines donations and contributions so that the PFF would receive well over P100 million in the last 11 years.

“Grade school, high school and college soccer is very much alive in many areas. Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Dumaguete, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Camarines Sur and Laguna are some of the more viable areas where the ‘locals’ are just waiting for a major boost to really ‘take off.’

“But where has all the money gone? You need only to speak to any coach, referee or local football association and you should be able to piece the tragic ‘real story’ together. A columnist wondered if the soccer pitch is too large for Filipinos. He didn’t even come close as to explaining why we are hurting so much. With all due respect, especially to soccer leaders who have come and gone, our white knight has yet to make his long-awaited appearance. Until then, those in organized soccer are on their own. Sad but true.”

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Martinez, the first La Salle Greenhills Athlete of the Year awardee in 1969 and a San Beda College Sports Hall of Famer, is brushing off his detractors by citing how the PFF has efficiently managed the sport’s affairs since he became president.

In a lengthy accomplishment report, Martinez says he has dutifully followed the AFC’s direction to upgrade the quality of football in the country and singles out five pillars that form the backbone of the PFF’s program – coaches, referees, administration, competition and grassroots development.

“The PFF started with eight employees but now has 22,” notes Martinez. “Upon assuming office, my main concern was why the PFF, which receives $250,000 annually, was on the decline or stagnant in comparison to our Southeast Asian neighbors. After a thorough investigation, the conclusion was to look at our neighbors’ performance – their teaching habits towards players, knowledge of the game, coaching structure and other factors that support their progress. As long as the PFF spends the funds wrongfully, as it has done for over 10 years, progress will not be achieved.”

Martinez says that aside from concentrating on the five pillars, he also made social responsibility a key priority.

“I contacted a known artist who has given her time and resources to youth development through football,” he goes on. “She had developed a holistic grassroots football program in Bukidnon, polishing the kids’ technical skills while teaching discipline and good values. It was when I saw the success of this program that I decided to pursue a Mindanao football program. I went out of my way to get an endorsement from the MNLF hierarchy and in an audience with the two presidents during their visit to Manila, convinced them of the need to launch the Mindanao Football For Peace and Hope program. I also convinced them to approve a second program called Goal Project 3 to be implemented in Metro Manila. The PFF has been privileged to receive support from FIFA and the AFC for the two approved projects, rarely given to a country.”

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Martinez says, during his watch, the PFF House of Football building was finished, the PFF hosted the 100th year celebration of football in the country with FIFA president Sepp Blatter attending, improved the Philippines’ FIFA world ranking from No. 189 to No. 165, organized football development programs for underprivileged kids in Mindanao, negotiated the transformation of a 1.5 hectare property into a football field beside the Mall of Asia where over 150 streetchildren play thrice a week under the guidance of PFF coaches, triggered the institutionalization of the Interport Cup where the Philippines, Chinese-Taipei, Macau and Hong Kong take turns staging the annual men’s senior tournament, supported the growth of futsal and backed up women’s football.

PFF technical director Aris Caslib enumerates 16 coaching courses participated in by Filipinos here and abroad last year. PFF referees department head Montano Mondia says 21 courses for arbiters were conducted last year. And the PFF sent national teams in various age groups to 11 overseas competitions in the Maldives, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy (Homeless World Cup), Myanmar, China, Guam and Vietnam, among others.

What would be interesting is to track how the Philippines has progressed or retrogressed in terms of matches played internationally and evaluate if the country’s FIFA world ranking went up because of performance or attendance. It should also be interesting to track how the FIFA and AFC subsidies have been or are being spent.

If Philippine football is on the right track as Martinez asserts, then it will be reflected soon in the national team’s performance in the next Southeast Asian Games. Maybe, four years from now, the Philippines would’ve earned the POC’s nod to play football in the Asian Games. In the Guangzhou Asiad this November, the Philippines will sit out the football competition.