MMDA forms 6 football teams

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Monday announced that it has formed six football teams composed of the agency's personnel.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino has recruited and trained six football squads that would soon compete in local amateur football tournaments.

Tolentino said he introduced the sports to the employees to inculcate to them the value of physical fitness and discipline.

“If other organizations have their own football teams, why can’t we have our own team? Besides, sports such as football develop one’s discipline.

And with disciplined employees, we can have a better agency and better services to the public,” Tolentino said.

Members of the six football teams, who were picked from various MMDA units, underwent two-week training from coaches from different universities such as Ateneo de Manila and Perpetual Help College, among others.

The MMDA footballs teams are the “Roadikalz”, composed of employees and  traffic constables from the Traffic Discipline Office (TDO); the  “Medikalz” of the Road Emergency Group (REG); the Sidewalk Clearing  Operations Group’s (SCOG) “Bungkalz”; “Decloggers from Flood Control;  “Musikalz” from the MMDA Drum and Bugle Corps; and “Trapalz” from the  Baklas Billboard.

Tolentino said each 20-member team underwent training in the rudiments of the sports as well as physical fitness programs. The agency also shouldered the expenses in the players’ uniforms.

The six teams will compete with each other in a football league to be held at the Philippine Marine grounds in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City starting tomorrow, February 19.

“Sports are excellent way to enhance self-discipline. They train you to set goals, focus your mental and emotional energies, become physically fit, and to get along with others,” Tolentino said in creating the MMDA football teams.