Bogo City FC ignites fire of grassroots football development in northern Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — Slowly but steadily, the Bogo City Football Club moves forward towards accomplishing its mission of promoting and developing grassroots football in the northern part of Cebu.

That is the vision of Lowell Ferrer, Shero John Maceda, and Jan Ray Mikelle Aninipoc when they established Bogo City FC in August 2023.

Open to soccer enthusiasts as young as three years old, Ferrer said they want to provide a platform for people to play the game, harness their skills, and enjoy the sport.

“Open ni ang among club as tanan nga gustong makat-on, mo-enjoy sa football pero gihatagan nato og dakong priority ang mga grassroots level as early as three years old,” Ferrer, the club’s external affairs manager, shared.

From a small number since they started, Ferrer said they have now grown into over 120 members.

To keep them active, they have initiated various activities for their group.

Ferrer said they helped some Bogohanon volunteer coaches secure a PYCC (Philippine Youth Coaching Certificate), encouraged students from different schools in Bogo to join their program with the support of their parents, and took part in several competitions far from home such as the CIS Cup and Toledo City Cup among others.

Additionally, Bogo FC invited 10 coaches from the Central Visayas Football Association (CVFA) as well as renowned coach Glenn Ramos and the Don Bosco FC to hold clinic for their young aspiring booters.

Just recently, Ferrer bared that they successfully staged a grassroots tournament participated in by football clubs from Carmen, Danao, Talisay, and Toledo.

While nurturing young talents, Ferrer is hoping that they will be able to set the stage for a better future ahead of their players through their athletic ability.

“Amo gyud tumong nga mailhan ug ma-introduce ang beautiful game of football sa mga kabataan. Mahimo usab kini nga additional sports option to the community dili lang sa Bogo City but also sa mga silingan nga municipalities,” said Ferrer.

“Pinaagi sa sports in general, mahilayo nato ang kabataan sa mga dili maayong butang sama sa mga ginadili nga droga, mga gang ug uban pa. We are also encouraging nga ang football diri sa amoa nga family oriented siya. Our ultimate goal is maka-develop og maayong mga players ug mahatagan og opportunity puhon atong mga bata to attend well-known schools anywhere,” Ferrer ended.