Globe Telecom holds football clinic and tournament for underprivileged kids in Iloilo

Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, through its prepaid segment, brought together some 2,500 kids and young adults from various football communities in Iloilo during the Globe Football Para sa Bayan tournament and clinic over the weekend.

The two-day football festival held at Santa Barbara Football Field was led by Globe sports ambassador and national football player Chieffy Caligdong.

Globe Football Para Sa Bayan is a grassroots program for the youth from underprivileged communities and serves as an inclusive platform for socially advantaged and less advantaged teams to interact and work together. It also gathers key movers in the football scene such as the Green Archers United where Caligdong plays as a left winger.

               

“Our focus participants for Globe Football sa Bayan are underprivileged kids in public schools.  We want to teach kids the basics of football, hone talent from the provinces like Iloilo for possible scholarships in big colleges and universities, and scout potential players for the national team.  Football doesn’t have any special physical requirements except for being physically fit, fast, and intelligent so it is best suited for Filipinos,” said Caligdong.

Issa Cabreira, Vice President for Globe Prepaid Business said:  “Globe Prepaid is a brand for the youth, so supporting this worthwhile endeavor fits our aspirations perfectly. We are happy to be involved in youth development through sports and education, and help bridge the gap among the different socio-economic classes. In a sports context, kids do not feel the difference in social standings and we want to encourage more opportunities for this.  Hopefully, in the long term, they can see the connection between football and their potential to be great.  We want to create wonderful opportunities for these kids that can definitely impact their future.”

Over 30 clubs participated in the Iloilo football clinic and tournament composed of kids and young adults age 6-16.  The clubs were a mix of public and private teams.

Compared to other football tournaments where organizers charge anywhere from P3,000-P5,000 per team, the community football teams which participated in the festival were supported by Globe via free inclusion into the tournament to give them access to high-level competition and opportunities to network and to get scouted by private schools and teams for possible scholarships.

Earlier, Caligdong also conducted a football clinic for 40 students of Hacienda Conchita Elementary School in San Dionisio, Iloilo as part of the Classroom on the Go project of Globe Telecom. 

Caligdong together with several Globe volunteers, likewise, distributed learning kits containing notebooks, pad paper, pencils, and crayons to 668 students from kindergarten to Grade 6 to encourage them to stay in school.

Hacienda Conchita was recommended by the Department of Education to be the recipient of the school supplies as many classrooms were totally damaged and students lost a lot of their school supplies. Globe Prepaid is also providing a tent to serve as a temporary learning space while some of the classrooms are being rebuilt.

PHOTO CAPTION: Despite his injury, Globe sports ambassador Chieffy Caligdong teaches kids the proper way to play football during the Globe Football sa Bayan kickoff in Iloilo