HOW far will you go to support your kids’ interests or hobbies? 

Last year, millennial dad Paul Alcantara, his wife Mayang, and co-parents Ling and Sandeeh sat down and decided to do something crazy for their kids’ love for football. 

Sandeeh, Mayang, Paul and Ling

They decided to pool their limited resources together to turn a shabby field in Quezon City into a world-class football pitch. The costs were high, but they all thought that the joy it would bring to their sons was enough to take the risks. 

Paul and Mayang’s son Sylar, Sandeeh’s son Ghazi and Ling’s son Harvey are teammates in the Ateneo grade school varsity team. Their passion for football at a very young age is very evident. 

Where to practice?

But like most football programs in the country, it is rife with challenges as the sport is not as popular. Therefore, support in terms of funding and infrastructure has always been an issue. 

One of the main challenges the team faced before its participation in a tournament in Bangkok last year was an accessible venue for regular practices. 

After taking a look at different venues in Quezon City, they ended up at Circulo Verde, a quaint condominium-commercial complex in Bagumbayan owned by the Ortigas company. 

“Umikot na ako sa QC. Went to Greenmeadows and Valle Verde, checked out other venues, wala talaga. Tapos may nagrecommend dito sa Circulo,” said Alcantara. 

The property had an unused but neglected football pitch that had half of the field turned into a bicycle course. 

The problem was, the field was unplayable. During the pandemic, grass grew, with mounds of dirt and craters ravaging the once pristine pitch. 

“Gusto lang talaga namin is kahit na maliit na field para lang maka practice mga bata, so nung sinabi available half ng field dito, tiningnan namin tapos sira sira pala,” Alcantara recalled.

The state of the field would have discouraged anyone, who would have moved on to the next viable alternative. But not Alcantara. 

A crazy idea came to him like a bolt of lightning. When he told his wife about the idea to rehabilitate the field and run the facility themselves, he was met with a not so enthusiastic reply.

“Sabi nya, ‘are you crazy?’” a chuckling Alcantara recalled. 

But he diligently came up with the numbers and drew up a business plan with a reasonable projected ROI that convinced his wife and co-parents to support it.

His son as inspiration

Sylar Alcantara is a standout player for Ateneo. He has competed with his team and won in various competitions. 

He has also been invited to try out in Spain for six academies in Barcelona. His chance to really shine will happen in April and July when he plays for PFA Bangkok in the TAR Spain tournaments in Barcelona and Madrid. 

He’ll get the chance to play against players from the top 10 Spanish La Liga clubs.

But what stood out about Alcantara’s son is his advocacies. At a very young age, his birthdays were spent in Payatas to feed poor children. It also led to his active support for the training of underprivileged kids his age in the sport. 

The young Alcantara has the distinction of becoming the sole representative of the Philippines and football in United Through Sports, an international alliance of different organizations and people to bring unity, equality and inclusion to the world. 

He was one of the youngest delegates in the recent World Youth Festival in Bangkok and spoke in front of hundreds.

Harvey, Ghazi and Sylar

For the grand opening of the new PALMS (Paul Alcantara, Ling, Mayang, Sandeeh) Arena football pitch, with help from former national team coach Let Dimzon and coach Kim Versales from the Azkals, kids from Payatas and Gawad Kalinga were invited to play against the Ateneo, G8 Academy and Makati Football Club.

Sylar, along with the parents of the Ateneo team gave away football shoes and gear to the players of Payatas and Gawad Kalinga as well. For the long term according to Alcantara, the brand new pitch will be the venue for training football scholars like these kids. 

Promoting football in the PH

The quick turnaround in the construction of the new Palms Football Arena took a lot of people by surprise including Quezon City Assistant Administrator Rene Grapilon, who with Mayor Joy Belmonte, are football enthusiasts. 

Prior to the ribbon cutting, Grapilon met up with Alcantara to discuss the possibility of the local government partnering with the owners and using the venue for current football programs initiated by the city. 

Growing community support and investments

Just a bridge away, in the new Bridgetown in Pasig, another football pitch will soon be built. It will essentially turn this part of the city into the epicenter of football in Metro Manila. 

The influx of game organizers for open-plays and tournaments, as well as interest in the sport, have steadily grown over the years, more so in the last few months since things have opened up.

Alumni from different schools have set up regular pick-up games in venues like Emperador stadium in Mckinley Hills, Circuit City Blue Pitch in Makati, and Southridge school in Alabang. 

And while the BGC turf is still being renovated and the construction of Bridgetown is still underway, Palms Arena at Circulo Verde is definitely a welcome surprise for so many football aficionados.

The passion for the game is at an all time high. It’s remarkable to see players, men and women from different generations playing the sport. 

Alcantara and Coach Dimzon plan to put up Bella Academy for girls which will start tryouts and free sessions in March and season long tournaments to capitalize on the Philippine Women’s football team qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in history. 

And should everything work out and everyone in the football community starts to work together, football might just have a chance to take flight in the Philippines for good.

Sometimes it only takes collective effort, a little imagination and guts to make a dream a reality.

Sylar, Harvey, Ghazi and the future of football in the Philippines look brighter than ever.