FOOTBALL For A Better Life, the 10-leg nationwide grassroots football development and talent-identification program sponsored by Pru Life UK, will partner with Gawad Kalinga in the culminating leg of the series–the Gawad Kalinga Cup scheduled on Dec. 3 at the Ultra Football Field in Pasig.
Different GK communities are expected to field teams and participants in the football festival and the free football clinic.
This was announced by series organizer Albert Almendralejo, President of Spears Activation & PR Co. at the recent PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate, where he guested together with Pru Life UK EVP and CFO Lee Longa, Kevin Goco of Gawad Kalinga, and current Azkal Misagh Bahadoran and Pru Life Football Ambassador and TV host Graham Caygill.
“For the football clinic alone, we expect 300 kids from the different GK communities that will participate and more in the Gawad Kalinga Cup that will feature different age-group competitions. The Philippine Sports Commission has recognized the FFABL as a true grassroots sports and has extended its support by allowing us to use its facilities at ULTRA,” said Almendralejo.
Longa shared that sports and education are the pillars of Pru Life UK CSR program.
“We are definitely happy with the response we received from the different regions where we held our events. We have already surpassed last year’s number with still the NCR leg remaining. We are already looking forward to our third year of the series next year,” said Longa.
Longa added that for this final leg, Pru Life UK will be introducing its educational component, a financial literacy campaign among kids anchored on the existing module of Earn-Save-Spend-Donate. “This is specifically geared towards kids as we use educational cartoon materials. In fact, this program has been introduced already in 100 schools all over the country.”
Goco welcomed the continuous partnership between the FFABL and Gawad Kalinga which has chosen football as its sports component in the different GK communities.
“This Gawad Kalinga Cup will be enhanced through this financial literacy campaign for our kids,” said Goco.
Caygill and Bahadoran shared their experiences while doing the football clinic in the provinces.
“I have seen the great enthusiasm of the kids to learn and play football in the different provinces,” said Caygill. Bahadoran added: “What we are trying to do is build in the long term a wider base of players as a feeder to the Azkals National Team. With more kids playing football, there will be a greater chance for the Philippines to develop as a football playing nation.”
Starting last July, the FFABL held legs in Gingoog, Dumaguete, Tarlac, Dipolog, Laguna, Pagadian, Tagum, Baguio and Subic with total participants in the series expected to exceed 10,000 kids.