I HATE to say it but I have to say it: Bacolod is football country.
It is a fact that the “City of Smiles “and” Masskara Country” has overtaken the so-called “Football Capital of the Philippines”, Iloilo, in terms of development, awareness and appreciation of the beautiful game.
Of course, Iloilo is still “Dinagyang Country.” No one can take that away and lately has reclaimed herself as the “Queen City of the South.” But sadly, football, the one sport that is supposed to be and rightly an Ilonggo heritage, has been taken away by our neighbour across the sea.
While it is true that Iloilo and Bacolod are all Ilonggo-speaking nations and share basically the same culture and heritage, football the sport brought and taught by “colonizers” from Iloilo to the “Bacolodnons” or “Negresenses” haves taken a more progressive path and development than Iloilo.
When the first ever professional football tournament, the Philippine Football League or PFL, was launched in 2017 a team from Iloilo was nowhere to be found while Bacolod has Ceres – Negros FC that went on to become the league’s inaugural champion.
Eventually Iloilo had Kaya – Iloilo FC and was runner-up to Ceres – Negros FC in the 2018 PFL Championship. Of course Kaya – Iloilo FC won the inaugural PFL Copa Paulino Alcantara but that’s another story.
Speaking of Paulino Alcantara, he was declared by football’s international governing body, FIFA, as the all-time greatest footballer from Southeast Asia and he was the goal-scoring record holder of the greatest football club in the world, FC Barcelona. And he just happened to be born and grew up in Iloilo. Yes, the all-time greatest footballer from Southeast Asia was an Ilonggo.
Sadly, he remains largely unknown in his hometown. Not a single monument to honor this great Ilonggo while corrupt politicians name roads and erect monuments to honor their fellow corrupt politicians.
Can you name anybody from Bacolod or Negros with that football pedigree?
While having coffee in the lobby of L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod, Moi got into a conversation with a kid wearing an Azkal jersey and I asked him if he has heard of Paulino Alcantara and he replied, “Yes, the legend from FC Barcelona and he’s from Iloilo.”
I’m pretty sure if I ask the same question to anyone in the coffee shop of Richmond or Marriot hotel in Iloilo, the answer would be, “Who’s he?”
In terms of development of football technical wise, Iloilo maybe catching up, perhaps at par with Bacolod although not quite as Iloilo still does not have a football stadium that is accredited by FIFA.
Take note also that in the current Azkals line-up for the Suzuki Cup 2018, there are 10 players from Ceres – Negros FC and only one from Kaya – Iloilo FC and that says a lot.
By the way, there is no truth to the rumour that Kaya – Iloilo FC’s lone representative in the national team, Joven Bedic, is from Croatia; he is born and bred in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.
Pana-ad Stadium may not be Wembley or Maracana Stadium, far really far from it. But international matches are played there and it serves as the defacto home for the Azkals or the Philippine men’s football team.
Meanwhile Iloilo is still dreaming for a stadium good enough for international matches. To be fair, the pitch of the Iloilo Sports Complex is much better than that of Pana-ad Stadium but still fell short of FIFA accreditation mainly due to lights or the lack of it as international matches are played at night.
Last week I was in Bacolod to watch the Suzuki Cup 2018 Group B stage match between the Philippines and Singapore and it was the experience that led to this column.
We were there the day before, during and the day after the match that was held Nov. 13 in Pana-ad Stadium.
For starters, call it a stroke of luck or serendipity that we stayed in L’Fisher Hotel, the same hotel that the Azkals were also billeted, which placed Moi in the perfect position to feel and observed the scenario and atmosphere before and after match day.
Of course, breakfast time is not only Azkals-sighting but rubbing elbows, selfies and exchanging meaningless pleasantries with the players and Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Every day there were groups of giggling teenage girls and some boys outside the hotel waiting for a chance to see their football idols and perhaps autograph signings and the ubiquitous selfie?
You go to nearby Calea Pastries and Coffee and the talk is about the coming Suzuki Cup match against Singapore, maybe it’s also because that’s where Phil, James, Neil and Stephan have their coffee and cake.
You go around the city and ask taxi drivers and they’re almost always aware that there’s a big football match in the Pana-ad Stadium.
Match day itself and the atmosphere outside Pana-ad Stadium was festive and electric; it was a fusion of MassKara and Dinagyang complete with drums and samba music.
The stadium itself was almost filled to capacity with more than 5,000 loud animated fans all wearing white t-shirts with Pilipinas emblazoned across the chest in support of the home team also wearing white.
The match ended, Philippines 1 and Singapore nil and it was sweet icing to the cake of the beautiful game’s celebration in Bacolod. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
