I supposed it was written in the stars. It was as if fate intended it to be and the journey begun when the “beautiful game” came home to Iloilo.
Let’s go back a bit in time during the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League or PFL, the first ever professional football league in the country. Something was missing, it seemed something was not right.
Of the original eight professional football clubs from different cities/provinces of the country, the “football capital of the Philippines” Iloilo was left out, having no football club representing it.
In other sports this would be no big deal but this is football and Iloilo is not only the “football capital of the Philippines” but also the hometown of FIFA’s “greatest footballer from Southeast Asia”, FC Barcelona legend Paulino Alcantara.
When all seemed lost and the Ilonggo football fans had to contend with supporting Ceres-Negros FC from nearby Bacolod City (the thing is, although people from Bacolod and Iloilo both speak Ilonggo and basically have the same culture, there has always been this rivalry; call it “sibling rivalry”) this happened:
KAYA Futbol Club officially partnered with Iloilo province for the 2018 Philippine Football League as it makes the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz, Iloilo City as its home field.
Finally, a professional football team we can finally call our own Kaya FC – Iloilo
And the rest is history. Kaya FC-Iloilo were runner-up to Champions Ceres-Negros FC for the 2018 PFL season with an unbeaten streak in its home turf, the Iloilo Sports Complex.
But it did not end there. In fact it was only the beginning of the resurgence of Iloilo football.
And we start with this: Excerpts from the Oct. 28 issue of Panay News:
Bedic hit hands Kaya Iloilo PFL Copa Alcantara title
Kaya Iloilo banked on the heroics of Jovin Bedic to snatch the inaugural 2018 Philippines Football League Copa Paulino Alcantara crown with a 1-0 victory over Davao Aguilas on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo native made the title-clinching goal in the 28th minute of the first extension period from a pass by Robert Lopez Mendy at the center.
Along with bagging the Copa Alcantara title, Kaya also earned the right to join fellow Western Visayas-based team Ceres-Negros as Philippine representative in the 2019 AFC Cup.
“As representatives of Iloilo, we also want to give honor to the legendary Paulino Alcantara,” Kaya head coach Noel Marcaida said of the Ilonggo-Spanish football legend after whom the tournament was named.
“When the Cup started, like Davao (Aguilas), it was our intention to be in the final,” he added. “Like what I said (in the pre-finals conference), this is going to be an exciting game with both teams in good form. Good thing for us, we were able to come out on top in the end.”
Yes, it was indeed written in the stars, you might say, that it was destiny that an Ilonggo footballer, a native of Barotac Nuevo, Jovin Bedic had to score the winning goal to bring to Iloilo the champion trophy of the inaugural Copa Paulino Alcantara.
Alcantara was born and grew up in Iloilo.
Indeed, football is back in Iloilo with the promise of a better and stronger brand of football.
Excerpts from the Oct. 29 issue of Panay News:
Kaya Iloilo vows to sustain wins in 2019
After clinching the inaugural 2018 Copa Paulino Alcantara title, Kaya Iloilo promises to continue their winning ways when the Philippines Football League resumes next year.
The support of Ilonggo football fans will serve as their driving force, head coach Noel Marcaida said.
“With the support of Ilonggos, we will strive harder to continue the success,” Marcaida told Panay News minutes after their epic 1-0 win over Davao Aguilas on Saturday.
“This year has been memorable for the team – our move to Iloilo City, our runner-up finish in the League and now the championship in Copa Paulino Alcantara.
Their recent title, the second in the Kaya franchise, was a fulfillment of their two goals all conference long – to honor Ilonggo-Spanish football legend Paulino Alcantara and represent the Philippines in the 2019 AFC Cup in February next year, Marcaida said.
Meanwhile, there are persistent rumors that a world-class football stadium aptly named “Paulino Alcantara Stadium” will be constructed somewhere in the 4th District of Iloilo.
If these rumors are somehow true then it seems that the Copa Paulino Alcantara champion trophy got to Iloilo ahead of the stadium. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
