PHILIPPINES, JUNE-JULY 2017 PART 4 - A PHILIPPINE FOOTBALL FEDERATION WOMEN'S LEAGUE MATCH

All photos by Kokoy.

In this edition, we take in a significant women's football match at an historic venue...

WALKING TO RIZAL MEMORIAL STADIUM

The devoted Philippine football enthusiast would love Legaspi Tower's location - just a three-block walk east on Pablo Ocampo to the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. Inaugurated with much fanfare just in time for the 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games hosted by Manila, the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt for the 1954 Asian Games. The RMSC is currently headquarters to some of the country's Olympic programs, such as tae kwon-do, tennis, and track-and-field. The centerpiece of the complex is the stadium, which has seen better days, one of which boasts having hosted the largest audience ever to watch the Beatles in a single day. On July 4, 1966, a total of 80,000 spectators massed at Rizal Memorial to see two sold-out shows, the infamously chaotic final performances outside North America of the greatest rock-and-roll band in history.

In recent decades however, Rizal Memorial Stadium has been in a state of stagnation at best. There have been no visible significant improvements on the decaying facility since the 1950's it seems, other than refurbished lighting fixtures and installation of an artificial surface on the football field with the advent of the top-division United Football League several years ago. Indeed, the entire grounds was on the verge of demolition to make space for business properties until just this past April when, amidst popular protests lead by the football-watching community, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared it a National Historical Landmark ensuring its survival for generations to come.

Get up early in the morning if you want to catch the first Philippine Football Federation Women's League (PFFWL) match of the day, which kicks off at 8:00 am. The second match at 10:30 seems more doable. When you exit the main door of Legaspi Tower, turn left to find the coconut vendor with his homemade wooden cart, chopping block, and bolo knife. Pick up a cup of refreshing cold buko juice for P10, with strands of freshly scraped coconut floating in the bottom of the cup. Then, turn around to go east on Pablo Ocampo. Do not ever expect a tranquil stroll in the heart of Manila. Roxas Boulevard at Pablo Ocampo, commonly referred to as Vito Cruz, is one of the busiest intersections in the city. It is imperative to be alert and cautious, as the walk down Vito Cruz presents an assortment of hazards. Be always aware that you are now immersed in one of the most congested cities in the world, where poverty is inescapable. You have to skirt around motorcycles parked on the sidewalk, step over puddles of toxic grimy water, and pass stray dogs hanging around the snack stands. Avoid the oncoming tricycles heading contraflow - motorcycles with attached sidecars that carry passengers for a fee, one of the multitudes of public transportation options in the Philippines. (We take many a tricycle ride later in this edition.) Occupied by vendors with sari-sari carts selling candy, cigarettes by the stick, and sachets of shampoo, among other conveniences, the sidewalk disappears somewhere in the middle of the block after you pass the mouth of the Legaspi Tower parking garage entrance.

You can either cut through Harrison Plaza Mall, the oldest indoor shopping mall in the city, or keep walking on Vito Cruz and turn left on Adriatico Street. Crossing streets in Manila can be particularly dangerous if you are not familiar with its traffic patterns. "Never assume anything" is a good general rule to live by, and we mean live by. Just because the light is red, don't assume that traffic will stop. Many times, it is safer to cross in the middle of the block where you can see the traffic stopped than at the crosswalk where you are not exactly sure which way vehicles will be turning. Once you have begun crossing, hurry to the other side and never turn back, because drivers are assuming that you will continue crossing and will steer around your rear. Crossing streets in Manila is often compared to the old Frogger video game from the 1990s where the player controls their frog avatar on a busy road. The frog hops from lane to lane to avoid the traffic, stopping, going sideways, continuing again and again until it reaches the other side. In Manila however, the frog must not hop backwards. Another general rule of thumb in Manila is the larger vehicle has the right of way, the injustice of it notwithstanding. Pedestrian is expected to yield to bicycle, bicycle yields to motorcycle, motorcycle to car, car to bus, bus to 18-wheeler and so on (you may find variations of this in the countryside where there are horses, carabao-drawn carts, ploughs and the like). Don't ever expect them to stop just to let you cross. You will not likely be intentionally run over, but do expect to be honked at every now and then as a courtesy warning that you are about to be.

Enclosed within high walls, the entrance to the heavily fortified Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is at the far end of the stadium. Step through the outer security gate and proceed through the narrow stadium entrance. Philippine Football Federation Women's League matches are free of charge. There is no perfect view of the pitch from the grandstand, one of the frustrations at Rizal Memorial Stadium. You have to sit up in the higher seats in order to see the entire near sideline over the team bench awnings. The seldom-used track encircling the pitch puts unnecessary distance between the fans and the action. Despite its drawbacks, witnessing a soccer match at a classic stadium rife with history is a unique and valuable experience, especially a match as significant as this one.

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY LADY BLUE EAGLES vs FUEGO ESPAÑA

In its inaugural season, the Philippine Football Federation Women's League began just months ago with a field of clubs and college squads, including powerhouses of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, a welcome addition to the growing repertoire of programs bolstering the development of the nation's soccer movement. Philippine soccer is in the midst of a renaissance in the early 21st century with the rebirth of the national team from a long era of darkness. (A summary of the Philippine football renaissance can be found in this edition of Kokoy's Women's College Soccer Blog CHRISTIANE CORDERO: ECU'S PINAY KEEPER CONQUERS HOUSTON.)

Unlike the United States interscholastic system, Philippine universities seem at this stage more developmentally advanced than club soccer. College teams dominate the top half of the PFFWL standings. Ateneo de Manila University's current lineup includes one of this blog's favorite college players in the world, midfielder Cam Rodriguez, who earned her first cap for the Philippine national team at just 14 years old, scoring her first international goal at 16 against Malaysia. The Ateneo Lady Blue Eagles dominate Fuego España 2-0. A surprise revelation to this blog is the performance of center back Annika Gabrielle Ong, anchoring a defensive backfield that effectively defuses España's counter-attacking forays. Rodriguez proves to be a key through which Ateneo's offensive scheme passes. Both her and Ong earn spots in the 2017 All-Kokoy XI selection.

Ateneo's Cam Rodriguez (7) finds herself one-on-one with Fuego España goalkeeper Diana Redondo...

...settles the ball...

...glances at the target to survey her options...

...finds herself unmarked against a perfectly positioned Diana...

...smacks a left-footed screamer at near post, as the España defense scrambles back...

...forcing a magnificent save.

With her terrific defensive work in this match, Annika Gabrielle Ong earns a spot in the 2017 All-Kokoy XI.

Despite the lopsided match, the PFFWL conveys great promise for the future of Philippine women's football. Competitive opportunities beyond the collegiate level is necessary if the national team is to consistently produce respectable results. However, a professional league is only the tip of the developmental iceberg. A comprehensive youth system must be in place in order to continue raising the standards of play and sustain the league. Such a youth development system must integrate all socio-economic classes; it cannot focus solely on scouting and developing players from exclusive private schools such as Ateneo and La Salle. Football must be cultivated and supported in the public school system and in the barangay. Youth coaches must be trained and supported in the poor neighborhoods, especially in squatter communities where the need for programming is greatest and the drive to escape poverty is unquenchable. There are already a cadre of coaches out there working with our marginalized youth. One such dedicated mentor is Coach Leah Bontilao, who has been working with young girls in impoverished communities around the New Bilibid national penitentiary in the southern Manila borough of Muntinlupa. Such coaches are in constant need of material support and recognition for their work. If you would like to learn how to donate gear, please send Kokoy a message through our Facebook page Football is for the People.

It is unclear when the Rizal Memorial Stadium clock stopped, but it has been 12:25 since our first time witnessing a match there in 2011.

We continue to look forward to improvements to the Rizal Memorial Stadium scoreboard. 

Post-match smiles all around, this is the way all soccer matches should end. In its inaugural season, PFFWL players know that they are doing ground-breaking work, laying the foundations for future generations of Pinay booters. Their solidarity tells it all.

To view all photos in Kokoy's documentation of this match, please click July 1, 2017 Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles 2, Fuego España 0 @ Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila, Philippines.

Next: PART 5 - TAAL LAKE BECKONS

"Life is not a journey, but a pilgrimage..."

- Kokoy Severino has been in a constant state of travel since he was four years old.

 (Saturday July 1)