Palawan sends 3 teams to play in Philippine Marines’ ‘Football for Peace’

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/984712
• Friday, May 5, 2017

By Celeste Anna R. Formoso (PNA)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY –- Three teams composed of 30 young boys between the ages of 11-14 years old left here Wednesday via C-130 plane to Manila to participate in the Philippine Marines Corps (PMC)-initiated “Football for Peace 2017.”

The said friendly football game is a program started in 2011 that is aimed at getting children in conflicted areas to engage in a game of friendly football.

At the send-off ceremony held at the Admin Building of the 3rd Marine Brigade (3MBDE) Headquarters in Barangay Tiniguiban, Brigadier General Nathaniel Casem wished the three teams luck as they embark on a journey that will unite them with young boys from other provinces “to understand sportsmanship, friendship, solidarity, and peace; and how they can all contribute in advocating for a harmonious relationship with other children.”

“Aside from nurturing these young boys’ love for ball games, or football, it is also our goal to achieve their trust… that soldiers are not enemies; we are friends, who can help enlighten them on the importance of values like sportsmanship, discipline, and peace… that they can be advocates of peace,” Casem said.

The teams are accompanied by their civilian and military coaches, said 3MBDE Civil Military Operations Officer Capt. Jordan Mijares.

“We give special credit to the coaches, who helped us send the three teams from Palawan to participate in the Football for Peace in Fort Bonifacio. They are the ones, who have been guiding the players since we started the football game here in March,” said Mijares.

The civilian coaches are Antonio Austria, Ariel Recoco, and Jerome Javarez. They are joined by their military counterparts, who are TSgt. Samuel Fortunato, Cpl. Julius Haveria, and Cpl. Marjun Battelier.

The three football teams represent the 12th Marine Battalion Landing Team in northern Palawan, 4th Marine Battalion Landing Team in the south, and the 3MBDE.

The friendly football game will run for over a week until May 8, said Mijares, at the PMC headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

The young players will be hosted there by sponsors like 1 Meralco Foundation, which has been a long-time supporter of the football program.

“What is nice about this is there are even four young players who are from the Tagbanua indigenous peoples (IP) group,” he said.

Mijares also added that to bond with their counterparts from other provinces such as Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, they will be taken to special tours of Intramuros, the AFP museums, and other important destinations in Manila, where they can learn about Philippine history and patriotism.