“The Filipinas’ journey sparked a significant change in the masses’ mindset among the Filipino people, fans, and myself. [Their] performance challenged the belief that we couldn’t excel in football.”
Before the last group stage game against world No 12 Norway, local malls, football groups and sports bars immediately caught up with the hype and organised watch parties all over the country. With the match taking place on a Sunday, the stars aligned for the Philippines as mall-going is a big part of modern Filipino culture.
“The watch parties organised by the Philippine Football Federation provided the fans a sense of belonging as they gathered to support the team, fostering connections and friendships. A few applied for a leave of absence and travelled far and wide to join the watch parties and the meet and greets,” Esquivias added.
Sponsors and brands from different industries who cashed in early in their campaign turned out to be the big winners from the Filipinas’ success. The official kits, which were originally for reservation and pre-order only, instantly went on sale in multiple retail branches because of high demand.
The fan experience exceeded expectations even in New Zealand, where the Filipinas’ games were held.
Attendance progressively increased. The opening 2-0 group stage loss to Switzerland drew 13,711 fans. That number increased to 32,357 for the historic 1-0 win against New Zealand. Then 34,697 fans – a record-high for a Philippines game – watched the 6-0 loss to Norway at Eden Park.
There were reports of Philippines merchandise being sold out in stadiums, while Filipino actors, actresses and influencers also travelled to New Zealand to watch the team.
Former national team player Natasha Alquiros said the Filipino community and Philippines embassy in New Zealand contributed greatly to the fan support, organising meet-ups and giving away flags.
“A lot of people went all out with face paint, flags, scarves, and poster signs,” Alquiros said.
“As someone who played, watched and covered both men’s and women’s football, this experience was on a whole other level. It’s the World Cup and the passion of all the fans was just beyond anything I’ve seen before.”
Beyond a warm welcome
A conversation that dominated the Filipinas’ campaign at the World Cup was the public’s criticism of the final 23-woman squad not being “Filipino enough”.
Traditional Filipino sports fans made comments about the players’ surnames and their mixed heritage appearances. International media also pointed out that the players in the starting line-up were not born in the Philippines.
The squad was made up of a mix of home-grown and foreign-based players, but midfielder Anicka Castaneda was the lone local football talent that made the cut. The rest were born to immigrant families living in more developed countries like the United States, Norway and Australia, where football programmes are more established.
Fifa rules state international eligibility is determined by a player’s place of birth, the birthplace of their biological parents and grandparents, or residency of at least five years after the age of 18 in the relevant territory. This paves the way for immigrants and their children to represent their country of origin.
Despite the backlash, more supporters defended the team and the Filipinas themselves were proud to represent the flag, with some showing they can speak their native dialect as they sang the country’s national anthem.
“I think we just embody what it means to be Filipino,” national team mainstay Ryley Bugay said.
“If you could get close-ups of us singing the national anthem, a lot of us are in tears or just have so much emotion.”
The Filipinas also received a warm welcome as fans filled their meet and greet events and a local city government staged a motorcade for their homecoming parade. The women’s football team also visited Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos at Malacanang Palace.
Goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel and her sister Chandler McDaniel – who have spent most of their careers in California – have also committed to local club Stallion Laguna. They will join long-time captains Hali Long and Inna Palacios in the country’s lone women’s football league, and are set to level up the competition.
As the No 1 goalkeeper for the Philippines, Olivia McDaniel proved her skills with six saves in the opening game against Switzerland. Chandler, who recovered from an ACL injury, came on as an impact substitute in the victory over New Zealand.
Centre-back Reina Bonta made the effort to travel from Manila to Dumaguete City, a province in the Philippines where her grandmother was from. She was given a heroes’ welcome and was named an “honorary daughter” of the city.
With her success in both football and filmmaking, Bonta met city officials and helped out local football clubs, and visited the city’s prominent university.
Eradicating gender barriers
Football in the Philippines has had sparks in momentum, but sustainability has always been an issue.
In 2010, the men’s national team, nicknamed “The Azkals”, made their first semi-final appearance at the Asean Football Federation [AFF] Suzuki Cup, and secured an upset win over hosts Vietnam.
The federation and private groups have kick-started professional football leagues, but many have folded because of a lack of investors.
“Now with the women’s team’s Southeast Asian Games bronze, AFF Championship, and commendable outing in their first World Cup, it will ignite a sleeping giant,” Alquiros said.
“And hopefully this time around, we do not let this momentum die and use it to grow Philippine football to bigger and better heights.”
Abante Filipinas, a fan group dedicated to the women’s team which translates to “Filipinas move forward”, was founded to pour in more support specifically for the women’s team.
“We can’t deny that sports here in the Philippines are still a bit [gendered]. ‘You can’t play basketball because it’s for boys’, ‘Why play football? It’s a man’s sport’. These comments still come out now,” the group’s founder, Jacq Bernabe. said.
“However, more and more Filipinas fans, especially the new fans, are the ones who are defending that football is for everyone regardless of gender, or gender preference. This is very remarkable for us Filipinos because we’re a predominantly Catholic country, and people are starting to be more open-minded and inclusive.”
During the World Cup campaign, the group gave away stickers and engaged fans on Facebook to keep the women’s football community updated on team events.
The community is committed keeping the momentum going by following the Filipinas’ campaign at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as well as the second round of Paris Olympic qualifiers in Perth, Australia. Supporters are also bringing awareness to the national youth teams, and contributing to grass-roots development.
“This will encourage more girls to play football, and more people to invest in women’s football at all levels. It can also help local players find clubs abroad, now that Philippine women’s football is playing at the highest level,” Alquiros said.
“There will be a higher regard for Filipina players, and the momentum will create more interest in the sport, and hopefully more fans will show up during games whether it be the Azkals, Filipinas, or men’s and women’s football leagues.
