Milo Philippines Road To Barcelona Year 2 Launched


MILO Philippines opened year two of Road to Barcelona, the brand’s values-driven program in partnership with globally-renowned football club, FC Barcelona (FCB) during the recent press launch held in the MILO Stadium of Kidzania Manila. Coming from a successful run last year, MILO and FCB will hold this year’s local invitational camp in football hotbed, Cebu City on September 8-9 at the Cebu City Sports Center. Over 160 girls and boys ages 10 to 12 from around the country will participate in the world-class football camp for a chance to join the life-changing champion experience in Spain, the home of FC Barcelona. 

MR. WILLY DE OCAMPO, Vice PresidentCebu Football Association Federation – MR. RICO NAVARRO, Vice PresidentIgnite Sports, Inc. – MR. MICHAEL REYES, Assistant Organizer (photo by JLCandia)
MILO and FC Barcelona believe in the shared HEART values (humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork), equipped with a healthy and active lifestyle that are essential in every child’s overall development. The global partnership aims to bring world-class opportunities to nourish ambitions and build a nation of champions through sports. Participants of the program are chosen via a nomination from their coaches who will vouch for both their character and talent.

Asisting MILO in the facilitation of the invitational camp are the Cebu Football Association (CFA), a regional body under the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and two coaches from the FCB Youth Academy, FC Barcelona’s flagship youth development program. The two-day training camp which features theoretical and practical sessions on how to play the Barca way is free of charge—a privilege for the qualified young players. It will give them the kind of training that only FCB can offer to aid in their continued development, progress Philippine football, and further inspire Filipinos to be champions on and off the field.

One with MILO and FCB’s vision is the local organizer of this year’s invitational, the Cebu Football Association (CFA). CFA Vice President Rico Navarro exclaims, “We warmly welcome this momentous collaboration with two iconic sports brands, MILO and FC Barcelona. Our region has some of the most passionate and talented young players in the country, and we hope that this Road to Barcelona camp can foster the right values and grow their appreciation for the sport and everything they learn from it.”

Willy de Ocampo, Vice President, Nestle Philippines, Inc. (photo by JLCandia)
“Every kid dreams of becoming a champ. That’s why the MILO-FCB Road to Barcelona Philippines Camp is back to provide kids the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with youth coaches from FC Barcelona. We’ve taken this year’s invitational camp to the Visayas to share the program with even more children in the region, because we believe that these experiences can encourage them to pursue their passion for the sport and nourish their ambitions,” said Willy de Ocampo, Vice President, Nestle Philippines, Inc.

The expert panel composed of PFF representatives and FCB coaches will be in charge in shortlisting the most deserving athletes who will fly to Spain, where one slot in the delegation will be all-expense paid by MILO Philippines.

Similar to the maiden program, the 2018 delegation will take part in a nine-day training camp and ultimate experience in FCB’s hallowed grounds in Camp Nou, Barcelona. The Philippine team will be among their peers from other MILO markets which incude Australia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Panama, Singapore, Tahiti, Thailand, and Vietnam. Their stay will be filled with special activities that will hone their skills, encourage them to make new friends, explore scenic heritage locations, most importantly, learn how to play with HEART—the Barca way. 

MILO Philippines Consumer Marketing Manager Robbie de Vera shares his excitement for year two of the four-year partnership, “MILO is very excited and honored to continue its advocacy to get more kids into sports and help advance Philippine football with FC Barcelona. Our goal for this year is to further enrich the ‘Road to Barcelona’ experience by reaching more Filipino kids and reinforcing the values that encourage more kids to dream big and become champions in life.” 

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