MILO-FCB Road to Barcelona 2018 Delegation Sent to Spain for Prestigious Training Experience

MILO-FCB Road to Barcelona 2018 Delegation Sent to Spain for Prestigious Training Experience

Wednesday, November 7

Ten deserving kids from this year’s MILO-FCB Road to Barcelona program have been sent to Spain as part of the Philippine delegation to participate in the FCB Ultimate Training Camp and Ultimate Experience happening from November 4 to 12. MILO Philippines, with the help of the visiting FC Barcelona (FCB) Youth Academy coaches and officials from the Cebu Football Association, has officially revealed the list of athletes after weeks of careful deliberation and preparation.

Selected based on the HEART values (humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork) they espouse and the exceptional skills they exhibit, these 10-12 year olds represent the most deserving athletes from over 160 participants in the MILO-FCB Philippines Invitational Camp held last September 8 to 9 at the Cebu City Sports Center in football hotbed Cebu City. Two selected kids from last year’s inaugural Road to Barcelona program will also be joining the team. The diverse set of delegates come from key football clubs and communities across the country – Metro Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and Koronadal City in South Cotabato. 

Nestle Philippines Vice President Willy de Ocampo shares, “The second year of the MILO-FCB partnership has been another rousing success, as we continue to advocate the importance of values learned in sports and advance local football to the global stage. We thank the local football community, especially our host Cebu City, for the support and look forward to the kids’ life-changing experience in Barcelona.”

These deserving young athletes will be participating in the nine-day event at the FC Barcelona training grounds: Lien Dale D. Manuel (Tondo, Manila), Heaven Andrei N. Teodosio (Mandaluyong City), Juan Pablo S. Unlay (Quezon City), Alexander David C. Villarosa (Cebu City), Breindel O. Medina (Davao City), Tristan Ybanez (Cebu City), Dylan Theodore O. Wong (Cagayan de Oro City), Carlo Antonio D. Bongocan (Koronadal City), Jelena Loren I. Soon (Cebu City), and Daniel Isaac N. Cagaanan (Koronadal City). 

A world-class, life-changing experience awaits the young athletes who will get to interact with their peers from other MILO markets worldwide namely Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Maldives, South Africa, and Venezuela. Their trip will be headlined by prestigious training sessions with FCB Youth Academy coaches, an exclusive training opportunity with FCB and Dutch national team legend Frank de Boer, a live match viewing of the FC Barcelona team, and other activities that foster camaraderie with other delegates and tour the sights and sounds of Barcelona.

“It’s an honor for MILO to be able to bring such inspiring and talented kids from different parts of the country to one of the best training experiences in the world in FC Barcelona. These young players have proven that they are champions both on and off the field, through their character and skill,” said Robbie de Vera, Consumer Marketing Manager for MILO Philippines.

Read More

Milo Philippines Road To Barcelona Year 2 Launched

Milo Philippines Road To Barcelona Year 2 Launched

Thursday, September 6

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 President; Cebu Football Association Federation – MR. RICO NAVARRO, Vice President; Ignite 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.” 

Read More

Davao Aguilas FC All Set For First Home Game Against JPV Marikina

Davao Aguilas FC All Set For First Home Game Against JPV Marikina

Saturday, May 13

Davao Aguilas FC is all set for its first home game for the Philippines Football League (PFL), to be held at the Davao del Norte Sports Complex on Sunday, May 14, 2017. They will be going up against JPV Marikina, which was previously part of the UFL. 

The team is starting to create a following in Davao and nearby provinces; and fans were seen waiting for them when they arrived at the Davao airport last Friday.

Australian Head Coach Gary Philips says, “We are excited to be here in Davao and we are looking forward to our first home game and we hope our fans will turn up in numbers and support the team. We all are excited, we can’t wait to see you on Sunday.”

Coach Gary has previously worked in 5 different countries, including the National League in Australia. He was also previously with AFC, for Coach Education and has also handled international men’s and women’s teams.

The team’s goalkeeping coach on the other hand is Australian James Fraser, renowned World Cup goalkeeper for Australia in 1974. 

The team’s impressive line-up is composed of homegrown footballers, national team players and Fil-foreign players. Local players include Team Captain Jason Cordova, John Nico Macapal, Kim Versales, Junell Bautista, Philippine Azkals standout Nate Burkey, Under 22 mainstays Van Rey Diaz and Richard Talaroc of Misamis Oriental, Princeton Josue, Davao goalkeeper Roeder Ignacio, Tagum native Alexis Cabistante, Mujer Sumail, Amir Amaikurut, Kahlil Jikiri, Justin Cheng, John Philip De Los Santos, John Resty Gumban, Gerald Layumas, Jay-Ar Bucayan, Stephen Burda and Rey Franco De La Torre. 

Fil-foreign players include Brad McDonald, Fil-American right wing Omar Khan, attacker Gilmar Fernandez, midfielder Andreas Esswein, Serbian goalkeeper Marko Trkulja, striker Nikola Grubjesic, defender Milos Krstic and Dylan De Bruycker, who scored the first goal for the team in last weekend’s match against Ilocos United. 

Tickets are still available at the stadium. You can also get free tickets when you register at www.facebook.com/DAFCofficial.

Read More