CEBU CITY – The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) widened its coaching education program in the Visayas as the Cebu Regional Football Association (CRFA) hosted the PFF C Diploma Course at PAREF Springdale School in Cebu City, with 23 coaches taking part.
“Better players start with better coaches. The C License is where that begins, with the people who meet children at their first training session. Every coach we certify in Cebu or any other region carries what they learn to a school, a club, or a barangay pitch,” said PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez.
The PFF C License is a foundational qualification for grassroots football, designed for coaches of players up to 12 years old. It runs 60 hours and is the first step toward the B diploma (120 hours) and the A diploma (180 hours).
Head tutor Ariston Bocalan led the course, assisted by Robert Nicart, Martin Ferrer, and Jinggoy Roa. CRFA President Engr. Rodney Orale was guest of honor at the graduation ceremony.
“CRFA would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) for entrusting us with the opportunity to host the AFC–PFF C Diploma Course,” Orale said. He also thanked Gutierrez and General Secretary Gelix Mercader “for their trust and support in allowing Coach Aris Bocalan to lead the course as its Course Tutor.”
“This marks the second time this year that CRFA has had the privilege of hosting this prestigious diploma course. This initiative reflects our continued commitment to contributing to the growth of the football community through the development of more qualified and professional coaches, not only in our region but also in neighboring Regional Football Associations (RFAs),” Orale said.
The course also emphasized four core Filipino values: puso (play with passion, pride, and resilience), bayanihan (teamwork, unity, and collective effort), disiplina (commitment to training and improvement) and respeto (respect for teammates, coaches, opponents, and the game).
“These are the values we want every young Filipino player to learn from a first coach,” Gutierrez said.
The 23 participating coaches are:
- Bernard Francis A. Buot
- Jolina Bellarba Colon
- Cyrus John J. Paca
- Robert S. Mamac
- Ralph Patrick V. Gaite
- Celso R. Laborte
- Cliford C. Francisco
- Anthony Niel Rosauro
- Gilbern Bong B. Aller
- Samantha Claire M. Toledo
- Mohammed Ali
- Alex España
- Kintaro B. Miyagi
- Rowell T. Unabia
- Major Dean D. Ebarle
- Michael D. Bonjoc
- Limhar A. Baunsit
- Antonnie Gail D. Cabra
- Bency Ray D. Villanueva
- Philip Akabah-Kudenu
- Lev D. Zafra
- John Jessel B. Codeniera
- Amber Mari Ysabel M. Villaflor
Graduates can progress to the B diploma once they meet its experience and admission requirements.
“We thank CRFA, the tutors and every graduate. Take what you learned back to the field, keep learning, and help Philippine football grow from the grassroots,” Gutierrez said.
