DAVAO CITY – In line with Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President John Anthony Gutierrez’s drive to build world-class pitches nationwide, Gutierrez led a visit and inspection at the Davao City-University of the Philippines Sports Complex in Davao City on February 10, 2026.
President Gutierrez’s visit focused on the proposed construction of a dedicated football pitch at the Archery Field, a project aligned with the regional growth plans of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF).
The Davao City visit followed the groundbreaking of the AFF-supported full-size pitch in nearby Tagum City, Davao del Norte last January 17 and the launch of the country’s first-ever FIFA Arena in Balanga, Bataan last January 20 in what would be a year-long PFF drive envisioning the construction of 21 new pitches nationwide.
President Gutierrez met with officials from the Davao-South Regional Football Association (DRFA), led by President Ernesto Ortonio, Jr., and UP Mindanao administrators led by Chancellor Lyre Anni E. Murao to discuss the infrastructure initiative. The meeting underscored the strategic importance of Davao City and Davao del Sur—two of the country’s most vibrant football hotbeds.
“Davao has one of the most passionate and rapidly growing football communities in the Philippines. It is essential for PFF to empower this region by providing world-class football infrastructure that will elevate grassroots development,” said President Gutierrez.
He added that the construction of a dedicated football field would be transformative for young athletes in the area.
“Our goal is to ensure that players here have 24/7 access to a proper, exclusive training venue. Consistent, high-quality training environments are crucial if we want Davao to produce future national team players,” he stressed.
The proposed pitch will serve as a continuous training and competition venue for football athletes, with PFF expressing readiness to support enhancements to the broader archery and throwing field zone.
Key planning and sports officials from UP Mindanao and Davao City, engaged in detailed discussions with PFF and DRFA on project feasibility and long-term development.
DRFA President Ortonio expressed the Davaoeño football community’s delight and gratitude for the upcoming project.
“This is a welcome development and it’s something that excites everybody here,” Ortonio told PFF. “We thank President Gutierrez for his passion and belief that RFAs should have better and safer pitches that can be freely accessed by our football communities. That he personally flew here for the site visit and inspection is reassuring and we deeply appreciate his hands-on leadership in our Federation.”
President Gutierrez underscored that this initiative forms part of the Federation’s broader mandate to uplift football nationwide.
“Regions like Davao City and Davao del Sur are essential to the future of Philippine football. By investing in infrastructure here, we invest in the next generation of Filipino players. Thus, PFF will continue collaborating with local stakeholders as planning progresses,” he said.
(Photos from DRFA and UP Mindanao)
