Globe taps Azkals skipper Caligdong for grassroots program

MANILA, Philippines -- Azkals skipper Chieffy Caligdong will spearhead Globe Telecom's Football Para sa Bayan 2014, a grassroots program for underprivileged youth.

Caligdong, who also plays for Globe Telecom-bankrolled Green Archers United in the United Football League (UFL), will grace the launching of football tournaments in Metro Manila and Iloilo.

The Manila leg will kick-off this weekend, February 22, while Caligdong's homecoming in Iloilo where hails from the town of Pototan, will lbe launched on March 8 to 9.

The Metro Manila event will be held in partnership with the Philippine Navy at the Fleet-Marine football grounds in Taguig City while the Iloilo leg will be conducted in Sta. Barbara, about 16 kilometers from the city proper.

“The festivals will serve as a platform where in kids, regardless of their socio-economic background can enjoy the sport of football. At the same time, these events can serve as an inclusive platform for socially advantaged and less advantaged teams to interact and work together. We also want to capitalize on the sport to achieve our desired impact:  for children to stay in school, aspire for higher marks, and be in a position to vie for scholarships both athletic and academic,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe OIC for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Globe's Football Para sa Bayan 2014 will bring together 35 community football teams composed of underprivileged youth not only to compete but to interact, and share best football practices with 35 other teams from varsities of private schools and private football clubs.

The Manila leg will be participated by about 900 kids and young adults under the  7-17 age bracket.

All 35 community football teams will be supported by Globe via free inclusion into the tournament.

Globe and Caligdong are hoping that through this tournament, underprivileged players are given access to high-level competition and opportunities to network and to get scouted by private schools and teams for possible scholarships.

Over at Iloilo, about 1000 kids from football communities are expected to join the 2nd Football Para Sa Bayan festival in Caligdong's home province, which will also include a football clinic.

Globe Football Para Sa Bayan is a year-round football campaign of the giant telecommunications company to bring the program around the country to impact nation-building in a big way.

Football is just the first step in Globe sports advocacy as the company continues to develop various sports programs for its CSR communities.

Emelio Asada Caligdong

Azkals Player Profile:

Name: Emelio Asada Caligdong a.k.a. Chieffy Caligdong

Position: Vice-captain/ Left Winger

Born: 28 September 1982 (Pototan, Iloilo, Philippines)

Current Club: Philippine Air Force

Jersey No.: 13

Younghusbands, Caligdong may miss UFL match in Cebu

PHILIPPINE Azkals front liners Emilio “Chiefy” Caligdong of the Green Archers United Globe and James and Phil Younghusband of the Loyola Meralco Sparks FC might miss their bearing match in the ongoing United Football League (UFL) here at the Aboitiz Football Field on Nov. 10.

This after the Azkals are scheduled to fly to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a friendly match on Nov. 9 at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

But even without the Azkals stars, the bearing match will still push through to highlight the opening of the 16th season of the Aboitiz Football Cup, according to Cebu Football Association’s (CFA) grassroots committee chairman Raffy Musni in an interview with Cebu Daily News .

But Musni said the CFA will still be waiting for the final announcement from the UFL if Caligdong and the Younghusbands will play in the said match.

“With the Azkals’ upcoming schedules, it seems that Caligdong and the Younghusbands could miss playing for their teams but we have to wait for the announcement from UFL regarding the development of the three football stars’ appearance in the opening of the Aboitiz Football Cup,” Musni said.

The Philippine team is also set to face India on Nov. 15.

The Loyola Meralco Sparks recently won via a lopsided victory over the Blue Guards FC, 33-0, last Wednesday at the Emperador Stadium in Taguig City. The Green Archers FC also defeated the Blue Guards last Oct. 20.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Caligdong, Malditas lead Football Para sa Bayan

Telecommunications company Globe Telecom is set to hold the Globe Football Para sa Bayan Mini Festival on Oct. 26 at the DLSU Zobel Globe Football Field in Ayala Alabang.

The event is a gathering of key movers in the football scene who want to assist disadvantaged youth and help in nation-building through sports.

“We want to capitalize on the sport of football as an intervention tool for children in underserved communities.  Sports is a way to develop the children’s well-being and may also open doors for them to a better life,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe OIC for Corporate Social Responsibility.

The one day celebration will be front-lined by Azkals Team Captain and Globe Ambassador Chieffy Caligdong together with his teammates in Green Archers United, one of the most competitive teams in the United Football League.  Joining them are members of the women’s national football team, more commonly known as Malditas and teen varsity football players from La Salle Zobel and La Salle Greenhills.

The pool of committed coaches and football mentors will facilitate drills and scrimmages for six football communities catering to disadvantaged children, namely: Gawad Kalinga FC, Dream Big Pilipinas FA, Futkal FC, Payatas FC, Muntinlupa United FC, and Pinay FC.

Globe Football Para Sa Bayan Mini Fest is a soft launch and preview to the year-round football campaign of the company in 2014 which will be composed of all partners working together to bring the program around the country to impact nation-building in a big way.

Football is just the first step in Globe sports advocacy as the company continues to develop various sports programs for its CSR communities.

source: manilastandardtoday.com

PH Azkals Beat Vietnamese Again

Another win for the PH Azkals once again. Let's rejoice and thank them for giving us another reason to be proud that we are Pinoys.

BANGKOK — The Philippine football team relived the magic of 2010 as it downed the very same team that launched the Azkal-mania to keep its semis bid alive.

Chieffy Caligdong stood tall for the Azkals again as he fired a curling shot in the 85th minute to power the Philippines to a 1-0 win over the former SEA Games champion in an all-important AFF Suzuki Cup at the Rajamangala Stadium here.

InterAKTV file photo/Roy Afable

A disappointment in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to host Thailand, Caligdong came in as a substitute for James Younghusband with about 15 minutes left before stoppage time in the hope of injecting some late game magic.

And the diminutive Air Force veteran didn’t disappoint.

Caligdong received a cross to the left wing off a galloping Angel Guirado from the center before hitting what appeared to be  an effortless shot thayt blew past a diving Vietnamese goalkeeper Duong Hong Son into right side of the net.

The winning goal of the 30-year old Caligdong enabled the Azkals to repeat over Vietnam, almost two years after the stunning 2-0 victory in front of 40,000 spectators in Hanoi.

Their first match since that epic night was witnessed by a sparse crowd inside the 80,000-seat stadium but the outcome ended in similar fashion, frustrating a Vietnam team that entered the match hoping to avenge that painful setback.

More importantly, the win enabled the Azkals to revive their hopes of securing one of the two semifinal berths after gaining the much-important three points.

The Filipino booters, whose coach Michael Weiss sat on the sidelines to serve a one-game suspension for his sending off against Thailand, need to win on Friday against Myanmar at the SCG Stadium in Nonthanaburi, which is about a 37-minute drive from the Thai capital.

Azkals Gear Up For Bangkok Tourney

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Azkals want to build on the success of their title victory in the recent Philippine Football Peace Cup as they head into the final stage of preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup set for November in Bangkok, Thailand.

Coach Michael Weiss hopes that positive vibes earned from the four-nation tournament will be carried into the next eight weeks when the Azkals hold a training camp and play friendlies before the Suzuki Cup.

“We are now entering the final phase of our preparation for the Suzuki Cup and those matches will see much, much better competition and stronger opponents so it's important that have many matches and that's the main purpose of playing this tournament,” Weiss said after the Azkals defeated Taiwan, 3-1, on Saturday to claim the Peace Cup title.

Lined up for the Azkals is a training camp in the Middle East which will be highlighted by friendly matches with Bahrain on Oct. 12 in Manama and Kuwait on Oct. 16 in Kuwait City.

They will also play Singapore on Nov. 15 in Cebu City in a rematch of the Filipinos' 2-0 win in the Lion City two weeks ago thanks to an opening goal by Chieffy Caligdong.

From there it's off to the Thai capital for the Suzuki Cup group stage where the Azkals battle the hosts, Vietnam and the top team of the qualifying round. The two top teams in the group will make it to the semifinals.

The team's buildup and sharpness will also be determined on the availability of key players for the Suzuki Cup.

Absent from the Peace Cup were ace goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Stephan Schrock, among others, due to commitments with their clubs in Europe, and brothers Phil and James Younghusband due to differences with Azkals management and the Philippine Football Federation over monetary and commitment issues.

source: http://mb.com.ph/

Chieffy Caligdong Named Globe Ambassador

Not only that Azkals have proven that they are more than the pretty faces people see on the screen they were also successful in making Football popular in the Philippines. Today, we no longer cheer for basketball or other popular games we often see in the streets of the Philippines but we have found a new love with Football through the PH Azkals team.

Chieffy Caligdong were able to show the world that not only the good looking half pinoys can become popular on screen but he had shown that local talents has what it takes to play soccer. I think that's why Globe chose Chieffy Caligdong to become their sports ambassador.

Not only that the Azkals made football popular to the Philippines but most of their members can really become great models to our young Filipinos as well especially Chieffy. I hope that more businesses will support not only team Azkals but other local talents that are doing their best to be a great model and to do well in their sports. That way we will see less athletes who will decide to leave Philippines in search for greener pastures or for whatever reasons like what Chieffy shared in the article below.

Chieffy Caligdong has agreed to become a sports ambassador of telecom giant Globe in a move that will likely prevent the popular Philippine Azkals winger from leaving the country to join his wife abroad.

The pint-sized Caligdong formalized his partnership with Globe United during yesterday's press conference at the Legend Villas Hotel in Mandaluyong City attended by Globe CEO and president Ernest Cu and UFL club Green Archers United.

"It's a dream come true," Caligdong said in Filipino. "It's an opportunity to help (Globe) with its sports development program and we will be able to teach a lot of people."

As sports ambassador, the Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo-native will take part in football development programs of Globe and Green Archers United.

He will also "provide mentorship support" for the Archers team in the UFL. Globe recently forged a partnership with the club that finished ninth in the recent season.

There is also a chance that Caligdong may join the club following his impending discharge from the Philippine Air Force in December.

Team manager Monchu Garcia, however, is not closing the door on the possibility of the charismatic booter to don the Green Archer colors in the immediate future.

"We would be honored if he decides to join our team but he has to maintain his commitments with his current club (Air Force)," said Garcia. "But this three-way partnership is the first step towards developing and identify local talents."

The move may also signal Caligdong's stay in the country to remain as part of the Philippine Azkals.

Caligdong once said at the end of his UFL campaign with Air Force that he may decide to join his wife in the United States where she works as nurse.

Regardless, he will be available for the Azkals campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup slated late-November in Bangkok. They are bracketed alongside host Thailand, Vietnam and the top team of the qualifying round in Group A.

"They're saying that we're again in the 'Group of Death' and that presents a challenge," he said. "I feel that we're a strong team and the teams are trying to avoid us and I'm confident about our chances in the Suzuki Cup."


source: mb.com.ph/

David Beckham gave his jersey to Phil Younghusband

We can still remember how the crowd went berserk when the football superstar scored the opening goal at the 20th minute.

Phil Younghusband asked David Beckham to exchange jerseys after the game. Beckham was nice enough to agree to the idea. But after he was subbed out, Beckham handed his jersey to boxing legend Manny Pacquiao who was there to watch the game. The fans at the grandstand got a little bit disappointed that he didn’t throw his jersey for a free-for-all, but still many of them got excited when they saw Beckham shirtless.

David Beckham still kept his promise to Phil Younghusband and gives him his jersey in the press conference.

LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena were very impressed by Philippine Azkals players especially Angel Guirado, Phil Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong.

Sports Unlimited: Azkals vs. Nepal

It was another shining moment for the Philippine Azkals as they blitzed Nepal 4-0 in a FIFA-sanctioned friendly match at the historic Rizal Memorial stadium. Team Nepal, which is ranked 135th in the world, is way above the Philippines which is on the 166th rung of the football ladder.

It may have been called a "friendly" but the Pinoy Azkals clearly gnawed at these Himalayan Tigers. Phil Younghusband scored the first goal for the Philippines in the 17th minute, sending the Rizal crowd on their feet. The pass by Paul Mulders enabled the Fil-Brit to kick the ball into the goal and put the Philippines in a 1-nil lead.

Inspired by his brother Phil's goal, James was on winged feet as he launched a long-range strike that flew to the net, marking the second goal for the Pinoy Azkals on the 29th minute.

Half time saw the UAAP cheerdancing champion, University of the Philippines, pull-off a show-stopping performance, to the delight of the crowd. The energetic and perky UP Pep Squad kept the crowd and the players in high spirits.

On the 55th minute, Phil Younghusband once again scored a goal that sent the fans on their feet.

The Nepalese tried their best to stop the rampaging Azkals and their attempts at scoring a goal were stopped by the Azkals towering goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.

Hartmann scored the 4th and final goal for the Azkals, with an assist from Phil Younghusband.

With this brilliant performance against the higher-ranking Nepalese, the Philippine Azkals has made tremendous progress in a short period of time.

Fresh from their runner-up finish in the recently concluded Long Teng Cup held in Taiwan, the Philippine Azkals is looking forward to their steady progress in the football scene.

The Azkals' Chieffy Caligdong was presented with the golden boot award of the Long Teng Cup for being the tourney's highest scorer. The Barotac Nuevo native proudly showed his small trophy, marking the tiny Pinoy's spirited offense during the competition that helped the Philippines improve from second runner-up last year to first-runner-up this year.

Hong Kong finished with 7 points, Philippines with 5, Chinese Taipei with 4, and Macau with zero.
With this smashing performance by the Philippine National Football Team, fans are looking forward to seeing the Azkals in action once again.

One thing that the Azkals are counting on as they make their steady headway is the continued support of their Pinoy football fans!

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Caligdong to booters: Height doesn’t matter

PHILIPPINE Men’s Football Team – Azkals co-captain Emilio "Chieffy" Caligdong told the 206 participating teams and hundreds of Negrenses who witnessed the opening of the Mayor Doc Eric 7-A-Side Football Festival last Saturday that height doesn’t matter in football.

The 5’ 5” Ilonggo booter said that in football, height won’t affect one’s performance provided he has the will to excel. “You’ve seen me played. I’m short but I played hard to help the team wins. Look at Argentinean football icon Diego Maradona, he’s short like me but he carried his team to several World Cup appearances.”

“The importance is hard-work and perseverance that will help us in attaining our goals as football players. Aside from dedication, we must also be disciplined to succeed,” he said.

He likewise expressed his appreciation to the City Government of Talisay, headed by Mayor Eric Saratan for inviting him in to the opening of the football festival.

“I was amazed with the number of participants. This showed how Filipinos got their hearts into this game,” he stressed.

He also thanked the Negrenses for their overwhelming support to the Azkals, stressing that they will continue to do their best to make the country proud of the national team.

Two hundred-six teams from the cities of Dumaguete, Cebu, Iloilo and province of Negros Occidental are competing for the 8-category event simultaneously played at the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College and Talisay City football pitch.

On the other hand, Mayor Saratan said that having this annual event is part of his commitment to football as he believed that this is the sports for Filipinos.

The event also coincided with the city’s celebration of its annual fiesta in honor of Saint Nicholas de Tolentino.

Games will resume on Saturday, September 10. (JSG)

Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on September 06, 2011.

Azkals vs Kuwait Live Stream

The first leg of Azkals vs Kuwait match will be on July 23 Saturday. We make sure that you can watch Azkals vs Kuwait Live Stream here in our website when that time comes.

The Philippine national football team will be playing in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time in history. Azkals made a stunning 4-0 score against Sri Lanka last Sunday.

The Azkals team barraged Sri Lanka with goals and was able to get 4 goals. Star strikers Phil Younghusband (scored 2 goals), Chieffy Caligdong and Angel Guirado pushed their way through Sri Lanka defense.

“Again we made history,” said skipper Aly Borromeo. “This is just the start and we got a long way to go.”

Azkals fans roar filled the stadium in support for the Azkals team. The Azkals will meet Asian powerhouse Kuwait in another home-and-away match on July 23 and 28.

Do not forget to like our Philippine Azkals facebook page so that you will always be updated with Azkals vs Kuwait match!

Team Azkals Silver Swan commercial

Phil Younghusband Silver Swan commercial with Ian Araneta, Aly Borromeo, Chieffy Caligdong and the Philippine Azkals Football team. Phil is the other half of the younghusband together with his brother James they are now the face of Philippine Football Team aka Team Azkals Silver Swan Soy sauce.