Pru Life to launch ‘football for a better life’

MANILA, Philippines - The future of Philippine football will be on display when the “Pru Life Football for a Better Life 2015” grassroots program kicks off on Saturday in Barotac Nuevo in Iloilo.

Former Azkals skipper Chieffy Caligdong will be on top of the program that offers clinics, basic skills training, talent identification and scouting until November.

Pru Life UK, a leading life insurance company, is fully behind the program which also has Globe Telecom and the Gawad Kalinga Sipag Program as partners.

“We are committed to supporting football in the Philippines. We believe in helping the education of the Filipino youth,” said Pru Life UK Phiilippines chief marketing officer Belle Tiongco in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

“I believe in grassroots development and I believe in football for a better life,” said Caligdong during the forum presented by Accel, Pagcor, Shakey’s and San Miguel Corporation.

For the Barotac Nuevo leg alone, Caligdong expects around 250 teams and 3,000 kids in the different age groups (boys 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 and girls open).

“This is a big event,” added Caligdong, who hails from Barotac Nuevo.

Chris Thomas, a British soccer coach who has worked for the Little Azkals program, will lend his expertise to the program that will have 10 stops.

From Barotac Nuevo, the program will make stops in San Fernando, Pampanga (March 23-24), San Carlos City in Negros Occidental (April 22-23), Jamindan, Capiz City (May 16-17), Dumaguete City (June 13-14), Baguio City (July 11-12), Palawan (Aug. 22-23), Tagum, Davao del Norte (Sept. 19-20), Legazpi City (Oct. 10-11) and National Capital Region (Nov. 7-8).

“I believe the youth here will really excel in the future,” said Thomas, who plans to incorporate the British style of aggression and speed with the Philippines’ technical brand of play.

“Bring them together and we can create very good teams here,” added Thomas.