THE PHILIPPINE WOMEN’S Football Team’s journey en route to the World Cup has been an inspired sight for Philippine football, a scene that has been desperately waiting for a miracle.
With their success, many have looked up to them filled with optimism, which was highlighted in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour, attended by members from grassroots street programs, who were supported by the Philippine Football Federation and Coca-Cola Philippines.
Among them was Inspire Raya player, Gwen Estrada, who revealed in a press interview how emotional she felt from the festivities.
“Actually, po super unexpected kase sabi ni Coach Dennis na sundin niya ako sa Wednesday and I don’t know what will happen po. And then pagdating po ako dito, na-shock po ako and super grateful po na isa ako, parte ako sa event ngayon and sobrang nakakaiyak po lalo na yung viewing ng trophy po. Sobrang inspiring po,” said Estrada.
Seeing her idols could be the sparkplug she needed especially now that she is trying out across various UAAP schools. For her, football is her response to the problems she encounters in life.
“Yes po like parang when I play football po, parang sobrang saya ko na to the point na nakakalimutan ko yung iniisip ko, problema ko and kapag naglalaro ako ng football, feel ko talaga yung love and passion ko towards the sports po.”
But it wasn’t just Inspire Raya who was there at the event as Gawad Kalinga sent around 50 kids in the World Cup Trophy Tour.

Planting the seeds for the future
When the World Cup Trophy Tour was announced, Gawad Kalinga was supposed to send only one representative for the event.
However, because of the players love for the beautiful game, GK was forced to send 50 kids.
“Kase nagdala kami ng 50 kids, all the yellow kids there, that’s all under the Gawad Kalinga program. They really like ask, lahat kahapon pumunta sa office. So imagine pumunta sa office saying, ‘Ate we wanted to go there! Yung sa World Cup para makita namin yung trophy!” said Gawad Kalinga’s Bing Importante
“Sabi ko, ‘Wait lang kase we only have one, it’s only ate Lizzie will go and then it’s a good thing na si Coach Dave [Javellana] also like offerred.”
She further added: “Nag-usap kami, noong una twenty lang tapos biglang umabot ng fifty. So we shuttled. Our program was like one coach, five kids, yung mga senior players namin, yung mga scholars, they came in, nagtulungan kami on how we can get here, so they shuttled the kids going here.”
GK was never blessed with a football pitch and most of their sessions were done on the street, so when there was a mini-turf in Glorietta, the kids kept on playing nonstop.
“Sabi ni Coach, ‘O yung ano may mga games sa dulo, may mga prizes. Ayaw nilang umalis sa field because coach we don’t have a field, we play on the street. So when they saw the mini-pitch there, 1-v-1, lahat sila doon na pumila at naglaro,” revealed Importante.
And to add to the prestige was seeing their idols and the World Cup trophy.
“So ayun na-excite sila lalo na noong nakita nila yung trophy kase they can only see that on the cellphone, on TV.”
However, the event wasn’t just about the players meeting their idols as Bing Importante realized that it’s also a motivation for Gawad Kalinga to carry on their duties.
In a sport that is dominated by males, Importante looks back on Lizzie’s development and how the Womens Team’s World Cup run will serve as a beacon for the next generation of aspirants.
“Being one of the delegates, one of our Gawad Kalinga Sipag player Lizzie is playing. I remember she is playing since eight years old, the only girl community playing with the other boys, so being here right now is like a testament that her stories, like if you continue playing [even though] you know that the sport is known for [being a] men’s sport," reflected Importante.
“And then there’s a rose shining among the thorns, so hindi lang siya sumuko so same din sa ating mga women’s team na nasa World Cup na ngayon. So I know yung pinagdaanan nila, hindi basta-basta at hindi rin sila sumuko kung saan sila ngayon," she further added.
"So it will drive us more to continue the program that we are doing, to use the sport as a medium to the values formation, to the transformation of the kids in the communities, especially in the underserved ones.”
“So kung ano man ito ngayon, I know it will have an impact, not only to Lizzie but to the whole Gawad Kalinga community, to become an inspiration na yung mga batang nangangarap dati, one day sila din yung nandito ngayon.”
“We are planting a seed of something from them, the hope, the commitment, and the passion is there na e. We’re just planting an additional seed of hope to become bigger, to become a national athlete someday," she said.
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