MindanaoToday.com | Time for SM Corp. to help other sports
CAGAYAN DE ORO City – San Miguel Corp. has been the biggest and the most influential conglomerate in the Philippines since time immemorial.
The Ramon S. Ang-run multi-billion company has maintained four Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) clubs. Ang himself in an interview admitted that the company is spending P1 billion pesos every year to keep San Miguel Beer, Purefoods, and Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA.
Recently, the conglomerate announced that it is also supporting the Perpetual Help University Systems Altas basketball team in the NCAA.
When the Soriano family controlled SMC in the 70’s and early 80’s, San Miguel used to maintain a football team in the senior tournament of the National Capital Region Football Association (NCRFA). The team was coached by Juan Cutillas and it had players like Cebu’s legendary coach Graeme Mackinnon.
SMC also used to have the Magnolia team coached by Gigi Sanchez and the late Chris Monfort.
SMC also used to support the National Men’s Football Championship which was known as the Don Andres Soriano Memorial Cup. SMC through its then subsidiary Coca-Cola Philippines also sponsored the Philippine Football Federation’s (PFF) Coke Go-For-Goal age group program.
When Danding Cojuangco took over SMC, the company’s priority changed and the support for football was withdrawn.
The company’s sports program then went all out to basketball. It maintained three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and even bankrolled some national basketball teams.
In 2017, Davao Aguilas owner Jeff Cheng managed to convince SMC to sponsor the Davao Aguilas in the fledging Philippine Football League (PFL). The Davao Aguilas was then officially called San Miguel Davao Aguilas and the big San Miguel Corp. logo sprawled on front of their official kits.
However, the following year, the Aguilas withdrew from the league and SMC’s sponsorship also was cut.
After five years of absence, the Davao Aguilas have returned to the PFL this year with a different sponsor.
In contrast, San Miguel Corp.’s toughest rival in the business sector, the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) Group of Companies, has led in supporting sports in the country.
Aside from having three clubs in the PBA namely, Talk and Text, Meralco, and NLEX, MVP also supports volleyball, boxing, weightlifting, gymnastics, badminton, golf, cycling, taekwondo, rugby, football, and many grassroots sports.
It is through MVP support that Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo have captured gold medals in the Olympics.
MVP has also been a massive supporter of the football in the country. Through its SMART telecommunications company, it supported the Philippine National Football Team and Loyola Football Club. MVP used to sponsor the Smart National U23 championships. However, presently, MVP’s support for football has been scarce.
There are rumors that the present head of San Miguel, Ramon S. Ang will be helping football soon by building infrastructures to help boost football development in the country. However, unless Ang officially announces the plans this will remain a rumor.
SMC’s contribution to the country’s grassroots football program cannot be forgotten as it started the Coke Go-for-Goal football youth program when the company used to control Coca-Cola Philippines.
The Coke Go-For-Goal Youth Football U16 nationalwide tournament was started in 1984 by then Coca-Cola Export manager the late Rene Adad. It ended in 2004 with thousands of young players benefiting from the program.
Many veterans of the tournament for students have become members of the Philippine National Football Team like Ian Araneta, Chieffy Caligdong, and Yanti Bersales to name a few.
There is however hope on the horizon as according to reports, Philippine-based Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) has jointly acquired Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. together with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) for $1.8 billion on a debt-free, cash-free basis. It will hold a 40% stake, while CCEP will take up the remaining 60% stake.
This news brings great hope for youth football development in the country as the Aboitiz family has supported the beautiful game in Cebu for a long time now with their 11-Aside Aboitiz Football Cup.
The relaunching of the Coke Go-For-Goal program is a dream that the football community wishes to come true. Just like the current support of San Miguel Corp. to the sport we love, remains a dream. (jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)