Azkals: 100% Pinoy Pride
In the cab on our way to Rizal Memorial Stadium, the driver said something that many of us have heard one too many times.
He had his radio tuned to the news, which (of course) was doing pre-match coverage of the game between our Azkals and Kuwait. And he told us, “Karamihan sa kanila hindi naman Pinoy (Most of [the Azkals] aren’t even Filipino).” My ears burned but I couldn’t articulate my thoughts in Tagalog fast enough.
Shiela, however, did. With the right amount of patience mixed with exasperation, she explained how everyone playing for the national team had Filipino blood.
Many non-football fans are unaware that recruiting players from other countries is not unique to the Philippines. Commentator Bob Guerrero says, “The United States, for example, has recently capped two Germans, Jermaine Jones and Timmy Chandler, who happen to have American servicemen fathers. Turkey has also employed Germans of Turkish extraction. Indonesia’s Irfan Bachdim has a Dutch mother and Indonesian father and grew up in the Netherlands, where he developed in the FC Ajax Amsterdam system. The French are particularly fond of fielding mixed-heritage players. Les Bleus great Marcel Desailly is actually Ghanaian-born, while Liliam Thuram was born in Guadeloupe, a former French colony.
“Other countries also naturalize foreign players so that they can play in their national team,” Bob continues to explain. “Indonesia defeated the Azkals last December 2-0 over two legs, both goals coming off the foot of Uruguayan-born striker Christian Gonzales, who was granted an Indonesian passport after scoring 173 times in the Indonesian league. Singapore features Serbians Aleksandr Duric and Mustafic Fahrudin, as well as two naturalized Chinese players.”
Bob adds, “The Philippines, to my knowledge, has yet to naturalize a foreign player.”
But for Manong cab driver, and many other critics, judgement had already been passed.
“Ang paborito ko lang dun si ano (My only favorite there is what’s-his-face),” the all-knowing man said, not being able to recall Chieffy Caligdong’s name. Or the existence of the other homegrown Filipinos in the team for that matter.
I have to admit I can be extra sensitive about this topic because I’ve spent every year since I moved here from the States being an outsider. (To think I’m 100% Pinoy-blooded.) In a country that prides itself in being able to speak great English, I’ve encountered many people who would rather not speak to me because English makes their noses bleed. But as I try to learn Tagalog, I get made fun of for my accent.
It’s confusing.
But does this make me, or anyone else who grew up elsewhere, any less Filipino?
According to the ignorant, it does.
Filipino American-born defender Anton del Rosario. Photo by Craig Burrows.
Maybe they’ve decided to categorize us alongside the few who have that stuck-up walang-ganyan-sa-States (it isn’t like that in the States) attitude. Maybe they can’t understand that it’s only natural for someone living in another country to have a different way of speaking and thinking, while they do their best to adjust to a new home.
But we’re trying. Believe me, we’re trying hard.
We just need room to work at it without others making fun of us as we assimilate ourselves into a place we didn’t have the privilege of growing up in. They also have to accept that we are bi-cultural; that the other half of us belongs to another home at the same time.
American-born Aly Borromeo was raised in the Philippines.
Now think about what these so-called “Fil-Foreign” Azkals opted to do: make their Filipino half their sole identity by choosing to represent the Philippines internationally, in a sport where we rank only 162 in the world. Yet the only time you’ll ever hear about any of them bowing their heads in shame, is in apology when they feel they’ve let our country down.
James Younghusband, Manny Ott, and Rob Gier after the match which advances Kuwait to the next round in the World Cup Qualifiers. Photo by Craig Burrows.
Bob puts it this way: “At the end of the day, if your momma knows how to cook a mean adobo, then you have to be considered Pinoy. Even if you are raised abroad and have never been to the Philippines. The reality is there is a huge Filipino diaspora living abroad and their children have every right to represent the Philippines in sports. It would be mean and unfair to use only full-blooded and Filipino-born Pinoys in the team.”
Filipino-English goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and one of his brilliant saves during the Azkals vs. Kuwait home game. Photo by Craig Burrows.
Filipino-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran comes in to substitute Spanish-Filipino striker Angel Guirado. Photo by Craig Burrows.
“Would I want to have more homegrown Pinoys playing for the Azkals? Absolutely,” he says. “But we just can’t do that yet. Hopefully what will happen with the emergence of the Azkals is that football will become so popular that the local leagues and youth leagues get more attention, and more money. That will equate to more competition, more player development, and better homegrown players. This will be a long process that will take some time.”
Icelandic-Filipino defender Ray Jonsson during the Azkals vs. Kuwait home game.
“We shouldn’t just find the next Phil Younghusband or Stephan Schrock. We should also DEVELOP the next Ian Araneta and Chieffy Caligdong. But until then,” Bob says, “the Fil-Foreigners deserve our support.”
Striker Phil Younghusband and brother James are English-Filipino.
German Filipino Stephan Schrock calls his mom “Nanay”. Photo by Craig Burrows.
In a just-concluded DZMM Teleradyo interview with some of the Azkals, Boyet Sison asked, “How Filipino are you now?” English-raised Rob Gier answered, “We’ve always been Filipino.”
At the end of the day, the Azkals should simply be thought of as this: the Philippine Men’s National Football Team. It’s one team, fighting for the same goal, for the pride of one nation. Our nation.
They all play with their hearts on their sleeves. If you look closely, you’ll see that those hearts come in the form of the Philippine flag.
Thanks to Bob Guerrero for his participation in this story, and to Craig Burrows for sharing his photographs. View more of Craig’s shots on Pinoy Football.
Special thanks to the Dario brothers for helping me get those fantastic tickets to the Azkals vs. Kuwait match, and to Nikki Del Carmen for the LX3 loan. Like Life’s My Trip on Facebook and view all of our Azkals albums.
PREV OLD HOUSES GET A NEW HOME
“We shouldn’t just find the next Phil Younghusband or Stephan Schrock. We should also DEVELOP the next Ian Araneta and Chieffy Caligdong. But until then,” Bob says, “the Fil-Foreigners deserve our support.”
– so true! the team gets a lot of flack for being a team of europeans vs a team of ‘real’ filipinos. personally, what matters is that they’re actually here playing for the country…
and while i don’t really follow football that much, they always look like they’re giving a 110% on the pitch… so much passion! that should count for something, right?
It counts for everything! Thanks for dropping by, Nat! xoxo
You’re very welcome Patti! Very well written piece. I just also wanted to mention that there are a lot of Pinoy-Americans in the PBA and the Smart-Gilas national team and Fil-foreigners in the UAAP and NCAA. In fact, Smart-Gilas went one step further and naturalized American player Marcus Douthit while the Azkals have none. Why a lot of Pinoys keep on raising this criticism against the Azkals is truly mind-boggling, while they don’t raise the issue against Smart Gilas or the Volcanoes.
This was also never used as an issue against Chinese-Filipinos who have been playing for our national basketball teams (Fortunato Co, Alvin Teng, Lim Eng Beng, Avelino Lim, James Yap, etc.) or mestizos like Robert Jaworski, Rudolf Kutch, and Freddie Webb. Our basketball and football teams of yesteryears also starred many Fil-Spanish/Fil-German mestizos like Francis Arnaiz, Kurt Bachmann, Mike Bilbao, Carlos Loyzaga, etc.
The successful national basketball team under the acclaimed Northern Consolidated project of Eduardo Cojuangco in the 80s featured Fil-Am Ricardo Brown and naturalized Filipinos Dennis Still, Arthur Engelland and Jeff Moore. But I haven’t heard Pinoys shouting to high heavens and complaining about it.
What these ordinary folk don’t realize is that thousands of our mestizo countrymen (Fil-Chinese, Fil-Spanish, Fil-Indian, Fil-American) have died fighting as Filipinos under the Philippine flag in the wars of independence against Spain and the United States from the 1890s to early 20th century and against the Japanese during World War 2 just so that you, me and millions of Filipinos can enjoy the freedoms that we have now. Now, let’s see them complain about that.
I’m trying to look for the “LIKE” button on that comment, Teddy. It’s funny how some Filipinos (not just people, but our own) are so quick to judge simply because they are not used to the sport.
That comment deserves to be an article in itself. Thank you both.
As noted, Pinoys like having a bit of foreign blood. Look at how much we admire the mestizo good looks of actors like Richard Gutierrez, Gerard Anderson and the others. The original Malay blood has been overlain with Chinese, Spanish and American blood.
But we have to credit our Malay genes for our courage and toughness during the wars of liberation against foreign colonizers.
Funny, sometimes I envy those that actually came from abroad and settled here with their accents and non-capacity to speak Tagalog.
I’ve always wanted that case for me, vs what I ended up becoming…a perfect example of a product of neo-post colonialism.
I was born and raised here, but for some reason, I have the accent, less of the Filipino values…and for the heck of me, only learned HOW to speak Tagalog naturally come college, but even then it was awkward.
But back to the topic of Football:
“Would I want to have more homegrown Pinoys playing for the Azkals? Absolutely,” he says. “But we just can’t do that yet. Hopefully what will happen with the emergence of the Azkals is that football will become so popular that the local leagues and youth leagues get more attention, and more money. That will equate to more competition, more player development, and better homegrown players. This will be a long process that will take some time.”
One thing I’m happy about is that with the Azkals and the fame that comes with their success and even good looks is that…Football is coming onto the mainstream here in the Philippines. I only pray that it’s a trend, not some fad.
Bottom line is that, hopefully with the success of these manly, good looking men…people are somewhat finally taking Football seriously in our country, and are actually giving the sport the support that it needs (to some extent at least).
Hopefully, in the coming years, we find more Caligdongs, more Aranetas, and Philippine versions of Schrock and Gier…and even the Younghusbands.
We Filipinos should remove the mentality that “basketball lang” or that “Football, pang mayaman lang” and actually try and play the sport.
*bow*
it’s not really difficult to understand why a lot of “real blooded” filipinos don’t get and/or don’t like the azkals… they don’t like football.
azkals haters = football haters
Excellent post! Agree with all your points.
This overtly chauvinistic attitude may actually reflect a deep inferiority complex manifesting as a reflexive protectiveness of a weak Filipino ego. If we were truly proud of our being Filipino – through genuine accomplishments not just by solo heroes a la Pacquiao, but by the Pinoy in general, by cultural and economic achievements – we would not bristle at the slightest *perceived* alleged ‘insult’ to our Pinoyness.
Who is a ‘true’ Pinoy, anyway? Are we not all mongrels, of mixed race? The Aetas and Igorots and other indigenous peoples may be the more ‘pure’ Pinoys in ethnicity, but this is idiocy.
And what a most inappropriate target for their chauvinism! These boys have voluntarily chosen to represent the Philippine colours in international matches, and especially in the case of early joiners like Borromeo, del Rosario and the Younghusbands – at a time when Filipino football was close to its nadir. Such provincial, ungrateful and ignorant wretches, I say!
Someone said that there are those who *choose* to be Filipinos – as the Azkals born and raised abroad have done – and there are those who are *accidental* Pinoys who just happened to be born and raised in the archipelago. Should we resent the former for actually choosing to be a Pinoy – when that would, in my view, bring fewer immediate advantages and conveniences to them? Are the latter superior to the former in their ‘Pinoyness’? What hogwash!
If these Fil-foreigners were popular in their home countries, they wouldn’t even end up playing for the Philippines. Think about it. They chose to play here because our county is the best avenue to gain popularity and success.
While I appreciate their efforts in igniting the Filipino’s love for football, let’s face it, they came here because their home countries had better players to choose from. Given our colonial mentality of pure adoration for mestizos, playing for the Philippines was the best move that they could make.
Give Filipinos in the Philippines a chance to have all the attention. There is no such thing as a “superiority complex” of Pinoyness. In fact, it isn’t even about that. What others mean might be giving opportunities to Filipinos living in the Philippines to play for their country. A lot of Filipinos are as talented as these Fil-foreigners (maybe minus the looks), but with the same potential. The Fil-foreigners already have a better standard of living, give other Filipinos a chance to improve their futures by letting them play this sport. Not everything is about looks, it is mostly about talent, and we have plenty right here in our country.
Nicely written, Ms. Mallari. Mabuhay ang Pinoy at ang Azkals. Kudos to Mr. Guerrero and Mr. Burrows for the cool pictures.
Thank you.
Nice article… I would just like to comment though on the caption of Anton Del Rosario’s pic stating the he is “filipino-american”. Correction on that, Anton may have been born in the US but just like Aly Borromeo, he a full-blooded filipino as both parents are filipnos. I know the family personally as they used to rent our house in makati……thanks
Thanks for that, Luigi! I’ll make the correction.:)
The cab driver and most die hard basketball lovin’ countrymen of ours won’t understand. They can’t embrace something new aside from basketball. And even if our country is doing well and gained popularity overnight, it is all new to them because basketball is all they know. It isn’t a norm so they are quick to lash at these so called none Filipino players instead of being jubilant for the country and these players who put us where we are now in the futbol world.
“the AzkaLs (FiL-foreigners) chose to pLay for the PhiLippine fLag which they are very proud of..it means they reaL FiLipinos by heart and they reaLLy are..they just share a foreign bLood at the same time, but stiLL they are Pinoys and we very weLL know they’re reaLLy proud of being one..” heLL yeah azkaLs.!!
very nice articLe..enjoyed reading it..
Mr. Burrows and to those who were part of this very weLL constructed articLe.. thanks, and more power.. proud to be an azkaL fan and a Pinoy..
This article is very good. It is sometimes frustrating that these Filipinos are raising issues like this against the AZKALS. May i suggest what the AZKLAS should do is to just ignore these ignorant people. They are not aware of that issue because they don’t understand what they say. Filipinos are not mature enough to think and say responsibly. Most of the Filipinos are not educated so maybe we can just try to understand them as much as possible. Bashing and raising issues aginst our fellow Pinoy will bring us nowhere.
These people who call the AZKALS as not pure Pinoys are the people who doesn’t know the meaning of who the real Filipino is.
I think for most pinoys to truly and fully understand this situation will take years. Most people react when they learn how a big fan of the Azkals I am. They would ask, “alam mo ba un larong football?” or they would utterly state, “di naman natin laro yan!” Irritating as it may sound, I try to explain na lang about the team and the game itself. What’s good about it is, so far, they became interested. Hopefully,more pinoys will appreciate the team and the game itself. Besides, pinoys should always support fellow pinoys whether true blue or halfblood. Mabuhay,Azkals.Mabuhay, Pinoys!
I don’t have any problems having Fil-foreign players play for the national team. Coz if it weren’t for them, football will still be a stranger to a lot of us.
These players contributed so much to introduce football here in the Philippines. And we owe them that.
The fact that they are whole-heartedly playing for the Philippines, they have all the right to be on the team.
I hate it when they say that Football is not our sport when in fact during the more than 300 years under the Spaniards, football was the major sport in the Philippines. Until Americans came and introduced basketball. From that, it is obvious that football is is already in our blood even before everybody knew basketball.
Lycka, how could football be the major sport in the “more than 300 years under the Spaniards” when modern football wasn’t introduced in Spain until the very late 19th century? Just sayin.
Hi Patti,
Ang ganda naman ng kwento mo tungkol sa Azkals, mahirap talaga magpaliwanag sa mga taong ayaw umintindi at hindi maka intiendes mabuti na lamang at mahaba ang pacencia mo kay manong cab driver. At sana nga tuloy tuloy na ang pag mulat ng mga Pinoy kung gaano ka-ganda ang larong ito, hindi dahil sa uso at mga guapo sila kaya sikat sila ngayon. Kung tutuusin mo nga eh mas Pinoy pa ang Azkals sa puso compara mo sa ilan nating mga kababayan na walang ibang ginawa kung hindi mag jusga…..hahaha hindi na nga pala bago yan sa atin! Parang natatandaan ko eh hindi pa nag re-act ng ganito ang mga Pinoy pag basketball ang laro, hindi ako nang iintriga ha maaring mali ako. Habang binabasa ko ang ibang nag comento ay nangingiti ako dahil ako ay natutuwa at hindi lang pala ako ang fanatico ng futbol at marami pala! At sana dumami pa!! At sana naman sa buong mga barangay sa Filipinas eh wag lang basketball court ang gawin nila, sana futbol field naman kesa ibulsa lang ni Mayor pang pagawa nito! Marami pang sana akong gusto at naiisip para gumanda lahat, pero alam ko darating din tayo diyan basta patuloy lang natin ang suporta sa kanila….sa mga haters, isa lang ang masasabi ko…..manood na lang kayo ng PBA! Salamat po.
Thanks Patti. Great piece. Youve hit the nail in the head. The Azkals have already raised the level of play of the youngsters because more kids have started playing because of them. Considering the grassroots program hasnt been relaunched yet. The future is bright.
So, this half-half argument is still alive? Didn’t all our presidents say the Filipino diaspora helped saved our economy from the sh*tters? Don’t we all hail our OFWs as heroes?
All Azkals are Pinoys.
Period!
Kudos to Sheila for educating the taxi driver…
Like all the comments above I definitely agree that this one is a great article.
Last friday when I woke up I heard a commentary like the other. That our team is made up of almost foreigners.
It just made me think how inconsistent we can be. When watching the news we always see half-filipinos born abroad who make it big and those half-foreign half-pinoys don’t even brag about their being Pinoys or never stepped a foot in our country.
While here are the Azkals who all have Filipino blood no matter what the mix are, who like Darren Criss, Vanessa Hudgens, Rob Schneider have Filipino bloods who make it big internationally carrying the name of our Country Philippines – and note representing only the Philippines. I am not against the half-pinoys artists and the like mentioned above but for me its just more fit for the Azkals to be taken pride of for they are out loud of their being Filipinos.
I watched the interview of the Azkals awhile ago in DZMM Teleradyo. Rob Gier’s answer “We’ve always been Filipino.” is just so heartfelt. And must be taken as it is. They are Filipino. Its just the circumstances that they were born in foreign land. It amazed me more when Rob shared that PFF did not give him an invite. Rather, he is the one who looked for the PFF in his desire to play for our country.
If being how much of a Filipino is the issue. Then I would say they are more Filipino than other home-grown Filipinos who doesn’t acknowledge themselves as one. Especially, when these Filipinos are in other countries and hide their true nationality.
Moreover, while watching another documentary on the Azkals the leader of the Kaholero’s that in the world cup once you’ve worn the color of a country you can no longer play for another nation (that is the entirety of their senior career). Then this just means that from the moment they decided to represent the Philippines in the FIFA Qualifiers they in some sort kind of denounced their other nationality.
But I do support the idea that “We shouldn’t just find the next Phil Younghusband or Stephan Schrock. We should also DEVELOP the next Ian Araneta and Chieffy Caligdong. But until then,” Bob says, “the Fil-Foreigners deserve our support.”. I too dream to see a team of mostly home-grown talents representing the Philippines not just in Football but in different sports. I always imagine how proud it is to hear the Philippine national anthem played during one of the awarding ceremonies in one of the events in the Olympics. But as the author have said since that time is not yet now, then these Fil-Foreigners who represent our country in football or other sports is deserving of the Filipinos support.
I could keep on writing and writing but it all boils down to the point that the Azkals are undoubtedly Filipinos.
I like this article! And I also get a headache when someone says that “hindi naman filipino yung mga players” OR “dahil lang sa goodlooks sila nanood ng game and nagsusupport.” Why can’t other people just support the team and if you don’t want to support them, then don’t say anything at all. I even like the fact that the Philippines don’t have any naturalized players, and I’d like them to stay like this. I don’t think we have to get real foreigners, to be a good team. Or Filipino citizens since they were born. David Alaba for example, is not a naturalized player, since he was Austrian since birth, yet he has no austrian blood flowing through his body but people here accept him.
Nonetheless, I can say that I am one of the abroadies – who are born and raised in Austria but are 100% full-blooded Filipinos – and I can have the privilege to know both cultures, both languages and support anything filipino, yet I don’t forget to support austrian teams. And the other way round aswell. So bottomline – know your roots and the growing tree. Mabuhay ang Azkals! I’m hyped for the next games, seasons and the bright future for the Philippine National Football Team.
I hope the Manong cab driver, supports the azkals. That’s all the azkals need. They are not asking for money from the fans, but just the support. They are putting the Philippines on the football map. Finally.
Wala naman issue sa aming ordinaryong filipino na sumusuporta sa Azkals minahal namin kayo umpisa palang. When we see you’ll at HYY naging masaya ang filipino kasi nilalaro nyo yung mga laro na ginagawa din ng ordinaryong filipino. its trending worldwide twitter.
I love this article. I’m 100% Filipino (not that we should put a percentage to being Filipino) and I’ve lived in the US for the last 13 years and I’m so proud of the revolutionary change in thinking by the Filipino teenagers here in the US. Because of the famous mixed Filipino personalities here (baseball pitcher Tim Lincecum, Black Eyed Peas Apl d Ap, singer-rapper Jay-Z, to name a few), I’ve noticed so many teenagers wearing Pinoy-inspired T-shirts proudly with a notable swagger. These personalities proudly showed their Filipino sides and that’s what should matter, as those pure-Pinoy Azkal critiques should seriously think about! Proud to be Pinoy! My sons are growing up in a country where they don’t think of themselves as second-class citizens.
Thank you so much for writing this. I hope this would help open the eyes of other people, because it’s high time they realize that these guys are more than just football player “hybrids” with pretty face and great physique. They live up to their being Filipino by playing with all their hearts, giving honor to our country. They could develop and go on with their football careers in other countries, but still they choose to play for the Philippines – where the sport initially started with inadequate funds and support. It couldn’t get any more Filipino than THAT!
Thanks for this Ms. Mallari. It helped me appreciate the Azkals more. I hope more Filipinos wud read this!
Thank you!!!
I read your article thru a twitter link. I praise you for this well written blog. Your piece drove home the point. Crab mentality should be eliminated in the minds of these ignorant Filipinos.
half pinoy, pure pinoy = pinoy I guess some people including me in the past doesn’t want any fil-foreign to represent the country in any sport. I don’t like them not because of their looks or how they speak but simply because I feel that they are stealing spots from our local kababayan.
But I realized that is it their fault that they were born in a different country received world class training and excelled in the sport that they chose and was called to represent their motherland PHILIPPINES. But instead we should be inspired that “OUR KABABAYAN” can compete on a higher level. It only
shows that our locals can do it too with proper training and good program. They deserved our support and we should give it too. We should be happy that our Flag is seen alongside with asian football powerhouse kuwait in an international tournament and is well represented by this fil-foreigns. We should be proud and see all those players as pinoys not half but 100% pinoys because they are representing each one of the Million filipinos here and abroad.
But this I plead as a Pinoy sports fanatic to all the NSA (National Sports Association) President that we should develop our own grassroot program so in the future we will have a deep pool of talents locals or fil-foreign.
“pinoyislands – where people and places are world class”
They are lucky I don’t belong to their generation, & vice versa. In the history of soccer football, have anybody seen a ball kicked from a corner kick & went inside the goal during an official game?
Very well, said! Even if I am “pureblood Pinoy”, I get horrified when people call the Fil-Foreigners “half breeds” because it sounds as if they’re being tagged as dogs. I think labeling people based on their blood status is discrimination at its worst. It’s disgusting the way people talk about how they are not real Filipinos and all that crap. I always tell them that, if truth be told, these Fil-Foreigners could have played for a higher caliber team in their foreign homelands yet they choose to come here to represent us, representing even those lowlifes who don’t even appreciate their efforts. Also, it’s not like they chose to be half-Filipino. You can’t choose your parents, after all, and it’s a shame that the ignorant people seem to blame these players for not having a pure Filipino descent. Pinoys are pinoys, regardless. If they don’t want to be discriminated against when they go to foreign countries, then they have no right to discriminate against others, especially since these “others” are also our fellow countrymen.
Thank you for supporting this article and making it richer with your insightful comments!
Great entry!
i feel like crying reading this, just look at Rob Gier’s face during Nation anthem, you feel it.
ignorant people should read this entry.
Thank you for this article. I always had to hold my tongue, clench my fists, and take a deep, deep breath whenever the “they’re not Filipinos” argument is put forth. People who comment on that obviously do not know about football.
This team is young and I’m ecstatic that football has finally found its way into Filipino hearts. I’ve waited years for this and I can’t quite believe it’s happening in my lifetime. We need these foreign-bred Filipinos because they came from fantastic football backgrounds that they couldn’t have gotten had they been raised here. And wherever they may be raised, how dare someone question their being Filipino. They chose this country for a lot of reasons. They have helped upgrade Philippine football. A lot of people are happy.
I love Chieffy and he’s one of my favorites, but he is rare. We lack a good football training program in this country. If we had a great program, imagine how Chieffy would be. That is why we need these players who have grown up in great systems, football systems.
Sorry for the long comment
)
Nice read. It really is a moot point. I think the cab driver’s understanding of what it means to be a Filipino is on the same level as his understanding of football. He sounds like he’s shooting from the hip.He can’t even name Chieffy! (he needs to become a household name btw.)
Anyway, as long as the Azkals keep playing, over time the average pinoy’s football knowledge will increase and prejudice will be swept under the rug.
what is good for the goose is good for the gander. fifa rules allows it so why should we not apply it? nonong araneta should emphasize this. those who begrudge the fil-foreigners are ignorant. they are barking at the wrong tree.
These racists are no different from the Nazis. The Azkals are Filipinos. Period.
It’s sad how some of us continue to manifest our ignorance, really. I mean, the Constitution does not discriminate between the “pure” Filipino and the half-Filipino so why should we? The fact that they chose to represent the Philippines is testament enough that they have embraced being a Filipino whole-heartedly. Plus, it’s dehumanizing and infuriatingly insulting to refer to human beings as half-half. Those crabs! As what Gloc 9 has preached in his song, “Pilipino lang tayo pag nanalo si Pacquiao”.
Support does not only mean being there whenever they win, but most importantly it’s by being there especially when they do not. Thanks for this article. Mabuhay ang Azkals!
Weird that when a Filipino gets claim to fame internationally, we are quick to proudly say “He/She is Pinoy, galing ng Pinoy yan!”. But now that we have foreign-born Filipinos claiming their fame here in the PH, we criticize them for being foreign. Can’t quite make up our minds, no? Tsk tsk.
For me I’m very happy about the reemergence of football in mainstream sports. Both my brothers are football varsity players and our family has lamented the fact that football is not a supported sport–pitches are not maintained, players are not motivated, fans in general are few, schools are not giving enough support (compared to basketball).
With the increase in popularity of the game, my brothers and their friends are encouraged to try out for the national team, very unheard of 5 years ago since they didn’t really care enough to do that before. It used to be just an extracurricular thing that kept them from taking P.E. classes and hanging out at school later than the usual. (I am seriously hoping that they find in my bros the next Ian or the next Chieffy. LOL)
The thing that keeps a lot of Filipinos from trying out the sport is that they feel it’s a “mestizo” game–laro ng mayaman, as what my dad said, which was the image of football during his youth. But this is a misconception; in South America, in Africa, they play football in the streets, in the slums, in the alleys. They play football without shoes, on mud, on sand, or wherever there is a ball and two feet to kick, there is football.
I hope the Azkals continue what they do for the game. It’s a glorious universal sport, and I hope they convince more people how great this game is.
Filipinos love to flaunt their unsolicited opinion matter-of-factly even if it’s devoid of any fact. I used to ge piqued by these remarks, much more by those who speak as if they knew futbol. But I know better, and better means keeping quiet and keep believing that:
1. Azkals will one day rise as a global team to reckon with; and
2. an antidote to stupidity would be discovered one day and be made available to people for free.
Um, Jose Rizal WAS mestizo. An illustrado. Face it. There are no “true” Filipinos. The nation conceptualized by Rizal and what exists today is a lovely melting pot of different cultures and races. But it’s what makes us stronger. I pity the cabby more than anything else, that he sees himself as “kawawa” pa rin when there are so many things we Pinoys have to be proud of. Don’t you think the Azkals performance against a top Gulf Nation will make them think of us as more than OFWs and domestic helpers?
hey i just blogged about this!
this is one of the best and well written comments i’ve read, i hope our fellow kababayans would realize that despite of the team’s mixed races, and no matter how they travel from different parts of the globe, without any permanent compensation, they HAVE CHOSEN & GIVEN THEIR HEARTS to play for our country and flag! kudos to AZKALS, you make us proud- TULOY ANG LABAN!
EH SILA NGA, PROUD NA PROUD MAGING PILIPINO, SINO BA NAMAN TAYO PARA HINDI SILA TANGGAPIN AT SUPORTAHAN?
it’s just too sad that Pinoys of full blooded are the ones making the first move to not appreciate the efforts of these half-Pinoys.. tsssk! wag naman tayong maging mapanghusga..
well sa bagay, they’re not used to the sport kaya siguro ganun!
My reply to those who question the veracity of “Filipino-ness” of the supposed “foreigners” in the Philippine football team: “what have you done to be in the service of the advancement of Philippie sports, and the country for that matter?”. I say kudos to all the Azkals as they are doing a great service to the advancement of the sport and bringing pride to Filipinos.
Why there’s so many Filipinos make a big deal on this issue? We should be proud that this European-born or American Born Filipino ( I dont want to use the word Fil-Am or Fil-Spanish) played for our country without conditions or something in return.
These so-called “half-bred” Azkals are even more Filipino than some Filipinos. Don’t we all know of someone who moved to the States….green card holder lang, eh feel na feel na Amerikano na sila! Whereas these guys, they proudly wear their Philippine colors.
In similar discourse about this globalized world, I always argued: who is more Filipino? the Azkal who proudly plays for his “motherland” and not for money, or the one who sings the national anthem every Monday but corrupts people’s taxes.
sad to say that whenever there is a match always opt to stay at home instead of going to work but the last match I was able to file a leave so i had to endure a lot of comments about the team. in short, I was at the end of my wits barely an hour into my shift so the last person who commented about the team had to endure this:
A: ha! talo azkals
B: parang natutuwa ka pa a
A: di naman….
A: bakit maka azkals ka ba?
B: Last I check Pilipino ako e
NICE!!!
Yun na! I bet A was speechless.
great and excellent article! very well said and explained. for me, Azkals are Filipino because they are giving their service to the Philippine flag, they are making sacrifices inorder to give pride and honor to our beloved country. being born with both Filipino parents and raised only here in the Philippines is not enough or shall i say true measurement of being a Filipino. because a true Filipino is someone who is willing to do sacrifices for the pride and honor of our country. and undoubtedly that is what the Azkals are doing. they have done a lot, sacrificed a lot for the advancement of football in the Philippines. a 100% support to the team especially to the so-called “Fil-foreigners” (i hate calling them Fil-foreigners) is enough to THANK them for playing for the flag. seeing rob geir on tv teary-eyed/holding his tears while singing the Philippine national anthem…just melt my Filipino heart. this just show how serious they are in their desire to bring pride and honor to the country…that they are Filipino by heart…and as what rob said “they’ve always been Filipino.” so who are we to judge? sa lahat ng Azkals hater at ginagawang issue ang pagiging half-half nila…ano ba ang nagawa nyong mabuti para sa bansa or sa Philippine sports? i will always be proud of the Philippine Azkals because of what they have done to the Philippine sports. long live Philippine Azkals! laban kung laban! i will always BELIEVE no matter what.
i can’t believe i only got to read this article now! great writing and excellent points.
it’s weird how people are so quick to judge who does and who doesn’t deserve the “Pinoy Pride”. when x-percent pinoys sing on American Idol, or dance in SYTYCD, or appear in some movie (i forget those american actors who come “home” with a hero’s welcome) – they get a gazillion votes and mass recognition. while we have athletes, pure pinoys or not, who trudge in mud and rain through cramps and zero glamour – they get zilch or maybe a raised eyebrow.
urgh. i stick my tongue out to that general hateful direction.
Very interesting article..well written, and great to read. I have been following the Azkals progress for the last year or so, through friends’ post and links, and I think they have a very bright future. I respect and understand everyone’s opinion, and their right to put forward those opinions. However, in my own opinion, to say that because someone has Filipino blood they are automatically Filipinos, is a bit shortsighted. As an example.. I have 2 children, both are half Filipino, half Australian (of Scottish descent). Are my children Filipinos? Of course not, they are Australian.
I think we are defined by the culture, and the environment we have been raised in, regardless of our heritage (or bloodline). A child to American, Chinese, (or whoever) parents, who is raised in the Philippines, living and breathing the culture, the values, and the way of life, is as Filipino as every other child, in my opinion.
Being eligible to represent the Philippines in a sport (or in anything) is different to being a “true” Filipino. I’m not saying the players are any more or less deserving, or whether it’s good or bad, but it’s just different, specially in the world of professional sports, where nations fight for elite athletes allegiances.
well, we cant really stop other people say that. Infact my son Jessar even told me one day that his classmates not convinced that Nate Payos-Burkey is his Uncle (my first cousin)because people look at you in physical aspect.Anyway, we it doesnt bothered at all. Even if people dont believe that in our heart we knew that Nate has a filipino blood and in his heart we are close and he love our boys here, his nephews (Jessar, Alec & Lance)
Yes a briliant artcile, and one that needed to be written if only to relay the facts. Have you seen the Swedish national team — another one to bend the argument.
What is interesting to note is that the emergence of fil-ams in the PBA has actually caused the league’s drop in popularity, on the other hand, the “azcals” has boosted the re-emergence of football in the country. Perhaps behavioural science should give us a firmer grip on this Fil-foreigner phenomenon. Not being either — a fil-foreigner nor a behavioural scientist — my simple speculative take on this is that it is all about “affinity.” The PBA has lost ground due to the lack of affinity with any local “commercial” team, sans Ginebra, exascerbated by the lack of affinity with most unknown fil-am players. Smart-Gilas has a greater following these days regardless of whether the players are local, fila-am, or naturalized. The affinity is because they represent our country – PILIPINAS. It is a similar affinity for the AZCALS. This is our country, our team, finally competing at a higher level in the world’s most popular game. Which is why we continue to cheer even if they lose, no matter where they are from. Our country can now compete, and that is a huge win in itself. No doubt our cheers would have been louder if they had been pure locals, like we do for Pacquiao or Efren “Bata” Reyes or the annual Filipino representative who lands at final twelve of the “American Idol.” For our cab driver, he is merely seeking affinity with that impressive local hero, Chieffy, whose name escapes him, in a game he barely understands.
For the fil-foreigner, their affinity is with their mother (or father) and hence with their “mother’s” land. And so their affinity is with us, and ours with them!
Pardon me for my honesty/opinion (whatever you want to call it)
but if we had a pure filipino team, it would, without a doubt, not even reach the qualifying stages
it was not their choice to be born halfie or to be raised in another country…but it is their choice to play for us the philippines thats the important thing…and im proud of them
In the last picture above, everyone I guess was singing the National Anthem yet the player in the picture is sleeping? Don’t know the words to the National Anthem of the country you are playing for?
Dear Peter,
Thank you for commenting but you may want to read some of the news reports about him during the singing of the National Anthem, here is one http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/08/02/11/emotions-during-national-anthem-overhelm-azkals-gier
I took that photo and I can assure you he was very emotional during the singing of the anthem, I just hope the rest of us can feel as patriotic.
Blessings,
Craig.
ah, critics! is it because football is gaining ground? ground that was once owned by basketball? what about slaughter? parks? and what’s his face playing college basketball? they would all end up in the national team someday. would the manong driver say anything bad? a few years back a certain ricardo brown played for the national team and the pba. he did not even have a drop of filipino blood nor did he try to learn to speak pilipino. all he had was a filipino sounding first name. oh, wait! even that was borrowed.
these half-breeds chose to play as filipinos. something that a lot of 100% pinoys do not want to do.
ang pinoy nga naman. maka contra lang kung ano-ano na ang sasabihin. hindi na lang maging masaya para sa pilipino at sa pilipinas. no wonder we are where we are. talangka mentality at its best!
Mr. Peter. actually ROb is not sleeping he really dont know the NATIONAL ANTHEM so he just close his eyes and feel the the song..
Wonderful post!
While most of us agree on the validity of OUR NATIONAL TEAM, the arguments on their bloodlines also reflect a lot of the local lack of understanding of the sport. Many locals cannot associate themselves with the Azkals because they don’t look like locals. Hence, in the locals’ eyes, they are not Pinoys. There will always be maligners and indifferent people, just as many of us may be indifferent to basketball or billiards or golf.
The Azkals from abroad have taken huge pay cuts to play for the flag and some flew to Manila, using their own money to try out for the team. Many of the local players, when asked to try out, first ask how much they will get paid and what their perks are, even before trying out.
So long as the games bring in the crowds, then media will fuel the passion and sponsors bring in the money. Then, local development of athletes can happen. International exposure can happen and only then, can we get better. Our role, as believers, is to keep supporting OUR Team. Then, we have done our part in the development of the sport.
The “hate” comes from a very purile and base instinct – envy. They (the haters) cant call em ugly, cant call em untalented, cant call em uneducated, so they call em foreigners!
These haters are just a bunch of ugly insecure teeners acting like jealous girls, – Azkals take comfort -it is not the critic that counts! your place will never be with those meek and timid souls who have never known victory or defeat , the fact alone that you guys made it back here for lesser pay and longer hours just to represent – well hell, if that aint being filipino i dont know what is..
So beautifully written Pattya.
Funny how a country that supposedly prides itself of its hospitality to foreigners can also be bigoted about foreign-born pinoys who want to fight in the name of a country they love.
Sadly, so very Pinoy that most care only about how they look to the outside world but don’t care much about respecting those who are right here.
I hope this post gets to the right people and that more importantly, they get it. Cheers on a constantly growing blog.
Don’t forget small-time bloggers like me when you’re rich and famous na. Hahaha!
wonderful post……!
i have no doubt of you guys being a true filipino, the fact that you desired to represent our country(which means that u have a heart for the Phils.) and having a filipino parent are undeniably, uncontestable reasons that you are a true blooded kababayan! we’re so proud of you!
I was born in the province of Pangasinan and my family moved to the States when I was 5 years old. I am now 18 years old and have recently moved back to Philippines to attend college at DLSU-Manila.
For the past 7 months I’ve been here, it’s been difficult in transition. Sometimes you can’t help but get the feeling that you’re an outcast. Often times, people lose patience when you don’t understand a joke, a story, or even a compliment. I mean, I understand the languages (Tagalog, Kapampangan, and Ilocano) fully well, but speaking them is a whole other story.
Other times you get the “it’s because you’re American” that’s-why-you-don’t-understand reasoning. And you’re just left there thinking “I’m also Filipino,” but are forced to sit there and bite your tongue.
What people don’t have a grasp of is that “American” is not an ethnicity. It’s not a race, but a title. It may be considered a nationality or a citizenship, but a title is as far as it goes. Being “American” can only be called a race when applied to the full-blooded Native Americans.
But the other citizens of the United States? They’re all mostly of European, Hispanic, African, or Asian lineage. And that’s where we get our ethnicity from. Simply put, nationality DOES NOT always equal ethnicity.
I’m an American citizen, but I’m of Filipino lineage. And the same goes for millions of other Filipinos who were born and raised abroad.
And when you say Fil-American, Fil-British, Fil-German, it’s always the Filipino half that comes first. Being Filipino is something unique and cannot be described through words, but through actions and deeds.
Don’t get us wrong, you may think we know nothing of the Filipino culture, but our parents have raised us to be as Filipino as possible.
I eat adobo, sinigang, pinakbet — whatever else you can think of. I even eat rice for breakfast and pizza is not my favorite food.
In the end, you can take our nationalities away from us, but you can’t take away the blood that flows within us.
And to relate my comment to the article, and to be quite frank, I NEVER want to see the Philippine National Team made up of entirely “homegrown players.” That implies exclusivity and would not do well in representing the country as a whole. There are millions upon millions of Filipinos living abroad who have children with Filipino blood running through their veins, and somewhere out there, there is always bound to be an individual who is willing to play for the stars and sun.
If it is their desire to play for their country of origin, and have the capacity and sheer ability to do so, then who are we to take that right and privilege away from them?
And the funny thing is, most of us “full” Filipinos aren’t even really as full-blooded as we think. My great-grandfather on my father’s side was from Spain and my great-grandmother on my mother’s side is Chinese. So before we call others “Fil-foreigners,” let’s examine ourselves first. This goes for the countless Co’s, Lim’s, Alvarez’s, del Rosario’s, del Monte’s, de Vera’s, Kimura’s, Park’s, Liem’s — pretty much everyone who has non-Filipino last names.
I just wish more support would flow in for the team no matter who the players are, what their social standings are, or what their backgrounds consist of. It’s a national team, and we should feel nothing but pride and a true sense of nationalism.
Thank you for writing such an inspired piece. I feel your passion and share your insights. You just put into words so many of the thoughts that run through my head when I hear such baseless and ignorant comments. Many of these guys might have actually had the chance to play for their European sides – an opportunity that could offer more fame and fortune than playing for an underdog like the Philippines. So how can anyone complain that we have such great boys representing our country in a sport where physically, we have so much more potential to be great at? For the love of football and the country, I will forever be grateful to the Azkals.
Hi Patti nice article.. Good Job..
Looking forward for more articles from you..
p.s.
hope you don’t mind me copying one of the pic the one with Neil on it…
Hi Krizel! Thank you. The photo of Neil was shot by Craig Burrows. If you re-post, please do give credit to him. Cheers!!!
Pero dapat kasi balansihin din naman nila. Ang sinasabi nila kasi magagaling yung mga Fil-Foreigners at marami na silang experience sa paglalaro ng foot ball pero yung iba naman nilang kinuha di rin naman masyadong magagaling katulad nung Nate Burkey Jason Sabio Patrick Hinrichsin at Simon Greatwich. Kailang kumuha din sila ng maraming local palyers na mas maraming time para makapaglaro kasama yung buong team. Mas importante yung Chemistry kahit kunin pa nya ang pinaka magagaling na players kung wala naman silang chemistry at di sila masyadong nakakapag practice together wala ring mangyayari. Dapat bigyan din ng chance yung iba pang local player na makapag training kasama ng Azkals
This comment is obviously baseless and lacks research, and most importantly, respect: “di rin naman masyadong magagaling katulad nung Nate Burkey Jason Sabio Patrick Hinrichsin at Simon Greatwich…”
For one, Patrick Hinrichsen does not even play for the Senior team. He is on the U-23 team. He has not appeared in any FIFA sanctioned international tournaments or friendlies, so I highly doubt you’ve seen him play alongside the Azkals.
Two, if Nate had not gotten the header in the first leg against Sri Lanka, we would have lost to a team lower in FIFA rankings and would have gone lower than the current 162 spot we currently hold in the latest issue.
Three, local players have always been given opportunities. That’s what TRY-OUTS are for. I believe SEVERAL have been held in the past few months alone. If these local players were so highly interested in playing, they would make it a priority to be seen by the PFF and team scouts, much like Rob did by taking the initiative in sending his credentials a few years back, rather than sitting idly by and hoping to be noticed.
Team officials and scouts are also HUMAN, they cannot be in more than one place at a time, so you have to understand they might miss some individuals you think are good or better than the current squad. And while you were at it, why didn’t you just list a few players you think are qualified enough to play for the team instead of criticizing other individuals?
And four, “Mas importante yung Chemistry” — yes, that’s right. So the players who have gotten the team THIS far in such a short amount of time do not deserve taglines that diminish their efforts as a whole. There is no such thing as a weak link when it comes to successful and effective teamwork.
Lastly and to be quite frank, Anna. This isn’t a tea party. It’s a NATIONAL TEAM. It’s not all about giving others a chance to play for the Azkals like you mentioned. Playing for a National Team is serious business and you can’t just sympathize for other players who have been left out simply because they’re locals.
It would be within everyone’s interest if the choice of players on the National Team were not criticized by everyday common people who know little to none about the sport of football. Coach Weiss has been in the business far too long not to know what he’s doing. Because, yes, there are local talents, but if they were up-to-par with the likes of Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta, Paolo Pascual, Eduard Sacapaño, Yannick Tuason and the likes, then no doubt would have they been a part of the team.
The problem is not that there are only a few locals on the team because there are actually SEVERAL. The problem lies in the fact that fan girls and band-wagoners don’t take the time to focus on other individuals like the ones mentioned above. They only focus on the big names and lose focus on the bigger picture that they are all playing for the same country and the same flag.
I would not have responded to this comment had it not been for the ignorant comment naming players whom this individual thinks are unworthy of playing for the country. That is below the line and is entirely disrespectful to what these players have contributed and to their pure intentions of bringing glory to the nation.
The bi-cultural players on the Azkals deserve to be lauded and honored for standing up for their Filipino heritage and for making, as Patti says, “their Filipino half their sole identity”.
There are those born of Filipino parents abroad who turn their backs completely on their Filipino heritage, and that is their choice. Ultimately, it is up to the bi-cultural individual to embrace the Filipino side of his or her cultural inheritance. Those who do embrace it take pride in everything that our culture and way of life represents. Isn’t that what being Filipino – or being of any culture, actually – all about?
I love your blog, I’ll be one of your followers…from NYC, Soho
Oh wow! Thank you so much, that really does mean a lot! Cheers!
Well put Ms. Mallari!
I just found this post and read all the comments. It is indeed a pity when you hear ignorance voiced instead of support. I guess it is the nature of the beast, as was qouted in one of my favorite TV shows “haters will hate”
A football player friend of mine once said that most of these fans just came about because of the “cute guys” My thinking however is, so long as they support the Azkals is good enough for me.
Thanks for your comment and for sharing your opinion. “My thinking however is, so long as they support the Azkals is good enough for me.” A lot of people will back you up on that one, and I’m definitely one of them!
I believe the first time Philippine Azkals were introduced, they were a group of men who were BORN and RAISED in the Philippines – And that was the reason I was so proud of them. We were proud of them because of that fact.
Now they are half this and half that… sabagay, mas marami naman pipili nang mga half breed di ba? mas sisikat eh, mas gwapo, mas pinagpapantasyahan. di ba?
KUNG si Paquiao kaya palitan nalang ng half filipino na kasing galing niya would pride be expressed and felt WHOLEheartedly?
So what if your parents were both fil but you were born and raised abroad so that means you are not qualified to be a filipino? is that what you are trying to say? so if Ian Arenata was born and raised abroad he is not qualified to be filipino?(according to your qualification of being a filipino) lols I’m sure you would still consider him as fiipino cos he is indo/malay look right?
On the other hand, if a person has both fil parents and was born and raised in the philipines but has spanish or chinese or Japanese ancestry therefore, he may look like Caucasian or Chinese or Japanese. I bet you would still not consider him a filipino right? cos he is not malay/indo looking?lols
FYI,the first time azkals was introduced there were already half bloods there . The younghusbond bros ,Ally borromeo and Del Rosario bros (both parents were fil but with a mixed of ancestry “filmestizos”).Harttman bros,the Greatwich Bros, Chad Gould,Leigh Gunn etc…
And oh! in case you might also be a half blood since Filipinos came from different ancestors maybe you just look like indo/malay? thats why you don’t consider filmeztizos as fil? lols insecure much?
To add laughs, I had my fair share of annoyance when a high school friend asked why no Filipino-Chinese member is part of the team. (Oh di ba…that made the non-Filipino players there a minority pa)
The irony is that Filipinos & the Philippines are legacies of foreign roots. As the Azkals make us proud, it’s the fans’ duty to educate. The problem is a cultural one and this article already helps. Kudos Patti..To the SEMIS!
Lexton Moy!
si Lexton Moy , si Mathew Uy po they are both chi/fil azkals. si Ally borromeo and Phil Younghusband have chinese blood also. phils grandfather on mother side is chinese.
The haters doesn’t want to understand anyway cos of their insecurities. Most of them are ugly tambay sa kanto and people whos life is miserable and is very insecure about their looks.Also, has resentments towards anything that can show them their miseries and insecurities in life.
in short, they have inferiority complex.