Busy year ahead for PH football

BACOLOD CITY—Bracing for a busy year ahead, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has approved a P167 million budget for projects and programs for 2018, when the men and women’s national teams play in big international tournaments.

PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said that while the federation will continue receiving subsidy from the International Football Federation (Fifa), Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Asean Football Federation (AFF), it would still need to raise about P32 million from other sources to meet the budgetary requirements.

The budget proposal was approved during the PFF Congress at L’Fisher Hotel here over the weekend.

The bulk of the budget, Araneta said, would go to the technical department, which covers grassroots and age-group teams, and the national teams.

The construction of a new football center inside the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, was also included in the budget along with the installation of the floodlights for the PFF National Training Center field.

For their international campaigns, the Azkals will need P58 million as they try to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in March.

The Azkals are also seeing action in the AFF Suzuki Cup late in 2018.

Araneta said that P15 million will be allotted for the Malditas, who will vie in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Jordan in April.

“It will be a busy year for us next year,” said Araneta. “We’re hoping to raise more funds for our programs.”