Fueled by advocacy and unyielding dedication, Beach Hut Sunscreen has finally turned its vision into reality.
Beach Hut Sunscreen recently made waves as it kicked off its first-ever Women’s Beach Football Festival on May 4, 2024, in Boracay. The event, which gathered both young and professional footballers, became a significant milestone for the brand, showcasing its commitment to empowering women athletes and championing grassroots women’s football in the Philippines.
Philippine women’s football athletes and finalists of the Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival enjoy a friendly match during the exhibition game in Boracay.
Seven teams, comprising young women players from Luzon and Visayas, competed in the finals after qualifying through rigorous tournaments in La Union and Boracay. Powered by their dedication and shielded by the maximum protection of Beach Hut Sunscreen, these teams braved the scorching heat to showcase their football skills. Among the finalists from Luzon and Visayas were Manila Digger A, Manila Digger B, Gabbal Makati FC from Luzon, Borongan FC, Ilonggo United FC, and two teams from Beach Hut FC, the Beach Hut FC Orange and Beach Hut FC Green.
Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival grand champion ‘Manila Digger’ celebrates on stage as they receive their PHP 100,000 cash, Beach Hut products, and sponsor prizes during the awarding ceremony.
All teams undoubtedly demonstrated good matches, but only three stood out and seized victory. One of the Manila Digger teams was hailed as the pioneering champions of the tournament, with Borongan FC securing second place and Beach Hut FC Green clinching third place.
While the Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival 2024 may have taken some time to materialize, the Head Coach of Beach Hut FC, Joyce Landagan, emphasized that the event testified that the brand remained true to its vision. The team persevered and successfully delivered the event, despite various obstacles, including a pandemic.
“Sobrang saya for the youth. Very happy nag-materialize and ‘di nawala yung plan, focus pa rin sa kung anong gustong support namin sa women’s football team [It’s extremely fulfilling for the youth. We’re very happy it materialized, and our plan remained intact, focusing on supporting the women’s team],” she shared.
Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival 2nd placers ‘Borongan FC’ snaps a group photo as they receive their PHP 50,000 cash, Beach Hut products, and sponsor prizes during the awarding ceremony.
The brand’s journey towards fostering grassroots women’s football in the Philippines began in 2019 with the establishment of Beach Hut FC, the country’s pioneer all-girls Football Club. This initiative aimed to provide aspiring women football players with a comprehensive platform that includes training sessions, tournaments, and various developmental activities crucial for their growth. The team caters to all aspiring Filipina footballer as young as 6 years old.
Being the first of its kind, Beach Hut FC provides a platform for young Filipina footballers to practice their craft and amplify their dreams. Kaira Favis, one of Beach Hut FC’s registered players, expressed, “I like this community because it’s nice to know that I’m part of one of the rare communities out there, and it’s nice to feel represented.”
Moreover, it’s important to note that Beach Hut FC’s advocacy transcends the football field. The club has offered scholarship opportunities to support talented players, enabling them to train and compete in local and international tournaments without financial constraints. This support has not only helped players hone their skills but also opened doors for them to pursue tryouts for collegiate football teams.
“I’ve been to Singapore, Bangkok, here in Boracay for my first time also. They’ve been really generous, I hope soon we would be able to pay them back with more trophies and medals,” said Jospher Halili, one of Beach Hut FC’s scholars and players in the final tournament.
She also shared a piece of advice for aspiring scholars and emphasized the rare opportunity, stating, “Not everyone can have this, not everyone can go to places without being able to be worried of payments or whatever. They’re really generous (Beach Hut FC), they really take care of you. Don’t take it for granted just play like how you play.”
As of this writing, the Beach Hut FC comprises 71 members and supports a total of 26 scholars, all actively playing for the football club.
Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival 3rd placers ‘Beach Hut FC’ gathers onstage to receive their PHP 25,000 cash, Beach Hut products, and sponsor prizes during the awarding ceremony.
Acknowledging the significance of the event and the advocacy of Beach Hut Sunscreen, professional football players graced the finals of the Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival 2024 to support and inspire fellow Filipina football players. Among them were goalkeeper Inna Palacios, team captain Hali Long, and field player Camille Rodriguez from the Women’s National Football Team, along with UP women’s football player, Bethany Talbot. They also delighted the audience with an intense yet fun and friendly exhibition game before the event’s final match.
Philippine women’s football athletes share their experience playing with finalists of the Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival through an exhibition game. (L-R: Cam Rodriguez, Paolo del Rosario, Bethany Talbot, Hali Long, and Inna Palacios)
They commended Beach Hut for holding football tournaments, being one of the first brands to take the initiative. “I think Beach Hut is doing such a great job because they’re giving avenues, opportunities for people to be seen and that’s all we want. We want the girls to be seen because we want them to be like us. We need more tournaments, we need more people to give us the opportunity to play,” Palacios stated.
“Beach Hut is one of the brands that’s taking the initiative now to create more tournaments, especially for all girls, because that was unheard of when I was growing up. So it makes me really excited,” Bethany Talbot added.
But then, It’s a common understanding that paving the way for women in sports is not easy. Different initiatives, like women’s football tournaments, were necessary in order to break the misconceptions.
Palacios emphasized that we’ve come a long way to champion the perception: “‘Kaya natin. Kaya ng Filipina, kaya ng babae na maging magaling na footbolero’ [We can, Filipinas can, women can be excellent football players] and that they can excel and be successful.”
Furthermore, Camille Rodriguez shared that events like this also help women players to envision their own potential, saying, “These football tournaments, where we get to connect with the players is so important because they could see who they can be and be even better. This is a great opportunity and Beach Hut was able to give that to us and for the girls.”
Hali Long also highlighted that Beach Hut Sunscreen offers a safe space and protection for the athletes. “I would say that having a brand like Beach Hut put on and host something like this also gives me players the opportunity to feel safe in this environment and go all out knowing that they’re in a safe space. They’re protected inside and out from harm, from sun, from disrespect,” she stated.
Deemed as ‘The Fun Expert,’ Beach Hut Sunscreen prioritizes providing both ‘Maximum Protection, Maximum Fun’. The football players were able to enjoy the outdoor activities without worrying about the sun’s harmful rays, thanks to Beach Hut’s top-of-the-line sunscreens with high SPF levels and formulas that are non-sticky, non-greasy, and non-messy.
Beach Hut has successfully hit the goal by seamlessly demonstrating its advocacy and brand purpose, as seen by the resounding success of the recently concluded event.
With the brand’s enduring commitment to empowering women through grassroots women’s football, this year’s Beach Hut Women’s Beach Football Festival marks just the beginning of many successful final tournaments.
For more details and updates about Beach Hut Sunscreen, you may visit their official website https://beachhutfun.com/ and follow their official social media pages: Beach Hut Sunblock on Facebook and @beachhutsunblock on Instagram.
INQUIRER.net BrandRoom/EJC