La Liga and Spanish pork sector leader, Interporc, hosted the first-ever Heroes Off the Pitch Awards Gala Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City. The event celebrated the positive impact of sports in the Philippines and honored local athletes and organizations for their invaluable contributions to the community. The Heroes Off the Pitch Awards was an initiative by La Liga and Spanish Pork to encourage the growth of football in the Philippines and highlight its positive impact.
Almudena Gomez, La Liga’s delegate in the Philippines, welcomed the guests and emphasized the league’s belief that football goes beyond just the sport. “We wanted to celebrate the local projects here in the Philippines, so we embrace other sports here tonight,” she said. In partnership with Interporc, the gala was a night of celebration, delicious food prepared by award-winning chefs, and the recognition of the best community projects in the Philippines.
Three different projects and programs were awarded the honor of Best Community Project, each receiving €1000 to help bolster their efforts. The first award went to Gawad Kalinga and the US Embassy in Manila for their efforts in spreading climate change awareness through football.
The Best Community Project in Women’s Football was awarded to The Henry V. Moran Foundation, the Philippine Football Federation, the MVP Sports Foundation, and Pinay5 for their project ‘Liga Eskwela’. They have been able to introduce futsal to public schools across the country and create a national women’s futsal team to promote the sport.
The third award was given to the PBA, Rain or Shine, and TikTok Philippines for their Daungan Cuatro Project, an outreach program that turned over a renovated basketball court to the residents of Danguan 4 in Navotas City.
The idea for the Heroes Off the Pitch awards ceremony came about during the pandemic, but with more opportunities to plan face-to-face events and the growing appetite for football in the Philippines, La Liga is executing its plans to promote sports in the country. La Liga has a huge Filipino fanbase and has been pushing for its growth through various events for Filipino fans and athletes, as well as grassroots programs in sport and social projects to aid community development.
As Almudena Gomez explained, “football and sports in general teach you values when you’re growing up or practicing the sport, so we thought of awarding projects that are doing the same thing here in the Philippines.” LaLiga believes that it has a responsibility, as a big organization, to give back to the community, and the Heroes Off the Pitch awards is a testament to that.
The Heroes Off the Pitch awards grants local projects more resources and recognition to boost their efforts, and helps push sports and the country in the right direction. It was a night to celebrate sports for being more than just sports and for bringing communities closer together.
To end, the Heroes Off the Pitch Awards Gala Dinner was a successful and memorable event that showcased the positive impact of sports in the Philippines and honored local athletes and organizations for their invaluable contributions to the community. La Liga’s commitment to highlighting this impact will continue to encourage the growth of football in the Philippines and promote sports as a means of community development.
As a community and organization, we’d like to congratulate and thank our amazing leaders, Danny Moran, Coach Vic Hermans, and Kevin Goco, who continue to organize and spearhead the Liga Eskwela program, promoting futsal and football across the entire nation.
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