PLDT and MVPSF Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT and Smart Communications President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, Leadership Transition Officer Ricky Vargas, and PFF President Mariano Araneta welcomed the Filipinas home.
PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and MVP Sports Foundation Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and PLDT and Smart Communications President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio, together with PLDT Leadership Transition Officer Ricky Vargas, PLDT and Smart FVP and MVPSF Executive Director Jude Turcuato, and other executives met with the Philippine Women's National Football Team and Philippine Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano Araneta to personally congratulate them for their historic stint at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.
“It’s a good start for the Filipinas. Keep it up! We hope to see more of you in succeeding World Cup tournaments. We also would like to congratulate PFF for gathering these talented young women to represent the nation,” Pangilinan told the squad. The Filipinas made their mark in the recent World Cup, following a 1-0 win against New Zealand, led by Sarina Bolden's historic goal and Olivia McDaniel's impressive goal-keeping performance.
Filipinas goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel hands over a personalized jersey to MVP to commemorate the special occasion.
The MVP conglomerate and the MVPSF have long been staunch supporters of the development of sports for Filipinos. In particular, the group has supported football since more than a decade ago through the Philippine Football Federation-Smart National Club Championships. The foundation began supporting the PFF's Women's National Team program in 2014 when the organization decided to invest in Talent Identification of heritage Filipinas playing in the US, the FIFA Women's World #1 ranked country.
Panlilio, who also sits as President of the MVPSF and First Vice President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, took to social media to congratulate Filipinas, citing them as “phenomenal athletes and inspiring role models for young girls everywhere.” As President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and Head of the Philippine Local Organizing Committee for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, he also called on Filipinos to support all sports. “Let's uplift every Filipino athlete who pours their heart into what they love in the hope of bringing honor to our beloved country,” Panlilio said.
“On behalf of the federation, I would like to thank MVP, Mr. Panlilio, Mr. Vargas, and the whole organization who have been supporting the Women’s National Football Team in our journey since we started almost a decade ago. Words cannot express our appreciation, and hopefully, we can achieve more with your support,” said Araneta.
Aside from that, the MVPSF has been actively promoting football at the grassroots level, running leagues for U7, U9, and developing young talents with U11, U13 regional/provincial cluster festivals for both the boys’ and girls’ division.
This initiative emphasizes the commitment of PLDT and Smart to nation-building through sports, and to help the country attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being.
