A Team of Winners
Posted by Philippines - 05/06/2009
The members of the 2009 Philippine team are for the most part young and struggling to begin their lives. However, they also represent those whose struggles have become overwhelming. Let’s join them in being part of the solution to end poverty. Join us in celebrating the 2009 Homeless World Cup Team.
Kids International Ministries – Larry Dela Cruz, 22 years old, dropped out of High School in 2005 because of a financial problem. His mother lost her job and she was the one who was supporting him. His father’s income was just enough for their every day needs, but not enough to send him to high school.
He got married last year, November 10. His wife is 21 years-old. His first child was born in September. He and his family stay with his parents. His parents are serving as caretakers of a piece of land, and in return they were allowed to build a shanty.
Larry does not have a regular source of income. Sometimes he helps his father in his work in fiberglass manufacturing. He used to work as a helper in a water delivery shop. He is not happy that he did not finish high school, but his family is his priority now.
He used to dream to be a well-known footballer. Now, he wants to use football to lift his family out of poverty. His wife supports him in his love for football. They are both excited for Milan.
Manila Boys Town - Mark Anthony Rosales, 18, was born and raised in Cebu City. His father died when he was very young. His mother abandoned him and his other siblings when their father died. They were cared for by his grandparents. His mother moved to Laguna and started another family. When the grandparents died, his mother returned to bring him and attempt to bring his other siblings to Laguna. However the other siblings refused to go with her and only Mark, who was the youngest, was brought to Laguna. He stayed for three days, battered, he was forced to leave. He was 10 years old. Mark lived on the streets of Manila for two years. He survived by begging. He was rescued by the Manila SWD in Roxas Boulevard in Manila in 2002, and was referred to Manila Boystown. He has became one of the trusted children and even an acting cottage leader in absence of a house parent. While in school he was very serious about his studies. He also played football with a lot of passion. The boys look up to him because of his example.
Coach Bart and his wife Anna, of Boystown treat Mark as one of their own children. He is very excited to be in the Homeless World Cup. Because of this event, others in Boystown are treating football differently.
Nayon Ng Kabataan - Robin Porcioncula, 18 years old, is native of Pagsanjan, Laguna. His great grandparents were the first to be caretakers of a rich family. They were allowed to build a two-storey house on the land-owners property. When his great grandparents died, his grandparents became the caretakers and are to this day. The two-storey house is now very old, the wooden parts are eaten by termites. There are three families who live in that house – Robin’s grandparents, Robin’s family, and his Aunt’s family. The house has two rooms upstairs, and his grandparents occupy the downstairs space.
The family is very thankful for the house. Robin’s dad has no regular job. He works two to three times a week as a truck driver, and receives P200 per day. To augment the father’s income his mother cooks and sells food outside the house. She earns around P150 per day.
Robin was very active in football when he was in high school. His medals and awards are on display in their home. After high school, through the help of a neighbor, he tried out in Rizal Technological University and was accepted as a scholar. He was very happy about this, as he knows his parents would not be able to send him to university. His scholarship covers his tuition fees, food, and a place to stay in university.
Nayon Ng Kabataan - Ronaldo Yurag, 23 years old, is a former resident of Masbate. He finished high school two years later than the usual age because he had to work while in high school to support himself. His parents are separated and he lived with his father’s family. But because his father has his own family and children he had a difficult time with them.
He left Masbate after high school to come to Manila to work. He was introduced the possibility of being a varsity footballer and scholar at RTU. He tried out as a walk-on and was accepted on the team.
Kids International Ministries - Ricky Ortiz, 35 years old, is the father of five children. He works for Kids International ministries in Cainta, Rizal as part of the maintenance staff. His wife Mary Lou is an occasional vendor of the Jeepney magazine. Ricky has lived all his life in the Quatro Community, which is a combination of informal and formal dwellings and shanties.
His home for the last ten years is a shanty that he has slowly built and maintained, but is scheduled for demolition. The potential loss of their home in the only community they have ever known is taking an emotional toll on his family and their health. The Homeless world Cup is a dream and a hope for something better.
Ricky has been playing football for only four months. He believed in the Homeless World Cup when everyone thought he was foolish for trying and has persisted in learning the game in his spare time. He joined the winning Cainta team as a long shot.
Calapan, Mindoro - Goalie Joemer Gelena, 19 years old, is the 3rd child in a family of four. Joemner graduated from Lemnahis High school in 2008. As an out of school youth Joemer has been selling ukay-ukay clothes in the market to earn money. He played football for five years as part of the school program.
His father, Danny, works at a gas station as a service man. He makes P150 a day, which is just enough money to buy food for the family. His mother Helen is at home and does not have a job.
They are building a home with P20,000 from an injury settlement. The home is not on property they own and it is a floodway area, but they are hopeful they will have no long-term problems. The home is a project of all the family. Every morning the family works together on their home, hoping to have it closed in by the rainy season.
Joemer participated in the HWC tournament with a team of homeless youth from Peurto Galera and Calapan. Joemer’s hopes and his families hope is that the opportunity to train, prepare and participate in the HWC will open the doors for future education, perhaps even a football scholarship.
Tuloy Don Bosco - Goalie Marlon Lagundino, 18 years old, born on April 13, 1991 in Guiguinto, Bulacan. He comes from a poor family, “but we were okay.” He adds. Until his father lost his job and started drinking. Abuse, and extreme poverty followed. In desperation his mother decided to put all of them in an orphanage. They were put in an orphanage for younger kids and Marlon stayed there for six years. When his younger siblings were sent back home, Marlon was transferred to Tuloy, June 4, 2003.
Marlon was the goalie for the Philippine team in 2008, but the evening before the team left for Australia he was hospitalized with a serious infection. For medical reasons he was not allowed to fly and was unable to join the team in Melbourne. This is his opportunity to relive his dreams of last year.
Kids International Ministries - Robert Francisco, 42 years old, lives in Nasugbu, Batangas with his family in his brother’s auto repair shop. He helps in the work and in return his brother provides for his family’s rice and food almost everyday.
They used to rent a house in Cavite for 3k a month, but it was hard for them financially so they moved to Batangas. Robert works as a weekend trainer in La Salle and receives 550 per day. He trains every weekend. To augment his income his wife does laundry of their neighbors and she receives 150 per day. She is able to have customers two to three times a week.
He has three children ages 14, 8, 2. He hopes that his children will excel in football. That is his hope for their college education.
Reserve - Rachy Gunda , 21 years old, is one of two reserve players for the the team. His Father is a security guard and mother is a housewife. He is the 4th of nine children. He used to be a varsity player in high school. His parents could not afford to bring their children to college, even to high school and he and his brother were able to graduate from high school because of their football skills.
Reserve - Gerrick Eviota, 19 years old, is our second reserve player. He used to live in Surigao. His parents sold their house to buy a house in a squatter’s area in Floodway, Cainta. His father, who applied for an early retirement as a policeman, received some money and they used that money, together with a loan, to make the second floor of the house in Floodway, not knowing that the area is due for demolition. The demolition date given is after the election in 2010.
