CLARK FREEPORT -- More than 2,000 students from 96 teams in different schools and provinces, including three countries, will compete in the First Luenthai Football Cup on October 3 and 4 to be held at the Parade Grounds here.
Frank Sauceda, president of Luenthai International Group Philippines, Inc. (L&T), in his letter to Clark Development Corporation president Arthur Tugade, said the two-day football event is “for the benefit of the less fortunate youth within our community.”
Sauceda told Tugade that the two-day tournament "aims to not only promote football and serve as a venue for different teams from different regions to meet in a competitive level, but also to help rebuild Tuloy sa Bahay Bata orphanage in Angeles City.”
“Luen Thai intends to raise funds through the joining fees and sponsorships to be donated to the center,” Sauceda said in his letter to CDC.
For his part, Tugade approved the use of the Parade Grounds here during the two-day event as requested by L&T management.
According to the CDC tourism department, the participating teams will come from the provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Pampanga, National Capital Region, including some teams in Bicol and Central Luzon.
Schools such as Ateneo De Manila and Xavier and a team from Alabang are also expected to compete including teams from other countries in East Timor, Nigeria and South Korea. Age bracket will be from 6 to 17 years old.
L&T created the Luen Thai Football School in 2013 as part of the company’s I.Serve.I.Give.Back initiative through their corporate social responsibility program which aims to give back to the community.
Sauceda said that through the partnership of L&T and CDC the event would not only promote football as a venue for character building but also as a venue to advocate the welfare of the less fortunate youth in the immediate community.
The Bahay Bata Center in Angeles City is being run by the Tuloy Foundation established in Alabang by Kapampangan Priest Fr. Marciano ‘Rocky’ Evangelista that is committed to the cause of poor, abandoned and homeless children. The foundation is personally being supported by the CDC president as part of his advocacy to help less fortunate children. (CDC CommDep)