TWENTY-FIVE seasons ago, a league was born. The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. We call it CESAFI.
But the story stretches back much further. Before CESAFI, there was the CAAA. Earlier still, the CCAA, created in the 1930s. That made Cebu the cradle of the country’s second collegiate league. Only Manila’s NCAA, founded in 1924, was older. The UAAP came later, in 1938.
Today, CESAFI stands as the biggest sports league outside Metro Manila.
Benedicto College. CDU. CEC. CIT-U. Cebu Roosevelt Memorial College. DBTC. Felipe Verallo College. SHS-AdC. San Carlos School of Cebu. USC. USJR. USPF. UV. Velez College. UC. And, a recent entry to the league, my alma mater: UP.
Through the years, CESAFI has crowned thousands of champions. It has molded athletes who would proudly wear “PILIPINAS” across their chest.
Credit goes to Felix “Boy” Tiukinhoy, Jr., the commissioner who has steered the league since 2001 — and even before that.
“CESAFI is not just a tournament but a symbol of pride and unity among our schools, our city, and the Visayas and Mindanao,” says Tiukinhoy. “The passion, discipline, and sportsmanship will reflect the bright future of Philippine sports.”
This 2025–2026 season, the theme is perfect: Honoring the Past. Embracing the Future. A Legacy Built. A Future Inspired.
HONORING THE PAST. Who can forget the rivalries? Greg vs. June Mar. Dondon. USPF’s grit. SHS-Ateneo’s triumphs.
EMBRACING THE FUTURE. The 25th season is not just about looking back. It’s about what lies ahead. And nothing captures that better than the reopening of the Cebu Coliseum. Thanks to CESAFI president Atty. Gus Go, Cebu’s iconic Coliseum shines again. What better stage for the silver year than this reborn theater of Cebu sports?
I’m sure, given the cooler area (I counted 16 aircon units) and the comfortable individual seats, that the crowds will come. In past years, except for the final games, attendance was thin. This year, and in the years ahead, the dream is for jam-packed games.
To mark the milestone, CESAFI has prepared a week-long celebration. It begins today with a Fun Run at the Cebu City Sports Center. Tomorrow, Sept. 10, the Coliseum opens with the Hip-hop and Contemporary Dance competitions and, adds Mr. Tiukinhoy, “we will have an exhibition game between the legends of UV, coached by Boy Cabahug, and the legends of UC, coached by Dondon Hontiveros.”
On Thursday night, the CESAFI Hall of Fame will honor athletes who carried the league’s name beyond Cebu. On Saturday, Sept. 13, the grand Opening Ceremony unfolds.
Tiukinhoy says: “This CESAFI@25 is a big moment not just for our student-athletes but also for our whole sports-loving community.”
A LEGACY BUILT. A FUTURE INSPIRED. Twenty-five years ago, CESAFI was just an idea. Today, it is an institution. Tomorrow, it will be even greater. With the Cebu Coliseum reborn, CESAFI is not just celebrating silver; it is polishing the future into gold.