Allianz PNB Life Insurance Inc. (Allianz), in partnership with The Henry V. Moran Foundation (Moran Foundation), recently launched a futsal for development program: Allianz Liga Eskwela Kaagapay. This grassroots program combines technical skills training and financial literacy development through futsal for Department of Education (DepEd) public schools.

“The program innovatively uses futsal, an indoor small-sided version of football, widely played in Philippine grassroots communities. Allianz Liga Eskwela Kaagapay aims to teach public school children technical skills in football as well as basic financial literacy through capacity building trainings for teachers, training sessions with students, and competitions,” said Gino Riola, Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Sustainability in Allianz. “Teachers who attend the training receive balls to be used in their schools, and also have the chance to be seconded to further coaching and official development programs under the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).”

“Since 2008, the Moran Foundation has been supporting football for development programs in public schools, orphanages, and NGOs across the country,” said Danny Moran, Chairman of the Moran Foundation. “But we realized that a major difficulty in promoting field football in most Filipino communities and schools is the lack of access to pitches. However, all these schools have access to covered basketball courts so it was natural to use futsal (indoor 5-aside football) for the kids as it is a game that has been proven to be an excellent formator of one’s technique, skill, and game awareness.”

The Liga Eskwela Kaagapay Program promotes futsal development through the Moran Foundation’s partnership with DepEd and its close ties to the PFF. The program trains PE teachers on the basics of futsal coaching, officiating, and tournament organization, then supplements the training with futsal competitions organized by the Moran Foundation in collaboration with the PFF. In 2024, the program is currently working in all 16 school divisions/cities of the DepEd National Capital Region and in 12 school divisions/cities in DepEd Region 7. The program will also soon be implemented in Mindanao.

The program also emphasizes using futsal for the development of financial values, and trains public school teachers to utilize futsal skills and games to teach public school children basic financial literacy concepts such as goal setting, savings, and budgeting. A report published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2023 showed that the Philippines ranks third from last in ASEAN in terms of financial literacy with only 25 percent of Filipinos being financially literate.

“Football and futsal in schools are fun for both the teachers and the students. Thus, through our partnership with the Moran Foundation, Allianz PNB Life hopes to address the financial literacy gap in the Philippines by using an attractive medium like futsal to get basic concepts across to public school teachers and students,” added Riola. “Liga Eskwela Kaagapay helps achieves Allianz PNB Life’s sustainability agenda in the country since it directly helps us address the UN Sustainable Development Goal #4 – Better Education.”

Liga Eskwela Kaagapay aims to work with at least 100 public school teachers to reach 10,000 public school children in collaboration with DepEd Regions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The winners of the one-day Liga Eskwela Futsal Festival 2024 in La Salle Greenhills last Jan. 21 are as follows:

● 12U Boys: Champion – Mandaluyong; 2nd Place – Caloocan; 3rd Place – Valenzuela.

● 12U Girls: Champion – Manila; 2nd Place – Muntinlupa; 3rd Place – Valenzuela.

● 16U Boys: Champion – Pasig; 2nd Place – Caloocan; 3rd Place – Valenzuela.

● 16U Girls: Champion – Malabon; 2nd Place – Muntinlupa; 3rd Place – Parañaque.

● 18U Boys: Champion – Pasig; 2nd Place – Manila; 3rd Place – Quezon City.

● 18U Girls: Champion – Valenzuela; 2nd Place – Pasig; and 3rd Place – Caloocan.