Iloilo-Negros Occidental football rivalry finds biggest stage in the UFL

“Rivalry talaga yan,” says Ilonggo defender Jason Cordova. “Mula sa pagka-bata hanggang sa pagka-tanda.”

(It’s really a rivalry, from when we were kids up until we are older.)

“Walang kaibi-kaibigan diyan.” he says with a smile. (There will be no friendships during that game.)

On the afternoon of April 25 Cordova and his province- mates can earn bragging rights across the Guimaras Strait when they take on a Negros Occidental selection in the first-ever Western Visayas Classic at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. It will be part of the UFL’s all-star weekend, and will be the curtain-raiser for the Philippines vs the Rest of the World game in the evening. But some might think the first game will be the more hard-fought one.

Once upon a time, our national team was dominated by players from both provinces. Iloilo featured Elmer Bedia, who assisted on the goal against Malaysia in the historic 1-0 upset in 1991. Finishing his cross was Norman Fegidero, from Bacolod.

The honor roll of fine Ilolio players of yesteryear includes Egay Berja, Lurix Araneta, Antonio Piao, and many others. In later times Yanti Barsales, Chieffy Caligdong, Ian Araneta (Lurix’s son), and Roel Gener would carry on the Ilonggo tradition in the national team, followed by current Azkal Balot Doctora.

Aside from Fegidero, Negros Occidental also gave the Tonog brothers, Jezurel, Ziggy, and Raymond to the national team, plus goalies Melo Sabacan, Tats Mercado, and of course, the legendary Ed Sacapaño, who manned the posts for the Azkals in the 2012 Suzuki Cup. San Carlos City, part of Negros Occidental but on the island’s east coast, has produced its share of national team players just before the 2010 Miracle in Hanoi, like Arnie Pasinabo, Tating Pasilan and Boyet Cañedo.

But all eyes will be on the current teams that will square off on April 25. Coaching Iloilo will be former Azkal Marjo Allado, while on the other side Ian Treyes, Ceres assistant coach, will call the shots. Sacapano is tipped to captain the Negrenses while Doctora will probably wear the armband for Iloilo.

Fans of Caligdong will be disappointed to learn that he cannot participate in the game because of a prior commitment with Globe, his employer. Ironically, it is a youth football clinic in Iloilo, so in a sense he has the perfect excuse not to be there.

The lineups have yet to be finalized, but the likes of Pasilan, Cañedo, and Ceres players Camelo Tacusalme and Lemuel Unabia are likely to be there for Negros. Kaya’s Jovin Bedic and FEU’s Jhan Jhan Melliza, who also plays for Green Archers, will probably boost the Iloilo squad.  

LGR is the official kit supplier for the game, and it has been agreed upon that Iloilo will wear red and Negros Occidental, yellow. There is a plan to sell replica kits to raise money for football-related charities on both provinces.

We saw the huge and noisy crowds in the UAAP semi finals and finals and wondered why we can’t usually see that passion in UFL games. I think it’s because the teams in the UAAP represented long-standing communities, in this case, schools. Hopefully this Western Visayas Classic will have a similar vibe, and a large and throaty bunch of Ilonggos and Negrenses shows up three Saturdays from now.

It’s my understanding that Monico Puentevella, Bacolod’s mayor, will be invited, as will be Iloilo’s senator, Franklin Drilon. Sadly the PFF president, Nonong Araneta, a former national team player who hails from Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, will be in Kuala Lumpur on AFC business and will miss the match.

The Yanson brothers are supporting the Negros Occidental team while the Iloilo Football Association led by JR Robles is in charge of the Iloilo squad.

While this is a football game, the match is really closer in concept to Australia’s State of Origin game, which pits Queensland’s best rugby league players against the finest from New South Wales in an annual intra-state best-of-three series. It is a massive deal down under, with the matches regularly being sold-out.

Like the State of Origin, the WVC transcends football. The two cities and provinces share a language but also engage in good-natured ribbing about plenty of other matters.

“Maybe it’s a case of ‘our batchoy is better than yours,’” says Negrense Joel Dabao.

“Sin-o ang mas tikalon?” (who is more conceited) seems to be the question for Ilongga Cez Golez. (She  thinks its the Bacolodnons.)  Golez, who also has family from Negros, has only a passing interest in football but is eager to watch the game and cheer for Iloilo.

But inevitably the rivalry boils down to sports.

“This is a long-standing battle over who is the better between these two great provinces when it comes to the beautiful game,” says Bedia, who is based in Australia but will be in Manila later this month and intends to catch the game.

“It’s the biggest sporting and non-sporting rivalry in the Philippines,” says Bacolodnon Ivan Gayares. “It cuts across all sports from basketball to football and is culminated by the Western Visayas regional meets where both provinces are expected to be number one or two.”

“It’s the City of Love (Iloilo) versus the City of Smiles (Bacolod).”

But in those clashes, there seems to be very few smiles or love between the two.

Jade Bejemino is a proud Bacolodnon who now coaches Global’s youth teams. He recalls the heady days when he used to suit up for West Negros and face off against Iloilo squads in youth meets.

“If you played against an Iloilo team, you played like there’s no tomorrow. Whether it was a regional meet or Coke Go For Goal or the nationals, our mentality was this: matalo ka lang sa Davao, NCR or Cebu wag lang sa Iloilo.”

The last important meeting for the two sides was in the Suzuki U23 national championship final in 2011. It was a two-legged, home-and-away affair back then, with Bacolod controversially winning 12-1 on aggregate after beating the home side 3-1 in Jaro and then romping to a 9-0 victory in front of thousands of home supporters in Panaad. Iloilo had a bunch of players suspended for the second leg, hence the heavy defeat.

Under that competition’s rules, Bedic, who studied college in Bacolod, played for Negros Occidental. He was verbally abused endlessly by the Iloilo supporters who branded him a traitor. But on April 25, he can only play for Iloilo and, in the eyes of Iloilo football fans, can right a wrong once and for all.

The match will be played with all homegrown players with one exception: Negros Occidental’s Josh Beloya. The Fil-Swiss player was, according to a scan of his passport, born in Bacolod and is thus eligible to play for Negros Occidental. He was also a part of the champion 2011 side.

It is hoped that this game becomes an annual affair. Maybe interest will be so great for the match that it can be brought to the provinces to be played in Barotac one year and in Panaad the next. Or perhaps it can be home-and-away every year. Who knows. The plan is to have a permanent trophy so the winning province can be engraved on its plaque every year.

But is it just about provincial honor? One player doesn’t think so.

Jinggoy Valmayor has just concluded an illustrious collegiate career with UP. He now plays for Pachanga in the UFL. Valmayor is a proud son of San Carlos City, where his dad is the mayor. The striker is excited to slip on that yellow shirt two Saturdays from now and score some goals for his province. But the game also has a deeper meaning for him.

“It’s not about who is better than the other. It’s showing how Ilonggos and Negrenses play football and how we can produce local talents.”

Iloilo and Negros Occidental are part of Filipino football’s past. But on April 25, it’s very exciting present and future will be on display.

Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH

– Rappler.com