By Michael Preston

The Philippines might be making its international debut at the IFAF Asia Oceania Flag Football Championships, but familiarity established among players at club level means the men’s national team expects to be on the same page come kickoff time in Malaysia.

Squad members play either with or against each other in league competitions and since all live within relatively close proximity they can avoid some of the challenges faced by other nations in terms of training together to prepare for the upcoming tournament. The team puts decision making to the collective, choosing to coach as a unit rather than employ a head coach.

“Overall, we pretty much know everyone’s strengths and we’re an hour away from each other, so practicing regularly isn't that hard for us,” explains wide receiver Bryan Reyes. “I would say we’re very coachable and we’re open to the veterans and even to the new players coming in with ideas.”

Reyes already has an established chemistry with quarterback R.D. Valdez as the pair plays together for club team the Panthers in Manilla.

“I’ve been connecting with my quarterback for a while,” he explains. “We basically started together. I have caught the most passes from him, and he’s thrown the most passes to me, so I would say in the league that we have had the longest connection for a while.

“Another advantage we have is that when we started our club, we were at the bottom and quite recently we won a championship, so we know how to win, how to adjust our team to be successful.”

Also lining up at receiver will be Brian Lonzaga who plays his club flag football with the Wolves and until recently was playing in Switzerland with the Zurich Renegades. He might have represented the European nation at the 2021 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Israel but for an ACL injury that kept him sidelined.

“I have also played in tournaments like the King Bowl in the Netherlands, so I have seen the level at which they play over there,” he said. “We have to bring our team up to those standards, learn and develop and get even better in the next few years.”

Flag football in the Philippines is enjoying a resurgence after the effects of the Covid pandemic impacted a thriving sport that had experienced encouraging growth and attracted sponsorship. Most players are introduced to flag football in their twenties, an age the Philippines teams are aiming to lower by increasing a presence in schools and by organizing football camps.

“What flag football does is incorporate the good things about American football, such as the passing, the running, the dodging, juking, all of that without the contact,” explains Bryan Reyes. “It’s affordable and people understand how to play very quickly.”

Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum is proudly of Filipino descent and is leading the way among NFL players in helping to develop tackle and flag football in the Philippines, hosting one of those camps. Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, and Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers all have Filipino heritage.

“I’ve met a lot of football players who are running different leagues, flag football leagues and even tackle football leagues out here,” said Bynum when visiting the Philippines. “My biggest effort is to bring the game and get people to recognize American football. We donate footballs and teach the kids how to throw and catch a football, just to spark their curiosity young. Try to introduce it to them at a young age, be able to carry it through and I think eventually it’ll get more recognition for American football here. We can start funding it and getting people more resources to be able to play. That’s the main goal behind it all.”

Paul Luces, who has been involved with the sport for many years in the Philippines, added: “Anyone who is watching flag football can join training the next weekend and they can participate right away, so I think that’s huge for a sport starting off.

“Flag football is very inclusive, compared to padded leagues. We have prominent girls playing here too and that’s very good for the community, setting examples that girls can dominate when they play. It is a very good spectator sport, it’s very fun to watch.”

Paul is part of the training pool for the national team and will not join the squad in Malaysia but has some thoughts on the strengths of the Philippines team and what is important to the game in his country.

“Filipinos are resilient almost to a fault, and that will help us,” he adds. “This tournament mainly is for exposure, to get the entire community hyped up. We tried to make sure everyone on the team is a known figure in the community.

“There are a bunch of different teams represented in the national team pool so that everyone gets some sort of representation. That gives players something, a goal to vie for in the future, fires up this entire nation to continue to grow and get better.”