More than a year after Typhoon Yolanda devastated much of Central Visayas, psychological stress and trauma still lingers among many children who survived the horrors of the strongest storm ever to make landfall.
Children who were fortunate to survive eventually had to deal with the psychological stress and trauma months after the storm. This is the main reason why Mission Tacloban, created by the Dona Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation (RTR Foundation) together with Team Socceroo Football Club and The Henry V. Moran Foundation are organizing the SANTO PAPA FUTBOL CUP, a football festival of hope for young typhoon victims who are still dealing with the psychological trauma caused by Yolanda.
Other partners for the event are Energy Development Corporation, PASAR Foundation, Olympic Village, the Leyte Football Association, ICTSI Foundation, SR Metals Inc., and Rayomar Outreach Foundation, Inc.
“The Santo Papa Futbol Cup is a part of RTR Foundation/Mission Tacloban’s ongoing commitment to fully support the recovery and rebuilding of lives and communities in Leyte, specifically among the youth who are still severely traumatized by Typhoon Yolanda” says Ginggay Hontiveros, Mission Director of RTR Foundation/Mission Tacloban.
The Santo Papa Futbol Cup is a 3-day football festival that will be held from Jan. 15-17 in Tacloban, culminating on the day of Pope Francis’ visit to the city. The tournament will be participated by 100 children, aged 13 and below. One team competing in the Cup is a community from Ormoc that will be supported by the Energy Development Corporation, while ICTSI Foundation will award the Champion Team of the Santo Papa Futbol Cup with a trip to Manila to participate in a grassroots event of the Philippine Football Federation sometime in March.
Team Socceroo Football Club, a professional football club based in Metro Manila, is a proud partner of the tournament and will provide the football coaches, technical and organizational inputs as part of their contribution.
“Santo Papa Futbol Cup is a celebration of the Papal visit, but more importantly it is for the Typhoon Yolanda victims, where the focus is to uplift spirits and provide a message of hope through football. This initiative for us is ‘Plenus Pectus’ or ‘Full Heart’, our club’s motto. ” adds Nicholas Reyes, Team Manager of Team Socceroo FC.
The Pope, who hails from Argentina, is a passionate fan of the sport where he actively supports San Lorenzo F.C., a professional Argentinean club that was founded by a Catholic priest who offered the front yard of his parish church as a play area for children playing football in the streets.
Danny Moran of the Henry V. Moran Foundation, another co-organizer of the tournament and whose foundation has been highly involved in grassroots initiatives for the underprivileged adds, “We recognize the power of football to not only change lives, but more importantly in its ability to bring love and compassion to those who may have lost hope.”