The Philippine Premier League Has Arrived With a focus on the fans, club viability, and raising the profile of football, the PPL is ushering in an exciting new time for club football.

After two years of competing in the Philippines Football League, Kaya FC–Iloilo is raring to go in the nation’s new top flight competition, the Philippine Premier League (PPL).

“This is a rebirth, a reboot,” said PPL commissioner Bernie Sumayao. “Our agenda is to be able to reach the same level as the leagues around us in the region (Asia). That is truly the goal of the PPL.”

Sumayao, who played a key role in growing the now flourishing Thai League, is hoping to bring a similar foundation of success to the Philippines. With Philippine Football Federation President Nonong Araneta in attendance, along with members of the media and various stakeholders of Philippine football, the commissioner outlined how the new league would be structured in order to avoid the constraints and pitfalls that the previous league encountered. It was also revealed, to a rousing applause, that a live PPL match would be aired on 5Plus (formerly Aksyon TV), every Saturday at 7pm.

“We’re trying to raise the profile of football,” said Sumayao. “If you don’t have any television you cannot reach the masses. Football is not an elitist sport. There was also a lack of sponsorship. All of these things were missing. These are the elements we want to bring in this time around.”

Scheduled to run from the end of March to December, the PPL is expected to be composed of eight teams. Kaya FC–Iloilo, Ceres Negros, Stallion Laguna, Green Archers United, and Philippine Air Force were some of the clubs mentioned as likely participants. The season will comprise a triple-round robin league, and the second edition of the Copa Paulino Alcantara.

Among the main concerns of the participating clubs was how the new league would affect qualification into AFC competitions, a concern which was swiftly addressed by PFF President Nonong Araneta, and PPL Tournament Director Richard Gannaban.

“There will only be one Professional League – the Philippine Premier League,” said Araneta. “ The PFF is still the governing body of the league. Clubs’ AFC qualification will not be affected.”

“Based on AFC regulations, a club should they want to qualify for AFC Club competitions, should play in a minimum of 25 matches. So, for an eight-club league, that would guarantee clubs 21 matches in the league, and a minimum of six matches in the Copa Paulino Alcantara, which would total to at least 26,” added Gannaban.

Among the fundamental shifts the PPL will be prioritizing is a framework to increase participation of clubs, with a vision to create a full First Division, a Second Division, and even a Third in the coming years. Financial viability of participating teams, therefore, is a primary focus, and with that comes the return of centralized matches based in Metro Manila. Among the stadiums being considered as a primary venue is the newly renovated University of Makati.

“Potentially in the third leg (last round of matches), we’ll hold matches in provinces like Cebu or Iloilo, and we’ll hold matches over the course of a couple of weeks, and all the matches will be played there. It will be a massive community event: concerts, fairs, activations, fan engagement. All of these put together will create a fiesta-type event,” said Sumayao.

The commissioner also revealed the new league will take an approach that places the nation’s football fans in the center of their efforts. He revealed plans to merge the worlds of music and sport, and to invest in efforts to engage the fans in as many ways as possible.

“The long suffering fans of Philippine football need to be recognized. There’s a lot of frustration on their part, this is the truth. I spend at least an hour a day on social media and I feel for them, I really do,” said Sumayao, who’s been seen interacting on Filipino football groups.

With the launch of the Philippine Premier League, the Filipino football community has a fresh new reason to get behind the exciting world of Filipino club football.