CEBU CITY — The Cebu campus of the University of the Philippines (UP) will make history as the first school outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to compete in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) high school football tournament. The UP High School Cebu (UPHS Cebu) juniors football team will be the 9th team in UAAP Season 89 high school football tournament. It will face established high school programs, including defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) Diliman, University of Santo Tomas (UST), De La Salle Zobel, Ateneo de Manila University, Adamson University and UP Diliman. The UAAP board approved UP Cebu's participation as a guest team in March 2026. The university introduced the 23-player squad, coaching staff and preparations for its first UAAP campaign during a press conference on Wednesday. UP Cebu chancellor Leo Malagar conceptualized the initiative to provide student-athletes from the provinces with opportunities to compete at the national level while continuing their education with their mother school. Malagar said the UAAP has traditionally served as a competition stage for schools in Metro Manila, making it difficult for talented athletes from the provinces to participate because of the distance and financial requirements of moving to NCR. “The UAAP has been a Manila stage. Its member schools are in Metro Manila. Its games are played there. So for a young athlete from the provinces, reaching that stage usually meant moving to Manila for good," he said. "Many gifted young players never made that move. Not because they lacked ability, but because the distance was too great and the cost too high. Karon, makadula na sila isip mga Sugbuanon (Now, they can play as Cebuanos),” Malagar added. UP Cebu head coach Ricor Marfil, founder of SportsGen International Football Academy, will lead the team with assistant coaches Phoebe Ann Hao and Amber Villaflor. The coaching staff began preparing the players in June, building team chemistry and camaraderie while preparing them for the demands of competing away from their families and against established UAAP programs. Marfil expects UP Cebu to enter the tournament as an underdog but considers the opportunity to showcase the players' abilities and gain national competition experience as the team's primary objectives. Reaching the semifinals or finals would be an additional achievement. The players will stay at the UP Cebu Sugbo Guesthouse in UP Diliman from January to March 2027 while competing in the tournament. UP Cebu high school principal Kim Bondoc said the university has arranged flexible learning through synchronous and asynchronous classes, independent study and learning modules. Teachers and academic coordinators from Cebu will also visit the players, who will have a dedicated learning space at UP Diliman. Meanwhile, the players have been building camaraderie outside the football field to prepare for living together and supporting one another during their three-month stay away from their families. Team captain Cyan Manuel Villaflor said the squad takes pride in representing UP Cebu and the entire region in the UAAP. The players aim to make the university, Cebu and the Visayas proud through their performance. UP Cebu will open its UAAP Season 89 campaign against the UST Tiger Cubs on Jan. 13, 2027, at the UP Diliman Football Field in Quezon City. The team will travel to Manila on Jan. 4 to settle into its temporary residence and prepare for the opening match. The UP Cebu roster consists of Jared Tyler Abastas, Wayne Jahman Adlawan, Caleb Dion Aguilar, Jian Paulo Amaga, Clark Jareed Bansag, Jake Louise Bordalba, Ceaje Bungcaras, Fritz Gerald Cabrera, Gabriel Nathan Catostos, Marvin Roy Cervantes, Val Andri Goles, John Martin Jaluage, Jude Earl Jurado, SG Laspoña, Marc Leonel Mongaya, Rodney Jr. Orteza, Steve Andrie Redondo, Vince Christopher Rodil, Qyel Ino Sollano, Syd Ferdinand Sungcad, Charles Shenrick Tangcay, Gamaliel Veloso and Villaflor. UP Cebu is also seeking sponsorships and partnerships with businesses, organizations, alumni and other supporters to help fund the team's training, preparation and competition requirements. Interested partners may contact UP Cebu high school principal Kim Bondoc through [email protected]. The team's UAAP debut coincides with UP Cebu's 10th year as a constituent university of the UP System, which the university celebrates under the theme “Paglig-on: Creating Futures, Transforming Worlds.” Through the historic campaign, UP Cebu aims to expand opportunities for young footballers in Cebu and neighboring provinces to develop their skills, gain national competition experience and pursue collegiate football.