It’s no secret that the sport of basketball has become more of a religion in the Philippines, while football, on the other hand, despite being incredibly popular in neighboring southeast asian countries, is nowhere near its stardom status.
Both sports are team-based, both use a ball, both require a rim or goal for the ball to go through, and both require physical strength to be played.
So, what’s with basketball that Filipinos are overly obsessed with that isn’t in football?
Spaniards – Football; Americans – Basketball
To understand this root cause of the problem, we need to travel back to a period when the Philippines wasn’t a free country yet and was still colonized.
Back when the Spaniards, the Philippines’ first colonizers, conquered the land and forcibly taught Catholicism and Christianity to Filipinos, they also gave some sort of knowledge to be passed to the next generations, and that is the sport of “Football”.
The Spaniards were so good at teaching it that Paulino Alcantara, a pure blooded Filipino, was considered the best Asian player to ever play in FIFA and in Barcelona FC. He played from 1912 to 1927 and scored 395 goals.
Spain’s reign over the Philippines spanned from 1565 to 1898. The American colonization occurred from 1898 until 1946.
The Americans then taught baseball and basketball. Japan also invaded the country in the 1940’s but that’s another story.
When the country was finally free from its colonizers, Filipinos then started to adapt the sports they were taught to them despite having their own free will. This includes making a formal league of its own.
Not Maximized in the Earlier Times
In an article by Varsha from Real Platinum Life, basketball was clearly accepted more at an earlier time compared to football.
“American colonization in the early 20th century sowed basketball seeds in Philippine soil. With readily available infrastructure like courts and equipment, coupled with aggressive promotion by the American military, basketball quickly ascended the sporting ladder. Its fast pace, accessible nature, and individualistic elements resonated with the Filipino spirit, fostering a culture of passionate fandom and grassroots participation.”
In other reports, an article published by John Paul Canonigo of JP The Historian also emphasized how the founding fathers of football failed to capitalize on the early introduction of the sport, more notably during the formation of collegiate leagues of UAAP and NCAA.
“The Philippine Amateur Football Federation was not able to capitalize and maximize the growth of the sport as other countries have improved. The football league went into a state of uncertainty and did not reached to a point where it became part and fabric of Filipino sporting culture. The establishment of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1924 and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines in 1938 should have paved the way for the sport to grow in the grassroots level but it hasn’t delivered its potential as basketball has eventually became more popular than other sports.”
Stereotypes = Football – Rich People; Basketball – For Everyone
In the current times, there is still this notion that the sport of Football in the Philippines is played by those who are in the higher class. While the game of basketball is “Rated E”, which is for “Everyone”.
One huge factory is the history of having a mixed race of Filipinos playing the sport of football. It’s clearly understandable considering the Spaniards stayed in the country for 300+ years.
But up to this day, it has become a norm that children in the middle class or in the lower class cannot play or venture out in the sport of football based on the stereotypical attributes it gives to the people who play it.
It’s also worth noting the place where professional football games are played, green grass fields. Here in the Philippines having to play in that kind of area is something quite impossible.
And although professional basketball is played in wooden courts while the majority of Filipinos play on concrete, it’s the closest thing that can resemble a hardcourt.
Plus, let’s talk about scoring; it’s kind of hard to recreate a “goal post” for football compared to a small basketball rim.
Philippine Basketball Association (1975) vs Philippine Football League (2017)
Once again, basketball just had better founding fathers. The Philippine Basketball Association, aka PBA, started all the way back in 1975, while its football counterpart, the Philippine Football League, aka PFL, had its inaugural season last 2017.
An article from SportsNews.ph mentioned an earlier football league but failed to establish a long-term run.
“The hallmark of a thriving sport is the tournaments and competitions around it. Fans flock to the stadiums to cheer on their favorite teams. The Filipino Premier League (FPL) began in 2008, featuring eight clubs from around the country. The PFF or Philippine Football Federation also organized other failed tournaments in 2008.
Additionally, the only champion league, the Philippine Army, was also canceled as the season was concluding. It led to the dissolution of the FPL.”
The PFL is still currently operating in 2025; its female counterpart PFF Women’s League, began in 2016.
Final Thoughts: Fans Just Simply Prefer Basketball
Out of all the information presented in this article, there could just be one simple answer to the question of why football isn’t treated the same way as basketball in the Philippines.
Because fans simply prefer basketball.
The public audience wishes to see people use their hands and arms to dribble the ball off the floor and shoot multiple feet away from the rim rather than players kicking a ball and running across a large field of land hoping to kick it just inside the metal goal post.
Fans want to watch 10 people scramble for a loose ball and not 22 players all go bananas over kicking a ball.
The sport of football is widely considered a global sport and is considered way more popular than basketball. But in the Philippine soil, basketball is in our DNA.
