WHEN PEOPLE ASK: “IF MANILA MONTET CAN DO IT, WHY CAN’T THE OTHER PFL CLUBS?”
There has been an interesting discussion on Reddit about Manila Montet and, more broadly, about what Philippine football clubs are expected to be doing today.
One argument goes something like this: if Manila Montet can build such a big following, invest heavily in marketing and create opportunities around the club, why can't the other clubs in the Philippines do the same?
It is a fair question.
But there is another side to it.
Manila Montet is a very particular case. And saying “if they can do it, everyone can” ignores a pretty important reality: money, people and resources matter.
The PFL has only 10 clubs. And honestly, it would not be surprising if at least half of them simply don't have the financial or human resources to operate in the same way Manila Montet does.
Anyone who follows the club closely can see that marketing has been a major part of the project from the beginning. The club itself has been quite open about this. A significant amount of money goes into marketing and content, not only to promote Manila Montet but also to get more people interested in football.
And that investment has consequences.
A strong online presence gets attention. Attention opens doors. It makes partnerships easier to develop. It creates relationships with cities, businesses, players and football communities. It gives the club a platform that can be used for things beyond simply playing matches on Sunday.
That does not mean Manila Montet has discovered some secret formula that every other club is refusing to use.
For clubs such as Mendiola, Tuloy, AZT or Aguilas, the reality can simply be different. They may not have the same budget. They may not have the same number of people working behind the scenes. And they may not have the ability to spend heavily on marketing every month.
You cannot just tell a club with limited resources, “Do what Manila Montet is doing.”
Walang libre.
There is also an important difference with Manila Montet's position outside the PFL. Whatever people think about that decision, being outside the league gives the club a level of flexibility that a traditional PFL club does not necessarily have.
It can experiment with competitions, community projects, academy activities, content, partnerships and other ideas without everything having to fit into the structure of a professional league season.
So yes, Manila Montet should absolutely be questioned and discussed. Supporters are allowed to criticize the club when things could be better. The matchday experience, scheduling, facilities and football itself should all be open to scrutiny.
But the answer to “why don't all the other clubs do what Manila Montet does?” is probably much simpler than people think.
Because they are not Manila Montet.
Different budgets. Different people. Different structures. Different circumstances.
And maybe that is actually one of the more interesting things happening in Philippine football right now.
There isn't one model that every club has to follow.
There are different ways of trying to grow the game.
The Reddit discussion is worth reading because, even when you disagree with parts of it, it raises a question Philippine football probably needs to keep asking: how do we make more clubs capable of reaching more people, rather than simply expecting every club to somehow find the resources to do it alone?
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