Cebuano coaches reach milestone in inaugural AFC Pro Diploma Course

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano football coaches Tomasito Glenn Ramos and John Martin Ferrer have reached a historic milestone after becoming among the first Filipinos to participate in the country’s inaugural Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Pro Diploma Coaching Course.

Ramos, the head coach of Cebu FC Gentle Giants, and Ferrer of the Cebu Regional Football Association (CRFA) are among the 18 participants in the year-long program—the first AFC Pro Diploma Coaching Course to be hosted in the Philippines.

Organized by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) with support from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the program is the highest coaching qualification offered by the AFC. It is designed to prepare coaches for professional clubs and national teams through advanced training in leadership, tactical analysis, sports science, high-performance management, and modern club management.

For Ramos, who guided Dynamic Herb Cebu FC to a historic campaign in the ASEAN Club Championship last year, the arrival of the course marks the realization of a long-awaited dream for Filipino coaches.

The opening module was held from July 22 to 26 at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila under the mentorship of veteran instructor and former national team head coach Stewart Hall.

PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez described the launch of the AFC Pro Diploma Coaching Course as a landmark moment for Philippine football.

“For more than a century since the Philippine Football Federation was established in 1907, we have never hosted an AFC Pro Diploma Coaching Course,” Gutierrez said. “We have only produced two Filipino Pro-licensed coaches, and they both had to earn their qualifications abroad. Today, we finally change that.”

Gutierrez said the program is one of the federation’s biggest investments in coaching education, emphasizing that raising the standard of coaches is essential to improving Philippine football at every level.

PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio echoed the importance of investing in coaching, saying better coaches will help develop better players, referees, and stronger national teams.

The AFC Pro Diploma is reserved for experienced coaches who already hold an AFC “A” Diploma and are actively coaching at the professional or elite level. Participants will undergo theoretical and practical assessments, club management projects, and international exposure throughout the nearly year-long course.

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