How a simple decision between friends became one of Northern Mindanao’s enduring forces in grassroots football—and why “Always More, Always Better” has become a way of life.
There are football clubs built to win trophies.
Then there are football clubs built to leave footprints.
For more than twenty years, every whistle blown, every child welcomed onto the field, every scholarship earned, every tournament organized, and every family brought together has quietly added another chapter to the story of Magis Football Club.
Its greatest victories cannot all be displayed inside a trophy cabinet.
Many now wear white coats in hospitals.
Others design bridges and buildings.
Some lead businesses.
Some serve their communities.
Many continue to play football.
All carry with them something that began on a football field in Cagayan de Oro City.
That is the true legacy of Magis FC.
Because at Magis, football has never been the final destination.
It has always been the beginning.
When Rivals Became Teammates
Every great club has an origin story.
Magis Football Club’s began not with a championship — but with a decision.
In 2004, as football in Northern Mindanao continued to grow, two Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan teams preparing for a regional 11-a-side competition chose unity over rivalry.
Instead of competing against one another, they merged.
It was a decision that would shape football in the region for decades.
Founding members Jack Talaroc, Regmark Mercado, Jan Perez, Harvey Calburian, and Romee Subere were not simply creating another football team.
They were creating a community.
It was Regmark Mercado who proposed the name Magis — an Ignatian value rooted deeply in Xavier University’s tradition.
Derived from Latin, Magis means “more.”
Not merely doing more.
But becoming more.
Learning more.
Giving more.
Serving more.
Being better today than yesterday.
That philosophy would become the heartbeat of everything the club would eventually build.
Always More. Always Better.
Building More Than Players
As football expanded across Mindanao through 11-a-side football, futsal, beach football, and seven-a-side competitions, Magis FC became a familiar and respected presence wherever the game was played.
Tournament after tournament.
City after city.
Year after year.
But somewhere along the journey, the club discovered a greater purpose.
Winning matches was fulfilling.
Building people was transformational.
That realization eventually gave birth to a new dream.
In June 2017, founding members Romee Subere, Harvey Calburian, and Don Derrick Derequito officially launched the Magis Football Academy.
Its first training session welcomed barely a dozen young players.
Today, that number has grown into a thriving football family of more than seventy active student-athletes — with countless alumni who continue to carry the Magis identity wherever life takes them.
Where Every Child Belongs
Step onto a Magis training ground and one thing becomes immediately clear.
Everyone has a place.
Children as young as four chase their first football.
Teenagers prepare for competitive football.
Women’s teams continue to grow.
Men sharpen their craft.
Masters players prove passion has no age limit.
Boys.
Girls.
Beginners.
Competitive athletes.
Returning players.
Parents cheering from the sidelines.
Everyone becomes part of the same football family.
Three training days every week become far more than scheduled sessions.
They become classrooms without walls.
Teaching the Game. Teaching Life.
Magis does not believe football intelligence begins with memorizing formations.
It begins by learning how to think.
Players are encouraged to solve problems.
Make decisions.
Communicate.
Lead.
Take responsibility.
Support teammates.
Own mistakes.
Grow from adversity.
Winning remains important.
But becoming a better human being matters even more.
That philosophy explains why so many former Magis players have succeeded long after hanging up their boots.
Today, alumni thrive as engineers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, and leaders working both in the Philippines and overseas.
Long after the final whistle, the lessons remain.
Leadership with Purpose
At the heart of today’s Magis Football Club is Club President and Magis Football Academy Program Director Don Derrick Derequito.
Armed with an AFC “C” License, currently pursuing his PFF B Diploma, and continuously investing in coaching education through FIFA grassroots, futsal, and strength-and-conditioning programs, Coach Derrick represents the club’s belief that coaches must continue growing if players are expected to do the same.
His annual involvement with the Milo Summer Football Clinic introduces countless children to the beautiful game — often planting the very first seed of a lifelong football journey.
Because the first coach a child remembers can change the course of an entire life.
Football Without Barriers
Perhaps one of Magis FC’s most meaningful achievements cannot be measured by medals.
It is measured by inclusion.
The academy intentionally opens its doors to children with autism, ADHD, and other developmental needs.
There are no separate dreams.
No separate fields.
Only football.
Through patience, encouragement, and joy, Magis proves that the game belongs to everyone.
It is a quiet reminder that football is strongest when nobody is left behind.
A Club That Keeps Raising the Standard
Over two decades, Magis FC has become one of Northern Mindanao’s most respected football organizations.
The club has competed across Mindanao and the Visayas, representing Cagayan de Oro in prestigious tournaments such as:
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- PFF SMART Club Championship
- PFF Men’s Regional Championship Qualifiers
- Kadayawan Cup
- Del Monte Cup
- Thirsty Cup
- Hudyaka Football Festival
- Vincere Cup
- Diyandi Cup
- Rosevale Cup
- Jetsun Cup
- DEFA Cup
- Abba’s Cup
- Kinawe Football Cup
The results speak for themselves.
Championships.
Runner-up finishes.
Regional podiums.
National qualifications.
Most recently, Magis captured the 2026 Vincere Cup Plate Championship, adding another proud chapter to an already impressive history.
Yet inside the club, trophies are viewed differently.
They are milestones—not destinations.
Because tomorrow always demands another step forward.
Another lesson.
Another improvement.
Another chance to become Magis.
Creating Opportunities Beyond Their Own Club
Many football clubs organize teams.
Magis organizes opportunities.
Recognizing that football grows when everyone grows together, the club has become one of the region’s leading tournament organizers.
Events such as the Vincere Cup, Copa Estudiantes, Romee Subere Memorial Cup, Paolo Ansaldo Futsal Cup, and Mayor Rolando Klarex Uy Football Cup have welcomed hundreds of teams from across the country.
Some editions have attracted more than 200 participating teams, transforming weekends into celebrations of Philippine grassroots football.
Every tournament creates memories.
Every match inspires another child.
Every kickoff strengthens the football community.
The Scholarship That Changes Everything
Ask many parents what football has given their children, and they rarely begin by talking about goals scored.
They talk about confidence.
Discipline.
Friendships.
Responsibility.
Dreams.
For many families, football has also opened the door to education.
Through scholarship opportunities, Magis FC has helped student-athletes pursue quality education while continuing their football development.
Many alumni have advanced into collegiate football through UAAP and NCAA programs or competed for respected clubs including Jeepney FC, Pasargad FC, Meralco FC, and Superbad FC.
The academy continues to remind every young player:
Football may earn you opportunities.
Education prepares you to keep them.
The Challenges That Still Remain
Even after two decades of growth, Magis continues to face realities familiar to nearly every grassroots club in the Philippines.
Limited training facilities.
Funding for scholars.
Transportation for competitions.
Operational sustainability.
Yet these challenges have never diminished the club’s ambition.
Instead, they fuel it.
Future plans include expanding scholarship programs, strengthening grassroots initiatives throughout Northern Mindanao, developing sustainable partnerships with schools and private organizations, and launching cooperative business ventures that can directly support academy operations.
Because sustainability ensures that the next child who dreams of playing football will still have somewhere to begin.
Always More Than Yesterday
If there is one sentence that captures Magis FC, it is not found inside a mission statement.
It is lived every training session.
Every coach choosing to stay a little longer.
Every parent volunteering another weekend.
Every older player mentoring a younger one.
Every child returning after school with a football under one arm and dreams under the other.
That is Magis.
Not perfection.
Progress.
Not comparison.
Growth.
Not simply producing better footballers.
Producing better people.
OneFutbol Salutes Magis Football Club
For more than twenty years, Magis Football Club has shown that the greatest football organizations are not measured solely by championships, but by the lives they transform.
From a group of university footballers united by a common purpose to one of Northern Mindanao’s most respected grassroots institutions, Magis has become a beacon of what community-driven football can achieve. Through player development, educational scholarships, inclusive programs for children with special needs, women’s football, masters football, and tournaments that bring together hundreds of teams, the club continues to create opportunities far beyond the boundaries of the pitch.
Its philosophy — “Always MORE, Always Better” — is more than a motto. It is evident in every player encouraged to dream bigger, every coach committed to lifelong learning, every parent who becomes part of the journey, and every young athlete who discovers that football can open doors to education, leadership, and a brighter future.
OneFutbol proudly celebrates Magis Football Club not only for what it has accomplished over the past two decades, but for what it continues to build every single day: a football culture rooted in excellence, compassion, and service.
Because the future of Philippine football will not be shaped only by those who lift trophies.
It will be shaped by clubs like Magis FC — clubs that lift people.
And in doing so, prove that the greatest victory is helping others become always more, and always better.
Join, Support, or Partner with Magis Football Club
Whether you’re a young player looking to begin your football journey, a parent searching for a values-driven football program, or an organization interested in supporting grassroots football, Magis Football Club welcomes you to be part of its growing community.
The club continues to develop footballers of all ages while creating opportunities through quality coaching, inclusive programs, football scholarships, and community initiatives. Support from individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations helps Magis FC expand its programs and provide more opportunities for aspiring student-athletes.
To learn more about training, academy enrollment, partnerships, sponsorships, or ways to support the club, follow the official Magis Football Club Facebook page and get in touch with:
Don Derrick Derequito
President, Magis Football Club
📞 0927 225 0106
📧 donderequito@gmail.com
Join Magis Football Club and be part of a community committed to developing champions—not only in football, but also in education, leadership, and life.
