Carlo Dorin of Great Oak Manor (GOM) Football Center of Excellence is waiting for the ADT.
CAGAYAN de Oro City (Aug. 27, 2020) —Cat quick striker Carlo G. Dorin of Cagayan de Oro City is ready to turn professional so that he can help his siblings.
The former National U18 top scorer said that he is prioritising the Azkals Development Team (ADT) as of the moment and is just waiting for the ADT management to offer him a contract.
The 19-year-old Dorin has been training all by himself since the COVID 19 quarantine and lockdown.
He arrived from Manila last week where he got stranded for several months after he completed his junior high school education.
He is now in quarantine in one of the local hotels and is just waiting for his COVID 19 test results. He could not wait to see his siblings at their family house along PB Pacana St., Sitio Montecarlo here in Cagayan de Oro City.
He missed his siblings specially his eldest brother Dandy Dorin who has been acting as his father since his father Danilo died when he was 14 years old.
Carlo’s father became an alcoholic when his mom abandoned her family of seven children when Carlo was barely four years old.
Since his father died, his elder brother Dandy took care of the family and all of them worked hand in hand to survive. Carlo was already a rising young football when his father died.
Aside from training football and studying, Carlo had to work on several jobs to help put food on the table for his siblings. “I tried any kind of jobs like, lechonero, garbage collector, helper in a restaurant, and construction worker. Anything as long as it was decent,’’ he said.
But he is thankful that because of football his life has turned around and he was given an opportunity to continue his studies at the Lyceum University in Cavite. Carlo just finished Junior High at the Lyceum where he was on football scholar for three years through the help of Great Oak Manor (GOM) Football Center of Excellence of coach Darren Hartman.
It was then during his stint with GOM that he got noticed and he was selected to be a member of the National U18 team that played in the Asian Football Federation (AFF) U18 Championship last year in Vietnam.
His national team coach Nhiboy Edim Pedimonte has all praises for Carlo. He said he is ready for the pros, “But the best shot is for Carlo to play the wide position which he can do best,’’ he said.
Carlo was the top scorer for the Philippine National U18 team in Vietnam where he scored a total of four goals, one against Timor Leste and a hat trick against Burnei.
The Philippine team although won only one match. Coach Padimonte is however hopeful that next time they would have a better performance if they are better prepared.
He admits that it was his fault that they had awful results, losing to Indonesia 7-1, Myanmar 4-1, Laos 1-0, and Timor Leste 5-2. They only won against Burnei 4-1.
Carlo also scored in their 2-5 loss to Timor Leste. Carlo’s partner upfront Pacholo Bugas scored two goals in the tournament, one each against Timor Leste and Brunei. Bugas however has just signed a contract with new team United City Football Club.
Another Cagayan de Oro player Jethro Borlongan was also with the Philippine U18 team. He is the younger brother of SEAGames veteran JB Borlongan.
Carlo started to play football for Montecarlo Football Club, the small sitio in Barangay 12, this city at age 11.
He credits his Montecarlo coaches Nestor Yanes and Ronald Tablang, for teaching him basic football skills when he was young.
As he grew older his talents were noticed and coach Weng Dela Riarte signed him for his Higala Football Club where he developed into a better player. Higala FC is the biggest youth football club in Cagayan de Oro City pre-COVID 19.
Carlo played for the Philippine U14 team in 2015. It was during that time when Great Oak Manor (GOM) Football Center of Excellence coach Darren Hartman noticed him and the following year he sailed to Manila and signed for GOM.
Carlo said that GOM coach Darren Hartman is the coach who put his game to the next level. He is also thankful for the GOM parents who helped him during his three stint with them.
He mentioned the GOM Reach Fund which was created by the GOM parents Jenny Ko, Gina Santos Detera, Ninevetch Marasigan Llaga, Paz Isabel A. Guererro, Tere de Jesus Garcia and Yvette Alemdral. The fund help the poor GOM players specially those who are from the provinces.
“Without their help, my time with GOM would not be possible,’’ he said.
As of the moment Carlo is still waiting from the ADT management to give him a call. He is just in Cagayan de Oro for a short vacation and is ready to go back to Manila to suit up for ADT and play for the PFL anytime.
However, he is still planning to enrol his Senior High School through an on-line school. He has not finalised which school he intends to enrol yet.
Carlo dreams of becoming a successful professional footballer someday. His dream is slowly coming into a reality. He is focused, hardworking, talented and a nice guy. Let us just pray that he will succeed in getting a professional contract so that he can help his family and fulfill his dreams. (l.biantan@gmail.com)
