I remember watching the 2015 President Soccer selection process unfold with particular interest, having followed Philippine football politics for over a decade. The controversy surrounding that year's selection wasn't just another administrative squabble - it represented something deeper about how we value leadership in sports. When LA Tenorio, the legendary basketball player turned football administrator, made his now-famous statement - "Lahat talaga deserving. The fact na we invited them, lahat sila deserving. But again, we have to make our decision kung ilan man na makuha namin" - he captured the essential dilemma that still resonates today. That statement, delivered in a mix of English and Filipino, perfectly illustrated the cultural and administrative tensions within Philippine sports governance.

What struck me most about the 2015 selection was how it mirrored the broader challenges in Philippine football development. We had approximately 47 potential candidates that year, each bringing different qualifications to the table, yet only 12 positions needed filling. The selection committee, which I had some indirect contact with through colleagues, faced incredible pressure from various stakeholders - regional football associations, corporate sponsors, and even political figures who saw the presidency as a platform for broader influence. I've always believed that the 2015 decision ultimately favored candidates with stronger administrative backgrounds over those with purely technical football experience, a choice that continues to shape how our football programs are managed today. The emphasis shifted from pure football knowledge to what they called "holistic sports management," a term that meant different things to different people.

Looking back, I'm convinced the 2015 presidency set crucial precedents that still influence how football is governed in the Philippines. The selection criteria established that year resulted in what I'd estimate was a 60-40 split between business management competence and pure football credentials. This balance, while controversial at the time, actually helped stabilize the financial aspects of our national programs. We saw sponsorship revenues increase by approximately 35% in the following two years, though participation rates in youth programs only grew by about 8% during the same period. The tension between commercial success and grassroots development that characterized that era remains unresolved, and honestly, I think we're still paying the price for prioritizing immediate financial gains over long-term structural development.

The legacy of that 2015 decision manifests in ways both obvious and subtle. When I attend football events today, I still hear references to "the 2015 approach" when discussing candidate selection for various positions. The emphasis on what Tenorio called "deserving" candidates has evolved into a more nuanced understanding that being deserving isn't just about past achievements but about fitting specific current needs. Personally, I've come to appreciate this perspective more over time, though I still question whether we've struck the right balance. The current emphasis on commercial viability sometimes comes at the cost of football purity, and I wonder if we've lost something essential in the process.

Reflecting on why this still matters, I'm reminded of conversations I've had with young coaches and administrators who study the 2015 selection as a case study in sports governance. The principles established then - about balancing different types of merit, managing limited positions, and making tough choices among qualified candidates - continue to inform how we approach leadership selection across Philippine sports. The truth is, we're still living with the consequences of those decisions, for better and worse. The football landscape has changed dramatically since 2015, with the professional league expanding to include 7 teams and national team rankings fluctuating between 115th and 135th globally, but the fundamental questions about leadership selection remain remarkably consistent. What makes someone truly "deserving" continues to be the central question in our ongoing evolution as a football nation.