The baseball field in the Hollywood movie "Field of Dreams" began as a cornfield. The baseball field in one barangay in Bukidnon was—as some who hailed from there put it—was an actual bukid, the countryside.
Nevertheless, it was the field of dreams for two members of the Philippine men's national baseball team—Ferdinand Liguayan Jr. and Francis Gonzaga.
Along with Clarence Caasalan, they represent Bukidnon in the baseball team now aiming to defend their 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medal against host Thailand in the SEA Games 2025 final.
That field, along with Liguayan and Gonzaga's dream, started with their grade school teacher in San Isidro Integrated School nearly 30 years ago, Arlito Dasion.
Working in the municipality of San Fernando, some two hours away from where he was based, Dasion decided to apply for a transfer somewhere closer to home.
"Noong nag-transfer ako, doon ako napadpad sa barangay ni Bongbong as a Grade 5 teacher," Dasion recounted to One Sports, referring to Liguayan's nickname. "Doon, nakita ko ang laro nila noon is basketball lang. Talagang malakas ang basketball noon."
"Kaya doon ko naisip na i-introduce sa kanila ang baseball."
"Siya 'yung nag-start sa baseball career namin. Siya talaga nagbuo, wala naman talagang baseball sa San Isidro, siya 'yung nag-start nun," Liguayan shared to One Sports. "Siya pa rin nag-coach sa amin pag-high school namin. Siya yung nag-develop sa amin."
"Grabe 'yung commitment niya sa amin. Nagtuturo pa siya, and then nagtuturo sa klase," Francis Gonzaga added.
Even when they graduated to high school, Dasion would still go and teach them baseball.
That left a deep impression for the students of San Isidro.
One of them is Russell John Panes, who eventually migrated to Thailand. He was there to watch his friend Bong play against Thailand in the SEA Games preliminaries.
"He inspired us to play that game," Panes said of Dasion.
Dreams start with the small things
There wasn't much of a field for the 24-year-old Dasion, a former college baseball player from Malaybalay Bukidnon State University, to work with back in the late 90s.
The balls they used were not really for baseball, they were for tennis.
The base plates were used sacks. Sometimes, the bases were just marked by a few rocks.
"Sabi nila, katuwaan lang daw. Hindi pwede, kasi wala talaga sa isip nila safety precaution," he said. "Minsan, pagkatapos ng first base, may plant box pa. Parang dalawang dipa lang, plant box na. Pero sa awa ng Diyos, wala namang naging injury na nangyari."
"Wala talagang field, hindi masyadong malaki. Nasa gilid, yung plant box na. Sa kabila naman, perimeter fence na."
Dasion's father was a baseball coach. So he collected the old mitts that were stored in the stockroom, enough to fill a sack, and had the students use them.
The gloves were worn. So Dasion would be the one to re-sew them together with nylon cords.
"Tawag nila Bongbong nun, banana gloves. Maninipis lang, balat lang, pero manipis. Tuwang-tuwa na sila nung natanggap nila 'yun," he recounted.
"Kaya ngayon, nang dumating mga Rawlings, Mizuno, ay nako, pinagtatawanan nila 'yung banana. Pero dun sila natuto."
The dream starts with discipline
To grow baseball in this barangay, Dasion had to be a disciplinarian. No other sport for his players, no slacking off.
Panes described him as being friendly off the field, and strict on it.
"Sa'kin kasi old school, walang ibang laro na pwedeng laruin. Baseball lang talaga. Ayoko silang makita maglaro ng basketball," Dasion shared.
"Minsan nga, may nakita akong badminton. So ginawa ko, pinakwintas ko 'yung shuttlecock."
This became a sort of taunt among the students, joking that they would report errant players to their coach.
He would have them train even during holidays such as All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Even sometimes during the rain. Panes though recalled their teacher would always buy them snacks.
When students would be involved in other activities such as camping, the teacher would remind them to bring their balls and gloves.
"Wala pang formation, tapon ka muna, bente lang," Dasion said. "Tanghali, bente rin. Hapon, bente rin."
He was the advisor to a Grade 5 class at times, but he would tell Liguayan to skip the flag ceremony just to practice his baseball throws.
"'Yung disiplina, sa kanya andun na. Pagkatapos ng pratice, kung ano 'yung itinuturo sa kanya, 'yun ang gagawin niya," Dasion said of Liguayan.
He was asleep by nine o'clock, while some of his teammates were still up by midnight. He had plenty he wanted to prove.
"Iba 'yan, seryoso 'yan. Desperado 'yan kasi 'di nakarating ng Palarong Pambansa," Dasion said.
Now, Bongbong is a mainstay of the Philippine national baseball team.
"Baseball kasi, 'pag naglaro ka nito, masaya ka eh," Liguayan said. "Iba 'yung love namin na sport."
The dream starts with a push
Clarence Caasalan hails from Manolo, also in Bukidnon. There was one time he and Dasion were on the same bus together.
"Nakahinto siya sa pag-aaral, may mga problema," the teacher recalled. "Sinabi ko, balik ka. Tapusin mo pag-aaral mo kas may potential ka."
"'Sige sir, promise babalik ako,'" he recounted Caasalan saying. "Tignan mo, natupad pangarap niya maging Philippine team. Kahit saang sulok ng Pilipinas, napuntahan niya."
He once dreamed. And now, he's here.
Francis Gonzaga was just a Grade 4 student in San Isidro when he was made shortstop in the school baseball team.
"'Sir, ba't ako, Grade 4 pa lang ako?'" Dasion recounted Gonzaga asking. "Kasi nakikita ko sa'yo, may potential ka."
Gonzaga said he looked up to Bong and his brother Francis as players.
"Sila po 'yung naging role model namin sa Bukidnon para ma-inspire, para mag-work hard. Thankful ako kay God na isa po ako sa nakasama," Gonzaga shared to One Sports.
"Dati lang akong nangarap. And ngayon, nandito na."
Francis didn't just look up to Bong as a player. Liguayan was considered a pioneer, getting a scholarship to the Rizal Technological University via baseball.
Gonzaga was the latest one to receive a scholarship in RTU. He's now a pre-service teacher.
He would wake up at 4 a.m. and travel to Rizal Memorial Stadium. They would train from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon. By 1 p.m., he would go back and do his on-the-job training.
"Tinuturuan niya kami ng magandang asal, hindi lang 'yun sa school kundi madadala din namin sa habang buhay namin," he shared of his teacher.
The dream grows
Baseball is growing now in the fields of Bukidnon.
They do invitationals and home-and-away tournaments. Schools in Manila would visit to scout players and offer scholarships.
Liguayan's brother is currently a member of the barangay council, fostering sports in the area.
And from making do with thin "banana" gloves, Bong has gifted his school with better ones to use.
"Napakasaya ko, kasi dream ko lang makapag-tapos sila ng pag-aaral gamit ang scholarship ng baseball," Dasion said of his students' success.
Now, they're the defending baseball champions from the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and looking to protect their undefeated run in the 2025 edition of the SEA Games in Cambodia.
Five of the national team players are still students in the UAAP.
"Masaya po. Minsan hindi ko alam sasabihin ko tungkol sa kanila. Inisip ko lang proud ako na narating nila 'yan."
Even now, moving away from San Isidro, Dasion continues to hone a new set of young players.
The movie "Field of Dreams" is about the past and reconciliation. Bukidnon's field of dreams is about growing the future.
Katrina Alba is a sports journalist and producer, notably with SportsCenter Philippines before taking on her current role at One Sports.
She primarily writes about basketball and volleyball, with experience covering the SEA Games, Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup.
Outside of work, her hobbies include running, swimming, pickleball, yoga, arnis, and krav maga.