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| (Image Source: SelectStart.gg/Mineski Philippines) |
In 2020, Mineski Philippines partnered with the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) to establish the Youth eSports Program with the vision of creating an all-inclusive community for young gaming and eSports enthusiasts and the mission to become the largest and most influential program for gaming youth and schools across the nation. One year later, the program has garnered a strong following both online and offline with 115 participating chapter schools nationwide - 88 in Luzon, 13 in Visayas and 14 in Mindanao - and 27,421 followers and 25,188 likes on Facebook by the end of 2020.
Mineski Philippines Country Manager Mark Navarro shared and explained, “Beyond the diverse and inclusive youth community we created for esports enthusiasts, through YEP we carved a clearer path for the youth who are passionate about gaming or interested in gaming as a career. We are educating the youth on responsible gaming, helping them hone and showcase their skills, promoting sportsmanship and camaraderie among players, and providing opportunities in the esports industry through structured grassroots programs that give them their first exposure to organized tournaments. In YEP’s maiden year, we’ve been successful in conducting a wide range of activities and projects to meaningfully engage with young people, especially throughout the pandemic."
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| (Image Source: Manila Republic/Mineski Philippines) |
In line with its goal to create an inclusive and competitive eSports environment, YEP launched its banner program and crown jewel - the National Interschool Cyber League (NICL), the first major collegiate eSports league in the country with virtual multigame tournaments. The league's maiden season concluded last June with 189 collegiate squads from across the nation competing for the NICL championship title. On the other hand, YEP partnered with Mineski, OPPO and PLDT-Smart Communications for the YEP Tambayan student engagement program featuring weekly tournaments in DOTA 2, Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB), Call Of Duty Mobile (CODM), League of Legends (LoL), VALORANT and MARVEL Super War that has been participated by squads from more than 80 campuses nationwide. The program also goes beyond eSports tournaments to provide students with a holistic view of the professional gaming scene and a wide range of related topics through the YEP Talks webinar series.
Driven by its success in its first year, Mineski and PCCL's Youth eSports Program can only grow and improve along with the community it has fostered as well as continue to spread its mission of creating and developing an all-inclusive gaming space in the Philippines. Navarro stated, "We know that an increasing number of young Filipinos are becoming interested in esports and gaming, and we’re here to provide them with an environment where they can hone their skills, and a space for them to explore their interests around the industry. We’re optimistic that going into our second year, we can reach more students."
