Negros Occidental is back on the Filipino football map, with Loyola FC confirming its relocation to Victorias City for the remainder of the 2024/25 Philippines Football League season and beyond. The move adds a fresh dynamic to the Visayas football scene, which already features established clubs Kaya FC–Iloilo and Dynamic Herb Cebu.
The last Filipino top-flight club to call Negros Occidental home was the aptly named Ceres–Negros FC, which played out of Bacolod City. Founded in 2012 by bus magnate Leo Rey Yanson, the club took its name from his family’s transport business, Ceres Liner, and quickly rose to prominence in the national football scene.
During this period, Ceres–Negros cemented their status as a dominant force in Filipino football, cultivating a fierce Visayas rivalry with Kaya FC, who relocated from Makati in Metro Manila to Iloilo in 2018.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leo was compelled to sell Ceres–Negros to a group of investors led by Emirati-Filipino marketing firm MMC Sportz Asia. The club was rebranded as United City FC and relocated to New Clark City in Tarlac Province, effectively leaving Negros Occidental without a representative in the Filipino top flight. While United City retained their rivalry with Kaya, the clash between the two giants lost its Visayas flavor. Regional tensions instead shifted to Dynamic Herb Cebu, a newly formed club that emerged around the same time as Ceres–Negros’ relocation.
For nearly five years, Negros Occidental remained without representation in the top flight—until February 2025, when Loyola FC announced their move to Victorias City. Previously based in Metro Manila and briefly linked to a turbulent relocation effort to Palawan, Loyola formalized an agreement with the Victorias local government to establish the city as their long-term home.
The deal was part of a pair of football-related agreements signed by the Victorias City government, which also includes plans for the city to co-host the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup alongside Pasig City in Metro Manila.
As part of the relocation, Loyola will undergo a rebranding and compete as Loyola Victorias—adding to a lineage of past identities that include Loyola Agila, Loyola Meralco Sparks, Meralco Manila, and most recently, Loyola Palawan.
Interestingly, during their Loyola Meralco Sparks era, the then-Quezon City-based club shared a fierce rivalry with Kaya, who were based in Makati—forming one of Metro Manila’s premier football clashes. With both clubs now rooted in the Visayas, Loyola’s relocation could reignite that rivalry, this time with a distinctly regional twist.
Almost immediately after the relocation was finalized, Loyola launched a series of coaching clinics in Victorias, overseen by club owner Keith Buyco. The first session kicked off on April 1, aiming to scout top talent not only from Victorias but across Negros Occidental. The initiative marks a continuation of the grassroots development legacy once championed by Ceres–Negros.
With Loyola Victorias now firmly planting their roots in Victorias City, Negros Occidental’s reentry into the top tier of Filipino football signals more than just a geographical shift—it marks the revival of a proud footballing tradition. As the club looks to rebuild its identity, nurture homegrown talent, and rekindle old rivalries with a fresh Visayan flavor, a new era begins—one that echoes the legacy of Ceres–Negros while forging a bold path forward for football in the Sugar Capital of the Philippines.