Unlike its neighbors, the Philippines isn’t a soccer country. It is much more interested in basketball, thanks to the American influence.

However, the Filipino diaspora is one of the largest diaspora populations in the world, which means there are tons of talented soccer players out there eligible to play for the country.

Since the beginning of last decade, the Philippine Football Federation set out to scout and recruit players around the world that have Filipino heritage for both the men’s and the women’s team.

It has paid huge dividends. With many dual-national players, the Philippines men’s team qualified to their first ever Asian Cup in 2019 and the women’s team qualified to their first ever World Cup last year—making headlines in the U.S. as the squad featured 18 Filipino-Americans.

Jessica Miclat is one of the players that decided to honor her father’s heritage and represent the Philippines, and it’s been a wild ride since.

There have been ups and surely, there have been downs too. But a chance to play international soccer, make history, and grow the game in the Philippines are just some of the things Miclat has loved doing since she committed to play for them in 2018.

This is her story.

Miclat was born in Southern California to a Filipino father and a Mexican mother. She has two older brothers and although her parents didn’t play sports, they encouraged their children to take up sports since they were young.

She fell in love with soccer, and set out on a dream to play professionally one day. 

She was getting into the U.S. youth camps as a teenager, and it also coincided with the time when the Philippines started setting up ID camps in Southern California to look for talented players with Filipino heritage.

After having her in a couple of those camps, the Philippines national team coaching staff was impressed her talent and gave her a call-up to the senior team when she was still in college.

“That was my first time even going to the Philippines in 2018,” Miclat recalled about her first experience with the team.

“It was an awesome experience to reconnect with where my dad is from and also where I am from in a sense. It’s been a really long journey with them and the soccer culture there is getting a lot better but when I first started with them in 2018, it was nonexistent.”

“They’ve made a lot of accomplishments and they’re making moves to put it on the bigger stage, that’s all I can ask for.”

She first played for them in the 2018 Women’s Asian Cup, where the Philippines managed to beat the host country Jordan in the group stage.

Living in the U.S. or Europe and playing for a team in Southeast Asia is far from easy, especially considering extremely long flights that can take up to 15 hours. Playing international soccer also means you are constantly traveling to other countries to play, where you have to adapt to local weather, different time zones, and conditions as quickly as possible.

“The travel is always a huge part and the window is so small because if you’re on a club, you only get that specific international window,” Miclat explained.

“After you hop off the plane, you gotta get ready to train, play, and then you gotta go back all the way to your club. Traveling is probably one of the most difficult parts playing internationally in a Southeast Asian country.”

There is a reward that comes with the difficult parts; winning.

So far, Miclat has won two things with the Philippines. She won the bronze medal in the SEA Games held in Vietnam in May 2022 and just two months later, she won the AFF Women’s Championship trophy in front of home fans in Manila.

“Fans were showing up, they were cheering, and it was a crazy environment. For a lot of the girls, that’s the most people they’ve played in front of,” Miclat recalled.

“To be in that environment with the lights and the fans cheering, it was an unforgettable experience. And getting the medals at the end was memorable as well.”

The best moments would come later though, as Miclat helped the Philippines make history qualify to their first ever World Cup. The midfielder played significant minutes in the qualifiers.

However, there are ups and downs in everybody’s career, and here comes the down part. She was snubbed from the final squad heading to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

“For any soccer player whose dream is to play in the World Cup, it all hits the same. It’s very heartbreaking,” Miclat said.

“To be so close to something and to not go the way you wanted especially when I played significantly in the qualifiers and helped them reach the World Cup, it hurts a little bit more.”

“It’s not as fresh but when people ask about it, it’s still a little sore but luckily I had support from my club at the time and my friends and family.”

“Life goes on. It is the World Cup but there is another World Cup so it’s something I will be working towards.”

“I did rejoin the national team after the World Cup, it took a toll mentally but I decided to be a part of it and try to get myself back to it.”

“It’s always an honor to represent my country and a part of my family and where they come from, so that’s something I won’t ever take for granted.”

Missing out on the World Cup can hurt any player mentally. But after a year, Miclat is ready to move on and try to make it to the next World Cup in Brazil. In the meantime, she also wants to make an impact on other aspiring players whether in the U.S. or in the Philippines.

“My biggest goal is to have a big enough impact on the generations to come,” she said.

“My story from the national team to club relates to somebody, somehow, some way. So whatever I can do to help that person or player get through what they are going through. That’s the biggest thing for me.”

Now 25, Miclat left for her club in Sweden at the end of last year and is looking for a new club. She recently played in TST with LA-based club Angel City.