At the UP Diliman Football Stadium last Saturday, Tiago Remulla let his performance speak for itself.
Playing as a striker for Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Football Tournament, Remulla scored his first goal of the season to help the Blue Eagles secure a crucial 4-1 victory over the Adamson Baby Falcons.
Remulla’s goal, scored just a minute into the match, set the tone for Ateneo’s convincing win. The current fourth-placer, with 13 points, aims to hold onto its Final Four spot amid pressure from fifth‑placed PAREF Southridge, which has 11 points.
“Feels good to win. We really needed this game for our standing in the Final Four race. Feels good because we worked hard for this,” Remulla said.
“I’m happy that we won, though. That’s just important — it feels good.”
The 18-year-old Caviteno, now in his third season with the Blue Eagles in the high school boys’ division, comes from a well-known political family. He is the son of DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the nephew of Ombudsman Boying Remulla.
Accustomed to seeing his family in the news because of their public roles, Tiago is familiar with the attention and expectations that come with his surname. On the pitch, however, he is simply an attacking player focused on his responsibilities for the full 90 minutes.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“I mean, it’s nice. Obviously, me personally, I’m just staying on my own lane, minding my own business, and football’s like one of my hobbies, so I’m just enjoying,” Remulla shared.
“I guess I’m just staying in my own lane, having fun.”
Despite his family’s high profile, Tiago’s relationship with football is deeply personal, built over 13 years of competing in the youth ranks.
He has experienced the full spectrum of the sport’s demands — from long training days to the pressure of big matches — shaping how he approaches the game today.
One lesson he has learned is to treat every experience as a learning opportunity and move on quickly, as every team and player is only as good as their last match.
“For a lot of people, it’s kind of a love-hate relationship. Obviously, the highs are really high and the lows are really low, but we just keep working for the results and we just love the game even though it’s hard,” he noted.
Ateneo looks reinvigorated this season after missing out on the Final Four last year to Season 87 debutant Southridge. Now on a two-match winning streak, the Blue Eagles are set to face league-leading FEU‑D Tamaraws — who are also chasing redemption — this Saturday as they look to extend their momentum.
Remulla remains grounded about the challenge ahead, emphasizing that securing a semifinal berth starts with the work they put in during training.
“I mean, it’s going to be really hard to make this Final Four, but we’re going to work hard. In training, we’re going to work hard and try to make the three points,” he said.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
As his high school career enters its final stretch, the question of his collegiate future naturally arises.
While he is a product of the Ateneo system, his father, Jonvic, is a notable supporter of the University of the Philippines sports program — particularly its men’s basketball team, which he has helped steer to championships in Seasons 84 and 87, along with finals appearances in Seasons 81, 85, and 86.
For now, though, Tiago remains focused on the Blue Eagles’ campaign. Whether he stays in Katipunan or crosses over to Diliman is a decision he is not yet ready to make.
“I don’t know, not sure — let’s see. After this season, I’ll make a decision.”
