By Bong Pedralvez

WHAT is it like to be in the virtually isolated country of North Korea? Cathy Rivilla is about to know.

Going where no Filipino – either male or female – has ever gone before, Rivilla will be in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to supervise an Olympic qualifying match between the host country and Australia on June 3.

In what ranks as historic first for Philippine sports, Rivilla was appointed match commissioner of the key football match by no less than the International Football Federation, the sport’s world governing body, last April.

She will be joined by four Chinese officials who will act as referees and assistant referees of the game to be played at the sprawling Yanggakdo Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 40,000.

While a global outcast because of its nuclear program, North Korea boasts of one of the world's best women's soccer squads, which is in strong contention of qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The North Korean booters are presently tied in the four-team Group B Asian finals for a slot in the Beijing Olympics with the visiting Australians with two wins each. Entering Sunday's match, the Aussies enjoy a slim three-goal edge (25-22) over their rivals.

Only two teams from the group – the others being winless Chinese-Taipeh and Hong Kong – advance to the Beijing Games, making the game a pivotal for both sides in their Olympic bid.

FIFA really picked a tough one for Rivilla, who, as match commissioner, has the huge responsibility of seeing to it that everything about the game, down to the minutest detail, is in order.

"The match commissioner will be in charge of the entire organization: playing conditions, the officiating, even media. The job is no joke," said Rivilla, who is also the president of the growing Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Paranaque Football Association.

That she was chosen by FIFA to handle the sensitive match is recognition of her administrative skills since passing the match commissioner's course organized by the Asian Football Confederation at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January.

It will be Rivilla's third time as match commissioner in five months. She supervised the Asian Under-16 girls' tournament in Kuala Lumpur in March, followed by the Olympic qualifying game between Japan and last April 7 in Tokyo. (For the record, Japan won, 2-0.)

But the petite, pretty and perky football mother of three is undaunted by her latest and undoubtedly biggest challenge yet as an international football official.

"Being chosen by FIFA for this key match is an honor in itself. While I may not be playing on the field, the fact that I will be there to supervise the match makes me proud to be a Filipina," Rivilla said.

Getting to North Korea will be an adventure on its own.

Since China is the only Asian nation that has diplomatic relations with the country, Rivilla, who left on China Southern Airlines flight last Wednesday, will have to fly first to Beijing to get her North Korean visa before going to Pyongyang tomorrow.

In a country where it feels like Big Brother is always looking over your shoulder, Rivilla disclosed that one of the things she will have to give up to North Korean authorities is her cell phone.

"They (North Koreans) will keep it while I'm there and assign one a new mobile phone for my use. I get it back when I leave," she said.

An avid tourist, Rivilla said even taking pictures inside North Korea will be restricted. "Hopefully, I can get pictures to show back home about my experience," she said.

The “accidental” match commissioner said that she is using the opportunity to strengthen her network in promoting and developing women’s football in the country.

“Through these experiences, we are slowly establishing a global network to develop women’s football. This is why the Singapore is coming next month for a goodwill series with our national squad. We have also an invitation to go to Bahrain,” Rivilla said.’

North Korea has an estimated population of close to 30 million people, who have had no foreign contact for decades.

Starting Thursday, however, there will be one Filipino there making her presence felt in the arguably North Korea’s national sports passion – getting a big kick at being there at all.

Rivilla – First Filipino to enter North Korea as FIFA match commissioner of Olympic qualifying match