Win, that’s what we need
A sports program cannot survive on tourism alone. Hosting is a means to an end, and that end must be the elevation of the Filipino athlete to the podium.
Daily TribuneA sports program cannot survive on tourism alone. Hosting is a means to an end, and that end must be the elevation of the Filipino athlete to the podium.
Over the past few years, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has been doing a tremendous job organizing world-class volleyball events.
From the Southeast Asian up to the world levels, the PNVF has proven that it can host lavish parties for the international players, coaches, and executives with funds subsidized by the government through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
But the government’s generosity has its limits. In a statement devoid of the usual sugarcoated diplomatic jargon, PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio practically demanded that the federation and its players, known collectively as Alas Pilipinas, step up and deliver actual victories for the country.
During the draw for the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup that will be held in Candon, Ilocos Norte in June, Gregorio admonished them, “Please perform very well.”
“If you want more support from the PSC, please prove to us that you have the big heart to compete against the best in the world,” he went on.
For too long, the narrative around Alas Pilipinas has been built on the hollow foundation of moral victories. Volleyball-loving Filipinos often celebrate a set taken off a powerhouse team like Thailand as if it had won gold. We applaud “gallant stands” and “valiant efforts” that ultimately end in straight-set losses.
The fact that our volleybelles have yet to win a medal in the SEA Games after more than two decades only shows that we have been left behind by other countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Gregorio’s “demand” was not an act of impatience; it was for accountability.
The PNVF has been prolifically bringing international tournaments to the country. Sure, this strategy has succeeded in boosting our sports tourism and keeping volleyball in the national conversation. However, a sports program cannot survive on tourism alone. Hosting is a means to an end, and that end must be the elevation of the Filipino athlete to the podium.
The disparity is becoming impossible to ignore. While we have the Premier Volleyball League that is enjoying its golden era, with stars being treated like icons and games drawing massive crowds, our national team is being taken lightly in the international arena as it is hampered by perennial issues of player availability, short preparation windows, and unstable rosters.
To transition from being gracious hosts to becoming feared contenders, a drastic shift in philosophy is required. The PNVF must move past the era of being “happy to be here” and put in the actual work of preparing a national team that is capable of winning.
The PNVF has to remember that when the PSC provides funding, it is investing taxpayer money in the pursuit of national pride — a sense of fulfilment that is measured not by the pretty song and dance numbers or the spectacular fireworks at the opening ceremony but by the notches in the win column.
The talent is clearly there — the athleticism, floor defense, and height that we didn’t have the last time we won a SEA Games medal in 2005. What is missing is the “killer instinct” and the long-term program that is badly needed to build a winning system.
It is time the federation stopped settling for the optics of progress.
The Filipino fans — perhaps the most passionate supporters of volleyball in the world — deserve more than a front row seat to watch other nations celebrating on their home soil. They deserve a team that enters a tournament not just to compete, but to conquer.
Gregorio has rung the alarm bell. The era of moral victories must come to an end. For Philippine volleyball to truly arrive, the elusive victory must finally become the standard, not the exception. We need to win — now.