The Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) is set to roll out a men’s division in a bid to further boost the sport and discover promising athletes who will represent the country in various international tournaments.

Ian Laurel, president of organizing Volleyball Masters of the Philippines (VMP), told DAILY TRIBUNE that they are forming a men’s volleyball league that is set to start around the first week of October.

No less than MPVA founder Manny Pacquiao and Strong Group Athletics chairman Frank Lao are backing this noble endeavor that aims to comb the grassroots for fresh talent who can sustain the country’s momentum in the international arena.

Laurel stressed that based on their initial plan, the inaugural conference will feature eight teams with 18 players on the roster with a home-and-away format. Out of those 18, 12 should be homegrown players, which means that they are either living, studying or playing in the LGU they wish to represent.

“We are taking a different approach this time because we want our teams to have more players coming from the grassroots level. Aside from helping these players get exposure, we are also helping the federation discover more talents who can be part of the national pool,” said Laurel, who is also at the helm of the highly-successful Shakey’s Super League and the defunct Philippine Superliga, in a telephone conversation on Saturday morning.

Despite its impressive potential, men’s volleyball had been left behind by its female counterpart. Although it drew some interest when the national team clinched a historic silver medal finish in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in Pasig City in 2019, the momentum wasn’t sustained and male spikers were left without a league at the grassroots level.

“That’s why we’re forming this league,” Laurel, who joined fellow VMP executives Ariel Paredes and Mike Tavera in sitting down with Pacquiao, Lao and Beyond Media chief executive officer Patricia Hizon as well as Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) commissioner Emerson Oreta and legal counsel Glenn Gacal in a high-level meeting recently.

“We believe in the talent of our male players and we are confident that they can display their talents before a huge crowd in their respective LGUs. This is our way of helping the federation promote volleyball, especially men’s volleyball, at the grassroots level.”

Laurel added that they have been getting a lot of feelers from other LGUs who wish to join. He, however, stressed that they will maintain an eight-team format in their inaugural season before going full blast next year with possible expansion to the Visayas and Mindanao.

Teams who wish to join next year may reach out to Tavera, who is also the MPVA commissioner.

“For our inaugural conference, we’ll be having an eight-team tournament,” he stressed of the tourney that will be bankrolled by Strong Group.

“But by next year, we’ll make it big as we expand to the Visayas and Mindanao — just like the ongoing MPBL. As you know, the bigger the tournament, the more athletes we can help get discovered and developed. And it will surely be a major boost to Philippine volleyball.”