The Alas Pilipinas men’s volleyball team did not have the Asian Games campaign it wanted.
That is a matter for the players, coaches and officials to assess.
But the team’s on-court performance is a separate issue from the financial difficulties reportedly faced by some national players.
And that second issue should not simply be brushed aside.
Some things should never happen to athletes wearing the Philippine flag.
Borrowing money for meals. Finding ways to pay for transportation. Covering training-related expenses out of their own pockets. Waiting for allowances that have not been released.
These are not performance issues.
They are support issues.
Team captain Bryan Bagunas said members of Alas Men had not received their regular allowances since July, with some players having to borrow money and shoulder expenses for transportation and meals. The Philippine National Volleyball Federation also acknowledged that national athletes had been forced to use their own money and, in some cases, borrow funds while representing the country.
That deserves serious attention.
At the same time, the financial concerns should not be used to erase legitimate questions about the team’s performance in the Asian Games. Athletes can be held accountable for results while the federation can—and should—be held accountable for providing the support promised to national players.
These are two different conversations.
The PNVF’s new administration under president Frank Lao has said it inherited substantial financial liabilities and outstanding obligations when it took over in August. Lao has also personally advanced funds for immediate national-team requirements, including allowances, ticketing and visa expenses.
Those developments need to be documented and properly accounted for.
But naming previous officials is not the same as assigning personal blame.
If there are unpaid obligations, unreconciled funds or financial liabilities carried over from previous administrations, the accounting should establish when they were incurred, what they were for, who authorized them, and whether they were properly settled or carried forward.
No witch hunt.
No finger-pointing.
Just the facts.
The PNVF has said it is conducting a comprehensive accounting of funds received and disbursed by the federation. That process should be completed transparently, with the athletes and the volleyball community given a clear picture of what happened and what remains to be fixed.
Because personal advances cannot become the normal financial system of a national sports federation.
Our national athletes should not have to borrow money just to train or compete for the country.
They should not have to worry about their next meal while preparing for an international tournament.
And they should not have to carry the Philippine flag in one hand and an unpaid bill in the other.
The Asian Games result can—and should—be examined.
So should the support system behind the athletes.
One does not cancel out the other.
What is needed now is accountability, transparency and a financial system that works before the next national team puts on the Philippine jersey.
Our athletes have a job to do: compete for the country.
The federation has a job, too: make sure they have the support to do it.
Mahiya naman kayo.
This should stop now.