Apart from fear of God and sheer determination to carry both their loved ones and teammates when they work hard and play week after week and year after year, professional volleyball MVPs Jessica Margarett “Jema” Casidsid Galanza, Diana Mae “Tots” Magtoto Carlos, and Alyssa Caymo Valdez should have also been awarded best diggers of an important character: love of country.
The Creamline top gunners help raise people’s awareness of the need to raise the level of women’s volleyball in the Philippines to make it more competitive from Southeast Asia to the whole world.
“Healthy competition,” requested the three national team members in front of 24,459 fans at the recently concluded All-Filipino Conference Finals between Rebisco sisters Creamline and Choco Mucho in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) at the Araneta Center where they led the Cool Smashers with strong hits and clutch points to win yet another championship.
In various interviews, the Creamline stars said that their focus is not on what those around them will say but on their team’s goal “one game, one point at a time.” That is why it is important for Galanza, Carlos, and Valdez to avoid reading social media rants and personal issues as they are a game distraction only. Furthermore, as their beautiful faces are zoomed in by cameramen and are always talked about on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, and X, they are also becoming more responsible for their actions because future volleyball stars will imitate them and parents and coaches will advise, “Anak, I want you to be like Alyssa, Jema, and Tots.” They have gone through a lot of sacrifices – playing from high school, college, and professional leagues, to playing overseas carrying the Philippine flag – including the emotional and physical pain that took a few months to heal. But their buhay-atleta goes on. Para sa bayan. For the glory of God who gave such talent on and off the court. Just a little rest and they rigorously practice/exercise/play again.
Mas maraming laro, mas malaki ang tyansang masaktan. Handa sila sa ganoon at pinanday ng panahon.
It is high time that something happened or the mindset reset so that dirty players’ quality minutes be numbered or gone in basketball. Some suffered broken noses, arms, and legs, and torn ACLs, and there were already cases of homicide and murder attributable to chaotic basketball. Talamak din ang sugal at gulo dahil dito. To the officials of the Sangguniang Kabataan, Barangay, and other large LGUs, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Philippine Basketball Association, Games and Amusement Board, TV coverors, and all the stakeholders of the entire basketball community, ask ourselves if we still can sincerely aspire to return to the Olympics or continue to allow other countries to lightly regard the Philippines in team sports to the detriment of the next generation.
Sa social media, nalilimutan na ng marami dito sa ating basketball-crazy nation na ang napapanood nilang mga sinadyang panunuhod, pananahod, tulakan, balyahan, sikuhan, pagmaang-maangan sa flagrant foul na tinawag ng referee ay pawang hango at nangyayari sa totoong buhay, hindi pelikula lamang. Maraming guilty sa kabulastugan at para bang walang pinagkakaabalahan sa buhay sa kanilang ginagawang katatawanan sa napapanood nila at nagre-react pa gamit ang “smileys” na may maling paniniwalang “kung ayaw ninyong masaktan, mag-chess na lang kayo” o kaya nama’y “magandang may boksing din sa basketbol.” Nalimutan na ang saysay ng pagiging sport at pangangalaga sa katawan. Sa bahagi naman ng mga colorum na palaro, nababale-wala na minsan ang FIBA rules; house rules na lang, hindi pa maipatupad. Kadalasan, meron nang indikasyon ng namumuong galit sa magkabilang koponan, wala pang pumapagitna hangga’t hindi sumisiklab ang gulo na ikatutuwa naman ng mga nagkokomento sa social media. Guilty rin ang malalaking liga ng basketbol. Dapat unti-unti na itong mahinto at palaganapin ang mensahe ng palakasan: camaraderie (pagsasamahan), paligsahan ng kakayahan na tumatanggap ng pagkatalo at hindi mapagmalaki kung nananalo.
From their humble beginnings – in their hometowns in San Pedro, Laguna (Galanza), Lubao, Pampanga (Carlos), and San Juan, Batangas (Valdez) where they could get “libreng pulbos” in dusty outdoor games – up to their phenomenal popularity when their respective varsity teams collided in the UAAP, the Creamline troika knew very well that many will be inspired by what they have achieved way back to school life until turning pro. They were fully aware that their hometowns will raise many more children who will also want to follow in the footsteps of how to become Galanza, Carlos, and Valdez in volleyball, especially now that the game is unimaginably popular in the Philippines. As much as they can, they do not forget to thank and catch up with the next children of the towns who value their God-given talent, so they help not only in sports and entertainment but also when nobody is watching them reach others out there struggling.
Thoughts go to Mafe Galanza who will follow in her sister’s footsteps, there is trainer brother Gerald Magtoto who is still taking care of Tots, and there are many more who will follow “clutch queen” Valdez including her brother Kian Bernan. Parents, grandparents, teachers and professors and lessons learned from the classes of Lourdes Reig and Dr. Gerardine Josefina Sayo are not forgotten. And so are the tests and try-outs from Coach Orit, Coach Mommy Dulce, Coach Airess, Coach Tai, Coach Roger, Coach Dante, Coach Sherwin, and Coach Ramil, and worthy opposition on the floor from opponents or teammates Michelle Gumabao, Jia Morado-De Guzman, Mika Reyes, Jaja Santiago, Rachel Ann Daquis, Mylene Paat, Sisi Rondina, and Dr. Katherine Bersola.
Women empowerment
American coach Airess Padda once described the situation of an ordinary Filipino athlete in recent years: “It’s so empowering for a little girl to have (volleyball) inspire her at 5 years old. That’s the future, it’s the future for women here. Those are the girls who are going to run the country one day. Those women pave the way for other young girls, and to be able to be a part of it is just makes me feel so proud.”
Why should we care for women and girls? Why should we allow glitz in collegiate volleyball and the Premier Volleyball League? Two cents from IMF (2012): “Empowering women is smart economics… Finally, empowering women as economic, political, and social actors can change policy choices and make institutions more representative of a range of voices.” Adds Michell Ward (2005): “The empowered woman so often given to us by the traditional feminist movement is happy, healthy, and capable of doing anything and going anywhere.” Now, here is the downside according to the gender researcher: “Masochism becomes a liberatory act because it grants the subject the ability to control his or her suffering.” Take the case of the Philippines:
I am not saying that there is no unnecessary noise in women’s volleyball. There is. But there is just too much of insults, nagging, and cursing in men’s basketball. To make matters worse, players have been shot, others killed, but tens of hundreds are still laughing on social media. Maraming nae-entertain kahit nabibiktima na ng pananakit at karahasan ang mga manlalaro. Dahil din sa pusta, may mga manonood na ring maiingay gaya ng sa sabungan kada sawsaw nila sa kung ano ang trending. This is heart-breaking, discouraging, and alarming. Imagine children and teeners being exposed to social media posts and comments with no government classification board’s “rated PG.” Nor SPG. Tech giants do not closely monitor and abusive accounts keep on abusing the platforms even if there is an option to instantly block them in view of netiquette. Too rampant is “beh buti nga” (good for you) that hatred becomes contagious. Wait. Is that really a fair comment when players get hurt? Take this to heart, basketball community. Watch and learn from women’s volleyball.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar serves as a member of the steering committee of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He was part of National University’s community extension project that imparted the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities in a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with a master’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños. He recently defended a dissertation proposal for his doctorate degree in communication at the same graduate school under a Philippine government scholarship grant. He was editor-in-chief of his high school paper Ang Ugat and the Adamson News.
