On the Sidelines of the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the New Athletes’ Dorm in Rizal Memorial Complex
Rizal Memorial Complex – September 12, 2024
Q: As a former athlete, how do you feel that you’re giving back to Philippine sports in this way?
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Thank you. It feels very good. Like I said, I used to be here every morning of my life during the time that I was training for volleyball. And never ko naman naisip even then, I was only 17, so hindi ko pa talaga naisip yun, na I’ll have this opportunity to give back. Talagang at that time, gusto ko lang maglaro, gusto ko lang i-represent yung country. It never occurred to me. So it feels really, really good to be able to have that opportunity to give back. It’s a blessing. It’s a privilege that I have
Q: Sinabi niyo po kanina na isa lang ito sa mga programa niyo para sa sports?
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Oo, actually naumpisahan ko na yan kasi I am the Senior Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, tapos hawak ko yung State Universities and Colleges.
Sa dami ng pangangailangan nila, talagang hindi mo naman lahat maibigay agad-agad. Ang isang pinili kong priority is the dorms.
Kasi at the end of the day, awang-awa talaga ako kasi syempre, kasama sa trabaho natin yung mag-iikot tayo, yung kahit na sabihin mong 2 hours yung layo sa city, kahit nga sabihin mong 1 hour and a half, araw-araw mamamasahe yung bata, 1 and a half hours to 2 hours? Tapos kung hindi man siya mamasahe, may budget man siya, wala namang mahanap na dorm dahil ilan lang naman ang nakapaligid dun ng mga boarding house.
Sabi ko, kailangan na kasama sa policy yung pagtatayo ng dorms. Inuunti-unti natin yan para all over the country, yun yung sasabihin mong equitable access to education. Because if not, wala namang access yung mga nakatira sa probinsya. So dorms to me are very important. Around the country, hindi lang naman pang-athletes, pang lahat ng estudyante.
But lalong nakikinabang ang athlete, kasi aside from yung oras na binibigyan nila sa aral, they have to stay on campus to train, di ba? Sila yung talagang gipit na gipit sa oras, and sila din yung nangangailangan talaga ng dorms.
Q: Reaction to eligibility issue of student-athletes
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Actually, ang tagal ko nang inaantay itong interview ko sa inyong lahat para maipaliwanag ko ng maayos.
Ako naman, katulad din ng ibang mga parents, ibang mga Filipino na nakibalita lang naman, nabalitaan natin na ang UAAP, sabi nila ay may bago daw silang rule na kapag ikaw ay galing sa isang UAAP school, tapos athlete ka dun, kapag nag-transfer ka sa ibang UAAP school din, bigla daw dadagdagan ng two years. Tama? Yun ang aking narinig, hindi ko naman nabasa ang kanilang rules, pero yun ang aking narinig. Paulit-ulit kong narinig, tapos nabanggit pa yung pangalan ko na sa pananaw daw nila, hindi daw ito paglalabag sa batas.
Ito babasahin ko sa inyo ang batas, kasi napakaliwanag:
“Residency of Student-Athlete Section 4 of the law states, in the case of a tertiary student-athlete, transferring from one college or university to another, a maximum of one year residency may be imposed by an athletic association before a student-athlete could participate and represent a school in any athletic competition.”
Sinabi na, diba? A maximum of one-year residency may be imposed before maka-represent dun sa athletic competition. Bawal ang ibang klaseng residency requirement.
UAAP board, nakikiusap naman ako. Yes, I understand, hindi po ako bobo. I understand na may issue kayo na pina-pirate yung athletes nyo. Then solve it in an adult way. Don’t punish the kids. Don’t punish the athletes. You know, there are rules about commercialization of athletes. I listen naman. Kasi sa US, meron na silang pagbabago daw sa mga rules nila, parang papayagan na daw. Kung ano naman yung gusto ninyo sa gawin sa mga athetes, very open naman tayo. Pero ang huwag na huwag niyong gagawin, eh paparusahan niyo yung atletes dahil sa kagagawan niyong nagpa-pirate kayo-kayo din.
If somebody’s violating the rules on piracy, then yun yung violation niya. Nagpa-pirate siya. Pero do not punish the athlete. I’ll tell you this, when I was an athlete, when I was a UAAP athlete, 4 years yung inabot kong limit to play. Tapos inabot ko yung dinagdagan ng 5 years. So yung gusto pang maglaro, yung nag-aaral pa naman, pwedeng up to 5 years. Okay, so may must playing time.
Many sports, karamihan ng sports, walang life after sports when you graduate from college. It is our life as an athlete. Talagang nakabuhos diyan ang oras ng isang atleta sa kanyang sport. Minsan nga, halos hindi makapasa-pasa dahil nga talagang nakatutok sa sports. And that’s why, dito sa student-athlete law natin, sinasabi natin na kailangan tulungan natin yung athlete na ma-balance niya din naman yung obligasyon niya as a student, diba? Gusto din naman natin maka-graduate yan. Ngayon, a lot of them are very talented and in only a few sports. Only a few. Basketball for sure. And only in the last few years, volleyball. May commercial leagues after their college days. And then meron pa silang pagkakataon na kumita as a professional.
But the other sports, wala. Kung meron man, for fun na lang. Tawagin man nilang pro, semi-pro, minsan nga allowance lang, hindi mabigay. Tapos babawasan niyo pa yung years nila as an athlete in college? Why would you do that? Solve your problems another way. Don’t penalize the athletes. There are many reasons, and please emphasize this. There are many reasons that an athlete will desire to move universities. Hindi lang dahil pinayret [pirate] siya na may mas magandang offer na commercial value. Paano kung hindi niya kasundo yung teammates niya? Nangyayari po yun. Yung feeling mo hindi ka belong, kaya ka lumipat.
Kahit nga hindi athlete. May mga kilala ako lumipat, La Salle, Ateneo. Yung lumipat ng La Salle Ateneo to UP kasi parang hindi daw sila belong. Kaya sila napalipat ng school. That’s a valid reason to move.
Now, other reasons. Paano kung napakalayo ng school na yun dun sa tinitirhan mo? Paano naman kung, may top three na silang player sa position na yun. Ika-fourth ka pa. Ka-batch mo o one year lang ang tanda sa’yo. Wala ka bang karapatan na lumipat ng school kung saan baka naman ikaw ay maging top player or top two? Wala kang karapatan ngayon dahil sa ginagawa niyong kalokohan na bagong rule na yan?
That is what you’re doing. You are limiting the potential of the athletes by this imposition of this additional two-year residency. It is stupid. So please, and I know that my asking won’t really change your minds, but I am asking from the bottom of my heart, think of the athletes. It’s not about the medals that your university brings home. It’s about the lives that we can change through sports. And you will not change the lives of these kids when you limit their potential.
Ako as an athlete, feeling ko apat na taon, tapos na yung career ko kasi wala nang commercial naman na pupuntahan yung volleyball at that time. Pero with five years of playing, at least buo yung five years mo, hindi mo man magamit yung sports mo, hindi mo man ipagpatuloy yung sports mo dahil baka naman yung sports mo nga hindi naman basketball po, na wala namang commercial league, pero magagamit mo yung natutunan mo as an athlete for five years in life. Tapos ngayon babawasan niyo pa. Why would you do that?
Q: Would you be open, if ever, for the UAAP board to come to your office and offer an advance sit-down and talk about things?
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Well, ang sa akin naman kasi, thank you for that question. Marunong naman ako magbasa. Kung mali yung intindi ko, by all means, clarify it. By all means.
Pero kung hindi naman mali yung pagka-intindi ko, ano pang pag-uusapan namin? Ipapatawag ko na lang sila sa hearing and they are violating the law. They should be prepared for that. Yun lang naman yung sa akin.
I’m very open, but let’s not waste each other’s time. May trabaho po kayo. Alam ko yung mga nasa UAAP board, karamihan naman po yan, talagang mga nagsisikap sa trabaho.
And let me make it clear, hindi ko ho nilalahat. But I have to address it as an entity dahil yan ang decision na ginawa ng board.
Q: With regards sa facilities for schools, other than this dormitory, may iba pa bang facilities na balak tulungan ang ating Senate?
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Nagpa-partner tayo with the LGUs all over the country for multi-sports complex. Some of them are indoor, some of them are outdoor including facilities for outdoor sports
And of course, National Academy for Sports, tayo po ang naglalagay din ang pondo dyan.
Q: Reaction to the SC Decision on PAGCOR’s and PCSO’s Remittances to PhilSports
Sen. Pia S. Cayetano: Syempre matagal na natin gusto na madagdagan ang pondo for sports. I agree with, of course I agree in this case, wala naman kasing nilagay doon sa batas, wala namang sinulat doon na i-menos ito… Yan lang naman ang sinabi ng Supreme Court kaya kailangan daw ibigay ng buo. #
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