EDWARD Aquino looked hip as he made his way into the JILCF gym in Bocaue, Bulacan last Saturday wearing a navy-blue luxury t-shirt, slim, gray ankle trousers, and trendy sneakers.
To everyone’s surprise, the NBL-Pilipinas vice-president for basketball operations and league commissioner quickly changed into a familiar gray jersey shirt, black slacks, and sturdy black rubber shoes.
Expected to just sit pretty on the sidelines, overseeing the action as part of upper management alongside NBL executive vice-president Rhose Montreal, Aquino instead did some early-morning dirty work as he scratched the itch to go back to his first love.
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The veteran PBA referee enjoyed his return to the court among the three officials in the 21-under matchup between 4 Hoops G Mavs and Batang Norte, the curtain-raiser of the weekend’s NBL Youth action that tipped off slightly past 8:30 a.m.
“Nung dumating Pasko, parang nami-miss ko officiating,” Aquino admitted after the game. “Trial ko lang. Gusto ko lang ma-feel ulit yung court, kasi sabi nga nila, once a referee, always a referee.”
It was Aquino’s first time to blow the whistle in four years or since a 2019 NBL Finals game featuring Pampanga and Taguig and his first outside the NBL since an Ateneo-La Salle UAAP game in 2017.
Aquino also served a higher purpose as he wanted to show his younger referees how it’s done.
“Kaya ako nag-referee to motivate them kasi I want to inspire them,” he said. “Hindi ganun kadali maging isang referee. Kasi number one, talagang dadaan ka sa proseso.”
“Ang pagre-referee, hindi yung ngayon nag-aral ako, bukas marunong na. Gusto ko lang sila ma-motivate at ibigay kung ano yung meron ako, gusto ko i-share sa kanila,” he added.
His reputation as a top PBA referee preceding him, Aquino looked like an authoritative figure standing 6’3”, keeping complaints from coaches to a minimum in the tight game that 4 Hoops G Mavs won, 97-93.
Aquino talks about game management
The close game proved to a perfect breeding ground for the referees as Aquino preached about game management.
“How to handle games and situations na ganung dikit ang laro. Kasi ang game management, hindi mo maituturo yan. Kailangan ma-experience mo,” he explained.
“Kaya lagi kong sinasabi: feel the game. Hindi pwede yung mairaos ko lang. Dapat maramdaman mo yung back-and-forth, yung players, coaches, mga nanonood, ma-appreciate mo,” he added.
In turn, their audience will also show love if they do their jobs well, Aquino said – like what happened after the 21-U faceoff.
“Nakakatuwa lang na after the game, yung mga players lumalapit sa referee. Hindi common 'yan. Simple: na-appreciate nila na nakapaglaro sila ng maayos. Hindi sila na-interrupt sa gusto nilang gawin,” Aquinos said.
“Yun lang gusto ko ma-emphasize sa mga tinuturan ko: dapat ma-appreciate kayo ng mga players, coaches, and yung mga nanonood na ito yung trabaho niyo, mahirap. Hindi siya madali,” he added.
So will this officiating moonlighting become a more frequent sighting?
“Manaka-naka, siguro most likely yung mga 21-under at tsaka mga magagandang laban, kasi gusto kong kunin sa mga magagandang laban yung tine-train mo sila,” Aquino said.
But he’ll stay at bay from the men’s division.
“Hindi na tayo papasok dyan. Meron ng mga beteranong referee dyan. Dito tayo sa Youth. Dito kasi madali ka mag-molde ng mga tao,” he said. “Para in case gusto ko mag-angat, meron akong makikita dito na alam kong pwede kong i-level sa men’s.”
Aquino has already seen potential in some young referees, including one whom he has promoted to the men’s division.
“Two years pa lang siya nagre-referee pero nakita ko sa kanya yung learnings niya na mabilis siya maka-pick up. Kasi pag referee, instant. Dapat quick-thinking, mabilis mag-pick up, mabilis mag-follow ng instructions.”
Like Aquino was when he was a young referee.
“Yung mga mentors ko … at 'yung mga nakasama ko, lahat yan nakikinig ako sa kanila. Yung mga nagbibigay ng motivation dati, lahat yan ginawa kong in process sa utak ko, then take down notes, nood ng video sessions.”
But what sets the NBL apart is seeing referees learning – and also getting paid.
“Nung nagsimula ako, never akong nakatanggap agad (ng financial),” Aquino said, recalling his younger days when he went to a Philippine Basketball League tuneup game to learn from referees at his own expense.
“Sa iba, pupunta ka, magbabayad ka, tuturuan ka. Sa NBL, the other way around: tinuturan ko na sila, binabayaran ko pa.”
So just like featuring homegrown players, the NBL is also developing homegrown referees.
“Gusto ko mag-motivate ng younger generation ng game officials,” Aquino said.
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