WEEKS after defending a pay structure for referees based on gender divisions, the UAAP has quietly changed course by standardizing salaries across men’s and women’s basketball, SPIN.ph has learned on Wednesday.
Multiple sources confirmed to SPIN.ph that the new scheme now pays international referees in the UAAP pool ₱4,000 per game, UAAP-exclusive referees ₱3,000, and revolving referees ₱2,500 regardless of which division they officiate.
READ Referees call foul on pay gap between UAAP men's, women's games
The subtle adjustment effectively dumped the old pay scale and its gender gap, which drew a heavy backlash when Season 88 tipped off.
The correction marks a striking turnaround from the league’s earlier stance defending rates that differ for men's and women's games, on the premise that officiating men’s games is “more difficult” and therefore deserves higher pay.
The issue first came to light after a SPIN.ph report revealed that referees for women’s games were being paid less than those officiating men’s matches.
League commissioner Jai Reyes defended the policy at the time, saying the rates were based on “difficulty of officiating,” and not gender, a rationale that many saw was still dismissive and discriminatory.
Public outcry and institutional pressure
The backlash was swift and broad. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) stepped in, initiating talks with UAAP officials to address the disparity and calling for inclusivity and fairness in the sport.
Lawmakers Sen. Pia Cayetano and Rep. Sarah Elago of Gabriela Women’s Party condemned the policy, warning it violated the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), which upholds equal pay for equal work.
Cayetano reminded that “equal pay is not optional, it is the law,” while Elago said the policy “reinforces the harmful message that women’s sports — and women themselves — are worth less.”
The advocacy group Go Hard Girls, founded by Ceej Tantengco-Malolos, escalated the issue further through a formal letter to the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).
Backed by hundreds of co-signatories from the sports community, the group called the UAAP’s tiered pay system “a step backward in gender equity and institutional integrity” and urged a formal review for compliance with RA 9710.
Progress, but done quietly
Following weeks of criticism and formal appeals, the UAAP has now adopted a uniform pay scale — aligning with practices of leagues like the NCAA and FIBA, which compensate referees equally across divisions.
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