FILIPINOS have always taken pride in our "world-class hospitality" whenever we welcome guests to our homes.
From the grand spreads rolled out for occasions like birthdays and weddings, to carefully prepared meals for visiting friends and relatives, food has always been at the center of the Filipino experience.
That's why eyebrows were raised when the UST players, from the screenshots made public by former team captain CJ Cansino, had the gall to complain about the meals they were served in Capuy, Sorsogon, pointing out that the food, allegedly cooked by the mother-in-law of coach Aldin Ayo, was "puro pork" and "mamantika."
Really? Pork-based meals in Sorsogon, a province rich in seafoods?
Actually, those are valid points as athletes of their caliber do have to abide by a specific nutrition to keep themselves in tip-top shape.
However, food is a touchy subject especially for probinsyanos and those who have less, especially if you're only a guest in one's residence.
Thou shall not speak ill of someone's mother's cooking.
It appeared callous, all the more in the time of COVID-19 when people's survival is at a premium and not everyone can afford to have three meals a day.
That's why it's also understandable that a number of players, some already in the PBA, have shared their tales of hardships in the wake of this UST issue.
"Aarte niyo," chimed Leo Avenido, just one of the players who shared their plights even before making it big.

Truth be told, the players' complaints reeked of entitlement that not many called them out and spoke in the grain of, "Noong panahon ko...," and "Hindi kayo uubra sa PBA."
But like Javee Mocon and, later on, Vic Manuel perfectly pointed out, the food fight is just a minuscule issue. Whether the food is delicious or not is beside the point.
Accusations have been hurled like a full-blown canteen food fight, from the allegedly poor meals and the alleged maltreatment of the ailing players, to apparent snitching when it comes to the release of supposedly confidential conversations.
But the bigger picture here is why, in the middle of the government's campaign to curtail the deadly virus, are the student-athletes in Bicol and supposedly training in its own bubble facility?
The legality of the incident is the one in question.
There's still no UAAP competition to prepare for, and non-professional athletes (including collegiate varsity teams) are still barred from having their own training, not even in places under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) moderate areas like Sorsogon.
So again, why?
Clarity is expected once UST unveils its internal investigation on the matter, with the UAAP already receiving its copy on Friday and the IATF-created probing body putting this issue to rest come Tuesday. There, penalties are expected to be meted out.
For now, though, we guess those Tomasinos are just missing the taste of home, whether it's homecooked meals or those served in Mang Tootz or Lopez Canteen.
___
Spin fans unite at the Spin Viber Community! Join the growing community now and complete the experience by subscribing to the Spin Chatbot.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph