BY John Miles Arcenal
A NEW season of UAAP basketball tipped off with excitement on the court - but a different kind of whistle has been blown off it.
The league is facing backlash after referees revealed a pay gap between men’s and women’s games.
READ: Referees call foul on pay gap between UAAP men's, women's games
As first reported by SPIN.ph, referees officiating men’s games will receive an increased rate of P3,000, while those in the boys’ division will retain last year's rate of P2,500.
However, officials working women’s and girls' games will be paid only P2,000 - or P500 less than a season ago.
The decision was justified by basketball commissioner Jai Reyes, who explained that games in the men’s division are “faster” and “more difficult to officiate.”
This reasoning has incited backlash from athletes, journalists, and women’s advocates, who - in an Instagram post from Go Hard Girls - argued that women’s basketball deserves the same respect as the men's game
“It’s an insult to everyone in the women’s basketball community,” said Gilas Pilipinas Women player Trina Guytingco.
“So what if the men’s game is faster? It doesn’t make our game any less important. We all play the same game of basketball, under the same set of rules and regulations. Referees should not have to take a pay cut just because they’re officiating a women’s game,” she added.
Sportswriter Luisa Morales also added that women’s referees shouldn’t be the ones bearing the brunt if the men’s games are more physically demanding.
As she mused, "Let's take the commissioner's word that men's games are harder to officiate. Even if that's true, why decrease the pay from the women's games rather than just increase the pay for the men's games?”
“Why do referees from women's games pay the price to up the fee for the men's? With this change, we’re teaching referees to value women's games as lesser."
Former UAAP photographer Krishane Liam echoed the same sentiment, saying that the justification devalues years of progress of progress for women's basketball.
"Calling women's sports less difficult to officiate is not only degrading, but also invalidates the efforts & dedication the women's basketball community has made over the years to break stereotypes,” she stressed
“Female athletes grind just as hard to play the game they love, and they deserve the same respect and recognition both on and off the court.”
There's still hope
For Mariana Lopa, ex-UAAP deputy commissioner for women's basketball, while the issue is dismaying, she still expressed optimism it could be fixed.
As she put it, “Heartbreaking. but I'm still hopeful that the right thing will be done. For the refs. For PH women's hoops. For the league. For us all.”
“Mahigpit na yakap sa women's basketball community. Mahal ko kayo.”
The controversy over referees' pay may seem to be all about miniscule numbers for many, but for others, it represents something much bigger.
With the season just beginning, the most important call isn’t from the officials’ whistles, but from the community - equal effort deserves equal pay.
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