ON a year defined by breakthrough champions and record-setting feats in the PVL, one player quietly authored a compelling success story that was two years in the making.
Farm Fresh opposite hitter Trisha Tubu has steadily risen into prominence as one of the league’s most reliable attackers after making the difficult decision to cut short her collegiate career following just one UAAP season at Adamson.
Now a three-time PVL awardee, the trajectory of the career of the 25-year-old Tarlac native could have unfolded very differently if not for circumstances that forced her hand early on.
READ: For Trisha Tubu, turning pro early is all for her ailing father
Tubu’s leap to the professional ranks was not driven by ambition alone, but by a responsibility far greater than volleyball.
She turned pro to help shoulder the financial burden for her father, who was in urgent need of a pacemaker, an implantable device used to regulate heart rhythm that typically costs between ₱200,000 and ₱300,000.
The situation was made even more dire after he suffered a life-threatening stroke and had to undergo multiple medical procedures.
Faced with mounting hospital bills and limited options, Tubu chose to leave the UAAP and take her chances in the PVL, embracing the pressure of the professional game at a young age.
Two years on, Tubu’s gamble has paid off in a way far more meaningful than any award or championship. Her father has since made a successful recovery.
“Siyempre, worth it po siya kasi nung nag-pro nga ako is because of my father. Ngayon, okay na ‘yung father ko, unang-una, and naka-recover na rin siya,” Tubu shared with SPIN.ph. “May go-signal na nga siya to work, but hindi na namin siya pinag-work.”
Changed for the better
Her mission, however, did not end there.
While helping her father recover was her foremost goal, Tubu gradually took on an even greater responsibility as her family’s breadwinner. In doing so, she was able to provide financial stability for her entire family.
“Nakapag-patapos na ako ng kapatid ko, ‘yung second sister ko is naka-graduate na siya [ng] accountancy. ‘Yung father ko, okay na siya, 100 percent, then ‘yung kapatid ko nga is college na rin,” Tubu shared.
“Kahit papaano, nakapag-pundar na rin ako ng maliit na business para sa family ko.”
While there’s still a part of her that yearns for what could’ve been had she stayed put at Adamson and helped build a possibly fearsome force in college volleyball, what she and her family have now outweighs everything else.
And she wouldn’t change anything about how her life and her career took a detour for the better, no matter what others had to say about it.
“Sobrang worth it kasi kung hindi ko kinuha ‘yung risk na ‘yun, kung hindi ko tinake ‘yung risk na ‘yun, siguro malayo ‘yung difference ng life ko ngayon at life ng family ko talaga compared sa ngayon,” she said.
“Hindi man natin naiiwasan yung may masasabi't masasabi talaga ‘yung tao, pero kahit ano ‘yung piliin kong landas sa buhay, ‘yan ‘yung para sa'yo, walang good and bad diyan.
“Meron mang masasabi yung tao, pero kailangan mong malampasan ‘yun kasi hindi mo naman ginawa ‘yun para sa sarili mo. Ginawa ko ‘yung decision na ‘yun para sa family ko.”
Changed for good
Tubu’s journey stands as a testament to sacrifice, resilience, and purpose, proving that some of the most meaningful victories in sport are forged off the court.
What began as a decision born out of necessity eventually became an opportunity that changed not only her own life, but her family’s as well.
Looking back, Tubu offered her younger, pre-professional self a quiet affirmation for having the courage to stand firm at a time when uncertainty threatened to overwhelm her.
“You're living the life na akala mo hindi mo kaya 'yung times na nag-doubt ka if tama ba ‘yung decision na gagawin kasi marami kang pwedeng maiwan, marami kang pwedeng hindi magawa,” Tubu said.
“Pero thank you kasi tinake mo ‘yung chance na ‘yun kaya ito ka ngayon, naglalaro sa pro and maayos na ‘yung family mo.”
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