JIA de Guzman did not look at Alas Pilipinas Women’s historic silver medal in the 6th SEA V.Cup as simply a reward for finally getting things right.
She saw it as proof that the struggles they endured along the way had a purpose.
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After Alas Women bounced back from a difficult opening leg to claim their first-ever silver in the tournament, de Guzman reflected on a journey that unfolded amid a turbulent period for Philippine volleyball, with the FIVB suspension of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and the leadership upheaval that followed adding uncertainty to a national team still trying to build chemistry.
Then came the first leg, where Alas struggled to find its footing and missed the podium. For the captain, however, those setbacks were necessary pains.
"Our only ask was simple: leave everything on the floor, no matter the result. To give ourselves the patience and grace to grow into the players and team we’re capable of becoming," de Guzman wrote.
The losses and mistakes exposed the gaps Alas needed to address, but also gave the team the experience of learning through adversity.
"So the struggle we went through in the first leg? All of it was necessary," she wrote. "The losses, the mistakes, the moments where things didn’t click—it was all part of becoming a better team. We needed those experiences to learn, build chemistry, and understand what we’re capable of," she added.
The turnaround became evident in Chiang Mai, where Alas played with greater conviction and secured silver after beating Indonesia, the same team that had denied them bronze in the first leg and at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.
Yet for de Guzman, the medal was less about arriving than recognizing the progress.
"Every strong team in the world was once given the space to make mistakes, experience losses, and learn from them. We’re no different," she wrote.
That historic silver, for de Guzman, became a marker of how far Alas Women had come during a period when stability was often difficult to find, and a reminder that development takes time.
"This silver is a beautiful reminder that growth takes time, patience, and a willingness to embrace every part of the journey. So proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited for how much more we can become," she added.
For Alas Women, the journey is far from finished. But after the turbulence, the losses and the uncertainty, they finally have something tangible to show for the belief that the difficult parts mattered.
"Step by step, Philippines. On to the next."
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