JIA de Guzman raised a pointed question at the height of the Alas Pilipinas draft controversy, one that cut through the noise and went straight to what players have been feeling all along.
“It’s just a little saddening that we haven’t heard anything from our managers and that the burden of reaching out actually falls on the players,” de Guzman told reporters in the aftermath of Creamline's five-set win over Cignal, one where she even hurt her right knee after an awkward slip.
“That part I don’t really understand. But again, despite this, we also remain open to dialogue. We just hope that it is formal, meaningful, and talaga with a genuine desire to address the needs of the athlete.”
READ: Defiant PNVF chief addresses concerns on Alas draft, grievances
With that, the Alas Women skipper reframed the issue from just the proposal itself to a deeper concern about the lack of clear, proactive communication between the federation and the athletes it governs.
The proposed draft, introduced by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) to address national team continuity, quickly drew scrutiny after raising the possibility of players having to prioritize Alas duties over entertaining professional commitments.
It was a scenario de Guzman had already opposed, stressing that players should not be forced to choose between club and country, but instead be supported in both.
But beyond the implications of the policy, what stood out for the longtime national team setter was how information reached them, or in many cases, did not.
“I think that burden of initiating should not fall on the players because we have always been open. Even the past generations, we were always open for dialogue,” she said.
READ Jia says players shouldn't have to pick between Alas, pro careers
De Guzman bared that even members of the current national pool were left waiting for direction, particularly after a stretch where the program had reason for optimism.
“Actually, the current roster, we were actually hoping that the PNVF would share plans with us. Even right after SEA Games kasi, we knew that they took over and we were actually very hopeful na moving forward, the future would be bright,” she said.
Instead, clarity came late, and in some cases, through public discourse rather than direct communication.
“It took a while for me to see the initial proposal because I was very focused on the team. I just saw that there was a lot of public sentiment and discourse about it. And I also had a lot of questions moving forward,” she said.
That gap has left players dealing with uncertainty at a crucial time in the calendar.
“Right now, there are still so many questions around things like the Alas draft, the recruitment process, and how contracts are to be structured. And as athletes, those are very important details that directly affect our careers,” she said.
Bigger systemic issues
For de Guzman, the situation underscores long-standing structural concerns in Philippine volleyball, particularly on how decisions are communicated and implemented.
“First, it’s athlete welfare in a complete sense, meaning it’s not just compensation, but development, preparation, and long-term sustainability. Second is the need for structured and meaningful competition. And the third is alignment, specifically between the federation and our local leagues,” she said.
She reiterated that athlete welfare goes beyond pay, pointing to development, preparation, and longevity in a system where players often move from one competition to another with little downtime.
“I understand and agree with a lot of concerns that came out, especially when it comes to athlete welfare and long-term development,” she said.
“It’s not just about playing the whole year. It’s having a system where competition, training, and recovery, all three of those are properly balanced,” she added.
At the center of her call is alignment, something she believes is currently lacking.
“The direction feels more like separation when what we do need is coordination,” she said.
“For me, the solution is alignment between the federation and the local leagues. Concretely, that means aligning with the FIVB calendar so national team duties and league seasons are properly structured,” she added.
Call for meaningful dialogue
De Guzman also stressed that any meaningful reform must involve the right voices beyond just administrators.
“Well, actually, I do appreciate that they’ve expressed openness to dialogue. I think that’s a very important first step. But for us, what’s really important is that dialogue is not just formal but it’s meaningful, and one that includes not just athletes but also people with expertise in high-performance sport,” she said.
“Decisions are informed not just from a management perspective but also from people with expertise in high-performance sport like strength and conditioning coaches, medical staff, and those experienced in long-term athlete development,” she added.
“Because building the right system actually requires a full understanding of what athletes need to train, compete, recover, and perform at a high level consistently.”
She also revealed that efforts to initiate dialogue were not new, with players having previously tried to raise concerns even before the current controversy.
“I think there were many times before na there was effort on the side of the team and the players to reach out, not just in this federation but also in the past,” she said.
“But again, we did respect na we were also trying to fix things in the federation moving forward. But at the same time, sana before going public with the plans and everything, mas clear and mas consistent yung communication moving forward,” she added.
For the future of the sport
As the issue drags on, de Guzman said the growing support from fans and the volleyball community has only reinforced the need to speak up.
“Since so many people started speaking up, and we could see that there was very good discourse online about people who actually genuinely care about player development,” she said.
“We’re not just speaking up for the current roster. We’re also speaking up for the other people, other players who are dreaming of playing and repping the flag,” she added.
For de Guzman, the path is straightforward.
“Let’s collaborate. There’s no better way to raise Philippine volleyball than to start right moving forward,” she said.
And it starts, she stressed, with making sure players no longer have to carry the burden of being the first to reach out just to be heard.
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