JAJA Santiago-Minowa is leaving the door open to join Alas Pilipinas Women, with a surprise national team reunion potentially on the cards if the circumstances align.
Speaking exclusively to SPIN.ph after making her PVL Invitational debut with Creamline, the former league MVP hinted at her interest in returning to national team duty next yeat.
“For the national team, we will see next year. Of course, if I have the chance,” Santiago-Minowa said.
READ: How Jaja integrated herself in Creamline's star-studded line-up
Santiago-Minowa last suited up for the Philippines in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi in 2022, where the Philippines finished fourth. That campaign saw her join forces with three players who are now her Creamline teammates: Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza and Kyle Negrito.
Four years later, the 30-year-old middle blocker could once again find herself in the national team conversation, this time under a potentially compelling set of circumstances.
One of the biggest factors behind her return to the PVL is Jia de Guzman, whom Santiago-Minowa credited as one of the key figures in her decision to join Creamline for the Invitational.
The reunion carries added significance, with de Guzman not only serving as the Cool Smashers’ setter but also as the current captain of Alas Pilipinas Women.
Adding another layer to the potential national-team reunion is her husband, Taka Minowa, who now calls the shots for Alas Women.
The prospect of the couple working together for the first time on Philippine soil, this time in a national-team setting, could further strengthen the possibility of Santiago-Minowa making her way back to Alas Pilipinas.
The biggest eligibility hurdle
Before Santiago-Minowa can make any definitive commitment, one major eligibility issue remains unresolved.
The former Philippine international became a naturalized Japanese citizen in August 2024, taking the name Sachi Minowa, and subsequently obtained a Japanese passport. However, that citizenship change did not give her automatic eligibility to represent Japan in international volleyball.
Under the new FIVB regulations at the time, the Philippines remains Santiago-Minowa's federation of origin because of her previous representation of the country.
The ruling has effectively made both her Japanese naturalization and passport acquisition insufficient to secure her eligibility to play for Japan.
That same conundrum now has to be ironed out from the Philippine side if Santiago-Minowa is to make a legitimate entry to Alas Pilipinas.
For now, though, the 30-year-old is keeping the possibility alive.
Another Creamline stint?
And her Creamline comeback may not necessarily be limited to this Invitational stint, either.
Santiago-Minowa is set to embark on her League One Volleyball (LOVB) stint in the United States, with the former PVL MVP expected to play for San Francisco Signal beginning in January 2027.
But when that chapter concludes by the end of the first quarter of next year, she is leaving the door open for another return to Creamline, potentially for far longer than her current one-week cameo.
“Of course, always,” she said.
After all, what was supposed to be a brief homecoming has already reopened conversations about returning to the Philippines, both for club and country, in the foreseeable future.
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