ILAGAN, ISABELA — The PVL does not plan on going dark for five months in the course of the FIVB's prescribed national team calendar for 2027.
Instead, the league is already looking at ways to work around the international calendar while ensuring full compliance with the FIVB directive that places national team commitments above all else, according to PVL control committee chairman Sherwin Malonzo.
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The issue has come into focus after one of the eight conditions laid down by the FIVB for the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF)'s reinstatement required an immediate written commitment to align the PVL calendar with the international federation's framework beginning in 2027.
The FIVB has designated May 3 to October 3 as the annual national team window in 2027, with the third point of the roadmap requiring the PNVF and the PVL to align the domestic calendar accordingly.
- 3) An immediate signed written commitment to exercise its regulatory and governance authority to move the PVL into the National League season starting in 2027 for the growth of volleyball in the Philippines, comply with the obligation to release players for national team duty as defined in the FIVB Sports Regulations and to govern the domestic calendar according the FIVB Volleyball Calendar framework.
Asked whether that effectively means there will be no PVL competitions in next year's national team window, Malonzo clarified that the FIVB regulations do not prohibit leagues outright from staging events during the national team window.
"Actually, if you read the rules, it doesn't say naman na no league eh. Hindi naman sinasabing bawal," Malonzo told SPIN.ph.
"If you notice, may mga tournaments pa rin sa Korea, sa Vietnam, sa Indonesia. During the national team period, meron silang mga pocket tournaments, so it's short tournaments usually."
For Malonzo, the emphasis of the FIVB regulations is not on shutting down domestic leagues but on ensuring that national teams get first call on players during the designated international season.
"It's really about asking permission before hosting that league or organizing that league. That's how I understood it. Based du'n din sa rules ng sports regulations ni FIVB, as long as the national team players must prioritize the national team," he added.
In fact, Malonzo pointed to the ongoing PVL on Tour as an early example of how the league can coexist in a manner that does not interfere with national team obligations.
"'Yung 'On Tour' kasi, 'di naman siya talagang tournament. We just need people to promote the league. If you'll notice, 'di naglaro 'yung mga top players ng mga teams," Malonzo said.
With Alas Pilipinas players unavailable for the preseason caravan, the league instead used the opportunity to showcase younger players and deeper rosters while allowing national team standouts to focus on their international commitments.
"Kumbaga, opportunity to rest for them and opportunity for the other players to play. It's a balance," he added.
Rather than putting Philippine club volleyball on hold for nearly half the year, the PVL appears poised to recalibrate its calendar and stage shorter competitions that fit within the FIVB framework, all while ensuring that national team duties remain the top priority.
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