ANY notion that Alas Pilipinas Women was making a statement against the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) by covering its federation logos can be put to rest.
The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) has clarified that the taped-over PNVF markings seen on the Philippine uniforms since Monday's AVC Women's Cup match against Kyrgyzstan were purely a matter of compliance with tournament regulations and not an act of protest amid the federation's ongoing crisis.
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In a June 9 letter signed by AVC executive vice president and tournament control committee president Mohamed Latheef, the continental governing body addressed the growing public discussion surrounding the missing PNVF logos on the national team's playing and warm-up uniforms.
The timing of the issue naturally drew attention as the PNVF remains embroiled in controversy following its suspension by the FIVB, the freezing of PSC funding and an internal leadership dispute that recently saw a majority of its board members withdraw support for president Tony Boy Liao.
But according to the AVC, the explanation is far less dramatic as the governing body pointed to its 2026 uniform regulations, which strictly govern the placement of logos and identifiers on competition jerseys.
Only the country flag, country name or code, approved manufacturer logo and authorized sponsors are permitted in designated areas of the uniform. Any additional markings, including federation logos, are prohibited in those spaces.
"The AVC does not allow any participating team to place supplementary graphics, including National Federation logos, in the specific positions reserved for the officially mandated country flags, country codes, manufacturer marks, or approved sponsors," the letter stated.
The AVC further emphasized that any deviation from those standards would constitute a violation of the tournament's technical regulations.
"The Alas Pilipinas team is currently in full compliance with AVC rules by omitting the PNVF logo from these strictly regulated areas on their match jerseys," the AVC wrote.
The clarification also echoes the appeal made by PSC chairman Pato Gregorio for stakeholders to rally behind the national team despite the issues surrounding the federation.
"There is a time for commercial volleyball and there is a time for the national team. Kapag Alas ang pinag-uusapan, dapat lagi tayong magkakampi at sama-sama. The best gift you can give to yourself is to wear that Philippine team uniform. It is your gift to the nation,” Gregorio said.
“We want all of you to just concentrate. Kalimutan nyo yung pulitika ng sports. Kalimutan nyo yung pulitika ng pederasyon nyo.”
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