Alas Pilipinas Men captain Bryan Bagunas welcomed the response from the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) following his revelation about the financial struggles faced by the national team.
Bagunas said the response from the two organizations was important to the players, who previously disclosed difficulties covering transportation and other training expenses
“Nagpapasalamat naman ako sa PNVF, PSC sa pag-respond nila doon sa naging statement ko. Siyempre, malaking bagay sa ’min na sumagot sila sa naging statement ko,” said the men’s vollyball squad team captain.
Bagunas also revealed that PNVF president Frank Lao personally provided financial assistance to the players after they met, while private supporters also stepped in to help the team.
“Nakipag-meeting ako kay Sir Frank Lao, binigyan niya kami ng allowance P20k each. ’Yung Rebisco din, si Sir Jonathan Ng, aside from that very thankful pa din kami,” he said.
The captain said the support has extended beyond organizations and sponsors, with Filipino fans also reaching out personally to ask what the team needs.
“Sobrang nao-overwhelm kami doon na kahit mga fans, personal nagme-message kung ano daw kailangan ng team. Talagang sabi tutulungan nila kami,” Bagunas continued.
Despite the developments off the court, Bagunas said Alas Pilipinas is keeping its attention on its Asian Games campaign and does not want the financial difficulties to become an excuse for its performance.
“Focus muna kami ngayon sa game namin. ‘Di naman namin ginagawang excuse ’yung financial ano kasi andito kami para ipakita ’yung ano ng Philippine volleyball,” he said.
Alas Men are 0-2 in Pool D following straight-set losses to South Korea and China, and will face Chinese Taipei Tuesday at 1 p.m. Japan time at Park Arena Komaki. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
