MANILA, Philippines—The opening of the 2008 UAAP season is just around the corner, but it wasn’t the reason I was calling on University of Santo Tomas professor Felicitas Francisco of the Physical Education Institute Wednesday.

I could not turn down an urgent request for me to relay an invitation to two UST varsity lady cagers for them to train with the RP junior ladies team which is competing in the FIBA-Asia championship this November.

Since their coach Peque Tan didn’t seem too keen on lending his players, I was requested to seek permission directly from Professor Francisco, who, I believed, is still the head of the Santo Tomas’ physical education department.

I wondered if she still remembered me. We both had stood as primary sponsors in the wedding of photographer Tony Lu’s son Anthony, but that must have been at least 10 years ago.

An institution in the UAAP, Prof. Francisco is the mother of former PBA cager Gerald Francisco, who is now assistant manager of the Coca-Cola Tigers, and Gina Francisco, who played for the UST ladies basketball squad.

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At first I figured that the jovial professor must be psychic. Even before I could open my mouth, she knew exactly what my mission was.

It turned out that the coaching staff of the RP junior ladies team had already spoken with Gina, who is now assistant coach of the Growling Tigers.

“One of Pido Jarencio’s six assistants,” according to Prof. Felicitas who later corrected me: “I am assistant director of the academe’s Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, Father Ermito De Sagun is the head.

Prof. Felicitas was director of the physical education department until it was converted into an institute.

She revealed that she had been due for retirement as early as five years ago, but due to insistent public demand, she kept on extending her tenure.

With her energy and effervescence, you’d never guess she is in her seventh decade.

According to the professor, her daughter Gina had already talked with Father De Sagun but he seemed not inclined to lending the UST players to the national team.

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“The reason the academe has been hesitant in allowing athletes to serve flag and country, is because this had adversely affected their studies in the past,” she said.

However, she could not explain why playing for the school did not have the same adverse effect.

“Maybe the students expend a different level of energy and focus when playing for the national team,” she added.

According to the professor, this goes for all sports, not only basketball. UST students who are involved in the national team fare badly in their classes. Some fail and others even drop out completely.

I assured her that because most of the cagebelles in the national team are also playing in the collegiate leagues, the RP coaching staff has made the training light and the frequency of the workouts less often. Maybe three times a week or even twice if that’s too often.

Adamson University athletic director Ruel De la Rosa and ladies head coach Emelia Vega, have so graciously allowed their players to continue training with the national team. So have Haydee Ong and Fernando Olona, head coaches of UAAP defending champion Ateneo de Manila University and University of the East, respectively.

Far Eastern University, which has several players in the national team, has begged off for the duration of the UAAP, promising to send back its players after the collegiate wars which is less than a month before the FIBA-Asia championship in Indonesia.

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“So what can we expect from UST this UAAP season, ” I asked my kumareng Felicitas.

She said she has asked the men’s team the same question and was assured of its help in the overall UAAP title drive which is based on points.

My kumare promised to give her best shot in persuading Father De Sagun to allow the two chosen players to train with the national team.