UP women’s volleyball team in the UAAP Season 85. –UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Some members of the University of the Philippines women’s volleyball team claims their team manager has been mismanaging them even before the UAAP Season 85 volleyball tournament.
A petition signed by 21 players to reinstate Nowhere To Go But UP Foundation, Inc. (NTGBUP) in managing the women’s volleyball team program dated last January 29 circulated online on Wednesday.
The players—including key members Ethan Arce, Stephanie Bustrillo, Nina Ytang, and Dannica Celis–wrote to UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Fidel Nemenzo, complaining that the team has been bothered by numerous issues since Season 84.
“This puts a lot of uncertainties with our campaign this season due to lack of funds and sense of urgency from the current management,” read the letter. “ Since January 2022, we have been dissatisfied with how we are being managed and treated, most especially how our Team Manager, Angela Villamil, has been ignoring basic needs, neglecting injuries, and failing to communicate to the team the status of our benefits as student-athletes.”
COPY OF UP PETITION
The statement raised several issues including the delayed and reduced monthly allowance, unsettled dormitory balance amounting to an estimated Php 600,000, small serving of food without packaging and utensils, and promised travel expenses that have not been reimbursed since January 2022.
The players also said the said manager, who is also a student, does not have the qualifications to manage them and has a bad attitude, to the extent of “blaming them for losses.”
They also stated other issues such as student-athlete welfare and support; health and medical support; training logistics, and equipment; and funds, sponsorship, and coach’s salaries.
That’s why the team requested the chancellor to allow the NTGBUP to handle them like the UP men’s basketball team.
“We are confident that we will be in good hands as we have already experienced how NTGBUP properly managed, took care and provided for us in the past seasons. We never had to worry about our basic needs including food, dorm, allowances, flight tickets, training schedule, court, and sports equipment,” the letter read. “We were even able to do team-building activities and training camps in Thailand (for Season 81) and Japan (for Season 82).”
NTGBUP Foundation chairman Jed Eva III on Wednesday said they immediately met with the players, representatives from the Office of the Diliman Chancellor, and the College of Human Kinetics to discuss the matter.
“Consistent with our mandate and out of concern for the welfare of the members of the UP Women’s Volleyball Team (UPWVT), following a letter e-mailed to us by the team on 29 January 2023, the ntgbUP board met on 30 January 2023 and unanimously passed a resolution to provide the UPWVT with funds to help address the concerns they had enumerated in their letter,” the statement read.
“We later received a request from the UPWVT to join a dialogue on February 1 involving the Office of the Diliman Chancellor, the College of Human Kinetics (CHK), and UPWVT players. At the dialogue, the players expounded on the problems they had mentioned in their letter, while the CHK Dean and other Diliman officials explained the administrative issues involving the funds meant for the UPWVT. Diliman officials also acknowledged the team’s concerns with regard to the management of the UPWVT, particularly their request to relieve the team’s manager.”
REQUEST FOR TRANSFER DENIED
But the request to transfer management “was not granted” by the Office of the Diliman Chancellor, and the College of Human Kinetics, who both assured that “they would study and address the players’ concerns regarding their team manager.”
NTGBUP added that Villamil has already “been stripped of her title, but continues to be part of the UPWVT management team” and it is currently working with the senior members “to determine the manner in which the funds can be turned over to them and used to benefit the team.”
“We thank UP alumni who have already offered to provide additional assistance to the UPWVT after learning of the team’s many struggles, and we appeal to University officials to provide the CHK with the assistance it requires to immediately mobilize the financial resources it has secured for the UPWVT,” the statement wrote.
The Fighting Maroons are currently winless in two games in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament after losing to Far Eastern University in four sets last Sunday and getting swept by La Salle in straight sets on Thursday.
UP seeks to enter the win column against fellow winless team University of the East on Sunday.