Category: Philippine Star

In recent weeks, Filipinos have been introduced to Gen Z Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Austria Barzaga of Dasmariñas, Cavite. Formerly part of the majority, he resigned from the ruling Partido Federal Party and established himself as an independent lawmaker. He’s been the subject of many talks and insinuations, from his unusual and eccentric personality to whispers about his mental health. But it does not change the fact that this rather unusual young representative is saying the right things, stuff that ordinary Filipinos want to hear; that the corruption in flood control projects leads to former speaker Martin Romualdez.

As speaker during the 2023, 2024, and 2025 budget deliberations, Romualdez should at least have been cognizant of these anomalies. As Barzaga puts it, either Romualdez is corrupt and part of the flood control mafia, or at the very least was inept and incompetent for allowing these billions of pesos to be stolen left and right. For many lawmakers, Kiko Bargaza has indeed been a thorn in their side and sycophants of the ruling party have filed ethics complaints against the neophyte congressman.

The family name Barzaga is of Spanish origin, derived from barza (‘bramble’) + -aga (‘place of/abundance of’), meaning ‘place with brambles.’ The name is a relatively uncommon surname and is found in the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos. Because of their thorns, brambles are often associated with wildness, difficulty, or obstacles. A very apt description of Rep. Barzaga, indeed.

The Barzagas are a political dynasty in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The modern Barzaga clan’s began with Elpidio ‘Pidi’ Frani Barzaga Jr., who served as Dasmariñas mayor and as congressman for the old 2nd and the 4th Districts. However, the family’s story goes older than Pidi. In the early 1800s, Domingo was born in Imus, Cavite. Prior to the Claveria surname decree of 1849, his family had been using ‘Bautista’ as a family name. The modern Barzaga family simply adopted the surname in accordance with the Claveria decree. Domingo Bautista would later marry Eusebia de los Reyes, and by 1850 had become Domingo Barsaga Bautista, until his family would later use Barsaga (and much later the more Spanish-sounding Barzaga) exclusively. Domingo and Eusebia had several children, including Hermogenes Barzaga, who married Manuela Enano. One of their children was Francisco Barzaga, the namesake of the current Kiko Barzaga who served as municipal president of Dasmariñas, Cavite in 1900 and then from 1922 to 1924. His son, Elpidio Barzaga, was the father of Elpidio Barzaga Jr.

A Barzaga legacy is converting Dasmariñas from a municipality into a component city, who was sponsored by then-Rep. Elpidio F. Barzaga Jr. Pidi’s wife Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Austria Barzaga, was mayor (2007-2016; 2019-present) and congresswoman (2016-2019), the first city mayor after cityhood in 2009 and has repeatedly won reelection. Their son Francisco ‘Kiko’ A. Barzaga served as city councilor (2019-2025) and became representative of Cavite’s 4th District in 2025; his brother Elpidio ‘Third’ Barzaga III became vice mayor in 2025.

Centuries ago, the first of Kiko Barzaga’s ancestors settled in what is now modern-day Cavite, first in Imus and then in Dasmariñas. The city’s name itself holds many symbolisms. Dasmariñas refers to ‘of the marinas or coasts.’ In Castilian and Galician contexts, marina didn’t just mean ‘harbor’ –it referred broadly to fertile coastal plains and maritime regions, often wealthy and strategic and connoted a sense of being tied to exploration, conquest, and commerce. In Catholic Spain, the sea was a biblical and spiritual metaphor and represented the vastness of God’s creation and the trials of life’s journey.

Whatever the deal is with Rep. Kiko Barzaga, it cannot be denied that in genealogical terms, he symbolizes defiance, strength and, as his own last name suggests, being a (very welcome) thorn to the powers that be that continue to rule the Philippines like it is their playground.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has taken custody of a suspected underwater drone found by fishermen in the waters off Linapacan town in Palawan on Sunday.

The fishermen brought the drone to the shore and informed local authorities of their find.

The device was transported to the PCG Station Linapacan for verification, technical examination and investigation.

Preliminary inspection showed the drone was equipped with a conductivity-temperature-depth sensor, which is typically used for oceanographic profiling.

The PCG said the sensor bore Chinese characters and the serial number CTD-20090334.

The drone also bore corrosion marks indicating prolonged exposure to saltwater. Its metal frame resembled components commonly found in autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV).

The recovery is the latest in a series of similar incidents that have occurred since 2022, with devices recovered in the waters off Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Masbate, Misamis Oriental and Zambales.

Forensic analysis of earlier recoveries linked some units to Chinese defense contractors and state-owned firms, citing components such as China telecom SIM cards, iridium transceivers and battery packs from the China Electronics Technology Group Corp.

Experts noted that such AUVs are capable of conducting advanced seafloor mapping, oceanographic monitoring and underwater surveillance, collecting data on salinity, temperature, depth and acoustic propagation for strategic maritime applications.

PCG chief Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan commended the fishermen for reporting the find.

The country’s largest Catholic school network has a blunt message for its alumni implicated in the current corruption scandal in government projects: ‘Nakakahiya naman kayo.”

Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ, president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), shared this messaged during a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, the first day of the association’s annual national convention.

CEAP’s gathering this year, San Juan said, is itself a message to its “millions of alumni” amid the ongoing government probe over anomalous flood control projects: that the values instilled in classrooms must be lived out in public life.

“We have a lot of things to tell. Because I think holding this convention is a strong message to our students and to our millions of alumni in the Philippines,” San Juan said.

“Remember your school and the values we taught you. Live them out as consistently as possible,” the CEAP president said. “Fight for integrity in whatever profession you have chosen… fight for truth.”

The CEAP president urged alumni of its member schools – which number around 1,500 – to ‘rekindle your spirit’ and return to the values of ‘truth, decency, social justice, and social transformation’ that comprise the foundation of Catholic school education.

‘Nakakahiya naman kayo kung Catholic school graduate kayo tapos nagku-corrupt kayo, kasi you’re living lives contrary to the very essence of the values that we have taught you,’ San Juan said.

(It’s a shame if you’re a Catholic school graduate and then you are corrupt, because you’re living lives contrary to the very essence of the values that we have taught you.)

But he also stressed that the responsibility for forming ethical citizens goes beyond schools. “It takes the whole community, the schools as one part of that community to raise a child and to raise a student and a graduate,” he said.

At the same time, San Juan stressed that CEAP is ‘mighty proud’ of alumni who have remained honest and who continue to serve as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and government leaders, among others.

‘They are nation builders, they innovate, they are compassionate to the poor,’ he said, noting that many CEAP-trained teachers even help run the public school system.

Ethics ‘not optional’

CEAP leaders framed the corruption crisis as a failure of moral formation, not just governance.

The group’s executive director, Narcy Dionisio, warned against removing ethics subjects from the general education curriculum, saying such a move would undercut the fight against dishonesty in public life.

‘We’re talking about good people, initially, when they graduate from school. Then eventually, they turned into thieves,’ Dionisio said.

‘And that’s for the same reason why CEAP is currently opposing the removal of ethics in the general education curriculum. Ethics is not optional. It is essential,” he added.

A suggestion to remove ethics from the General Education curriculum in college was raised during a House basic education committee hearing in May, when lawmakers discussed the current redundancies between senior high school and tertiary education.

CEAP was one of several voices in the education sector to have aired their concern over the proposal, saying in a June statement that college students should continue to develop their “moral reasoning” beyond basic education.

‘Corruption is a process of death’

During the press conference, CEAP Vice President Fr. Wilmer Tria also shared a critique of how corruption is itself the “root” of the country’s learning crisis.

‘Actually, corruption is the very root of the educational crisis, both in the public and private education,’ Tria said. ‘Our failure to deliver quality education is rooted in corruption.’

He warned that society today is haunted by ‘ghosts’ of corruption – from ghost voters to ghost students, now to ghost flood control projects.

‘Our problem is our dead conscience. We don’t have a conscience. And the problem is we don’t have burial grounds for dead consciences. That’s why they keep haunting our society,’ Tria said.

CEAP previously issued a strong statement against the flood control corruption and participated in recent mobilizations for transparency and accountability, including the Trillion Peso March on September 21, where CBCP President Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David attended and delivered a speech at the rally.

Tria on Tuesday called on oversight bodies and courts to “act swiftly, impose real penalties, and make corruption cases public.”

He also specifically criticized the private nature of the hearings by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure, the body that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..

“[We] are against the conduct of the ICI being done privately. It must be broadcasted,” Tria said.

It’s not enough for Bongbong Marcos to return our PhilHealth’s P60 billion.

The Supreme Court must outlaw the siphoning of our PhilHealth money to begin with. BBM’s admin took our P60 billion in 2024 for non-health insurance projects.

A clear ruling will stop future admins from dipping their hands in members’ funds, petitioners at the SC say.

To which I add: make the culprits pay interest on the P60 billion. Also interest on the P242.28 billion that two admins have withheld from our PhilHealth since 2019. And indict them for breaking the Universal Health Care, Sin Tax and Corporation Laws.

BBM is trying to appease us PhilHealth members. His Finance Sec. Ralph Recto misspent half of our P60 billion on the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Islands Bridges. Korea already lent money for that construction. BBM’s Health Sec. Ted Herbosa misused the other half for pandemic emergency pay of health workers. The Dept. of Health, not PhilHealth, should’ve paid for that. Herbosa is facing three ombudsman cases for fund anomalies.

Recto was deputy speaker in December 2023 when the House allotted multibillions for Charter change to parliamentary form. Congress also inserted pork barrels, mostly for fake and shoddy flood works.

In January 2024 Recto assumed as Finance chief to enforce the dirty budget. BBM signed both the 2024 budget and Recto’s appointment.

Malacañang, the Cabinet and Congress did worse in 2025. They zeroed out funds that should’ve gone to PhilHealth: 50 percent of PAGCOR and PCSO remittances to the Office of the President and 40 percent of taxes on tobacco and sweetened beverages. By keeping mum, Budget Sec. Amenah Pangandaman was complicit.

BBM designated Herbosa as PhilHealth chairman. He appointed as directors Recto, Pangandaman, Social Welfare Sec. Rex Gatchalian and Labor Sec. Benny Laguesma.

PhilHealth is in financial crisis. Its budget for members’ benefits this year is P271 billion. But it has spent P195 billion as of August. The balance will run out by November, said Dr. Juan Antonio Perez of Action for Economic Reform.

PhilHealth will be forced to dip into its reserve funds. That’s a no-no in any insurance operation. In fact, when BBM’s admin took our P60 billion, it called the money ‘excess’ when it was in fact reserve. We members know who to blame if our PhilHealth collapses.

PhilHealth depends this year only on P200-billion direct contributions from us income earners. That’s because the admin turned to zero the original P74 billion from sin taxes in the 2025 budget. That P74 billion too was used for fake and faulty flood works.

The SC petitioners are ex-senator Koko Pimentel, Ernesto Ofracio (now deceased), Junice Melgar, Profs. Cielo Magno and Dante Gatmaytan, Dr. Minguita Padilla, Ibarra Gutierrez, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation Foundation Inc. and Philippine Medical Association.

BBM plans to return our P60 billion next year. He says he’ll include it in the 2026 budget – but it’s not there.

Had BBM’s admin not taken P60 billion from our PhilHealth reserve, it would’ve earned interest. The culprits should return the principal with interest.

Interest on such huge amount is five percent per annum. Since BBM will return it after two years, the principal and compounded interest should total P66.15 billion.

Two admins further owe PhilHealth P242.28 billion in PAGCOR-PCSO remittances and sin taxes. That money should’ve earned five percent yearly interest too. Charge it to the culprits.

For 2026, BBM and Pangandaman propose P53 billion for PhilHealth. But that’s only equal to the compounded interest on the P242.28 billion owed to PhilHealth since 2019.

Pangandaman was Budget undersecretary at that time.

The past and present Cabinet members in PhilHealth’s board broke the Universal Health Care and Sin Taxes Laws when they withheld P242.28 billion.

They also violated the Corporation Law. As directors they had fiduciary duty to us PhilHealth fund owners. They failed to fulfill such duty and instead obeyed wrongful orders from their appointer-President.

We PhilHealth members consist of:

66 million direct contributors from monthly incomes and our dependents;

37 million indigent members whose indirect contributions should come from PAGCOR/PCSO and sin taxes.

At present we members need to be hospitalized or undergo delicate procedures in order to benefit from our contributions. If admins remit all funds earmarked by law to PhilHealth, then we can enjoy other benefits like blood works, ultrasound, x-ray, CT scan, MRI. Even basic tooth filling.

The Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates were in the Queen City of the South, Cebu City, for one of its pocket events when a deadly earthquake struck at about 9 p.m, Tuesday, September 30.

All 43 candidates, including Philippine bet Anita Rose Gomez, and the current titleholder, Janelis Leyba of the United States, are safe.

The organization released a statement shortly afterwards:

‘Following the 6.7 magnitude earthquake in Cebu, we would like to assure everyone that all Miss Asia Pacific International 2025 candidates and the MAPI Organization team are safe and well.

‘We extend our deepest gratitude to Radisson Blu Cebu for their swift and professional response in implementing safety measures during the tremor.

‘Our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Cebu and all those affected by this incident.’

The evening’s festivity was a charity event of the organization with Operation Smile as beneficiary.

‘It’s a project of [Cebu philanthropist] Dame Mariquita Yeung. There was a presentation of candidates dressed by different Cebuano designers in Terno,’ said Philip Rodriguez, Cebu’s pillar of fashion design.

His creation, worn by Miss Belgium Jana Jansens, was a fuchsia Thai silk gown with oriental yellow chrysanthemums embroidery on the side, highlighted with a peplum that fell into a train in origami style.

It was awarded Best in Terno by haute couturier Cary Santiago.

‘I just gave the award for Best in Terno when the earthquake happened,’ Santiago recalled. ‘People were running scared, bulbs from the chandelier fell and a part of the ballroom ceiling collapsed.’

The activities of the pageant scheduled today, October 1, are canceled.

Based in the Philippines, Miss Asia Pacific International is ‘a pedestal for women who want to be the voice of celebrating beauty and harmony in diversity. May it be in the form of culture, race, belief, or opinion, we believe that all women are distinctly beautiful and one of a kind.’

The preliminary competition will be on October 3 at Lanson Place Mall of Asia Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Philippines. The grand coronation night will be on October 7 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay City.

We need to be familiar with these two concepts that definitely would help us discern what truly was meant when Christ said certain things that would sound very inhuman and unchristian.

One example is when Christ told a certain man who wanted to follow him but wanted to first bury his father to ‘let the dead bury their dead’ and commanded him to go and preach the gospel right away. (cfr. Lk 9,59)

And when another man also expressed his willingness to follow Christ but wanted to first take leave of his household, he was summarily told that ‘no man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ (cfr. Lk 9,62)

There are many other examples of this kind, like when Christ also said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14,26) Or when he said that we have to love our enemies.

No wonder then that some people, without the proper ‘sensus fidei’ and without consulting the ‘sensus fidelium’ fall into disbelief and then to unbelief in Christ. They sometimes consider the gospel as a myth or even as a joke.

‘Sensus fidei’, which literally means a sense of faith, is an individual believer’s capacity to discern the truth in matters of faith and morals even amid mysterious and unbelievable doctrines of our faith. It’s like an instinct or an inner sense that can only be an effect of a supernatural gift of faith.

‘Sensus fidelium’, which literally means a sense of the faithful, is the collective sense of faith within the entire Church, covering all of its members or faithful. It is a shared and supernatural understanding of faith that enables the Church to discern the truth and live out the faith authentically. It is not simply the sum of the individual ‘sensus fidei’, but a unique and shared grace of the Holy Spirit operating within the Church.

In other words, both the ‘sensus fidei’ and the ‘sensus fidelium’ are an effect of a grace. They are both a supernatural reality and do not depend solely on our natural and human powers, although these latter have to be used also to the limit.

They enable us to accept the mysterious ways of God and to see the consistency of truth despite the apparently contradicting ways that the truth as taught by Christ and now by the Church is expressed.

We just have to learn to abandon ourselves to the mysterious ways of God who in his wise providence takes care of everything. We are not expected to know and understand everything. What is expected of us is to have faith in God, in Christ and in the Church so we can always be with him no matter how things turn.

This means that we should develop an intimate relationship with God, nourished by prayer, assiduous study of the doctrine of our faith, recourse to the sacraments, and an unrelenting ascetical struggle to fight against our weaknesses and the temptations around, and to grow in the virtues.

In this way, we would be acquiring the very mind of Christ, able to understand what he actually meant when his words, due to the limitations of our human and natural language, would seem to go against reason and common sense.

The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with World Trade Organization (WTO) members in ensuring the effective implementation of the agreement on fisheries subsidies.

The landmark agreement represents a historic step forward in curbing harmful subsidies that contribute to overfishing and the depletion of marine resources.

Recalling the deposit of its instrument of acceptance at the sidelines of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Feb. 27, 2024, the Philippines recently joined fellow WTO members in celebrating the entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

As an archipelagic nation of more than 115 million people, with millions depending on fisheries for their food and livelihood, the Philippines attaches great importance to this milestone. The agreement strengthens global efforts to safeguard marine biodiversity, ensure food security and protect the livelihoods of fisherfolk, particularly those in small coastal communities.

To support implementation, the WTO has established a Fisheries Subsidies Fund to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to developing members such as the Philippines. This includes Category 1 Grant Projects of up to $50,000 and Category 2 Grant Projects of up to $300,000. Through this mechanism, the Philippines will be better equipped to implement the agreement effectively, enhance sustainable coastal management, and deliver tangible benefits to rural fishing communities across the archipelago.

The Philippines said the effective implementation of the Agreement will strengthen the country’s capacity to manage its ocean resources sustainably, secure the future of coastal communities, and uphold its responsibility as steward of one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems.

Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the WTO, welcomed the entry into force of the Agreement.

‘The entry into force of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies marks a collective victory for global sustainability and for millions of fisherfolk whose lives and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans,’ Teehankee said.

As the WTO’s first sustainability-focused agreement, it demonstrates that trade rules can serve as powerful tools for environmental protection and development.

‘For the Philippines, this Agreement is not only about protecting our marine biodiversity, but also about ensuring food security and building resilient coastal communities,’ he added.

The Philippines also welcomed the establishment of the Fisheries Fund, which will help developing countries translate commitments into concrete action.

‘The Philippines stands ready to work with WTO members and partners to ensure that this Agreement delivers real and lasting benefits for our people and our planet,’ he said.

Argentina stands ready to provide critical expertise and technology to ensure the Philippines safely launches its first operational nuclear power plant, according to its embassy.

In a statement to The STAR, the Argentine embassy reaffirmed Buenos Aires’ commitment to supporting Manila’s nuclear energy program, including the potential revival of the long-dormant Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

‘By working together, our countries can lay the groundwork for a Philippine nuclear program that is not only technically sound but also socially beneficial, economically inclusive and aligned with the highest international safety standards,’ it said.

Argentina, one of the leading nuclear players in Latin America, is set to take center stage – alongside eight other countries – at the second Philippine International Nuclear Supply Chain Forum (PINSCF) this week.

Through this participation, the embassy said, Argentina is expected to offer over five decades of nuclear expertise, providing a practical roadmap to help the Philippines advance its nuclear energy goals.

Currently, Argentina has three operating nuclear plants: the 340-megawatt Atucha 1, the 693-MW Atucha 2 and the 608-MW Embalse facility, latest data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) showed.

According to the Argentine embassy, the completion of the Atucha 2 facility, whose construction was halted for over 12 years, presents a compelling parallel to the issues the Philippines faces in the possible BNPP rehabilitation.

‘The Philippine case with Bataan is comparable: it involves the challenge of assessing a long-stalled nuclear project, updating it to current international safety standards and rebuilding confidence in its viability,’ it said.

Last year, Argentina’s engineering and technology development firm INVAP was said to have presented a number of initiatives to the Department of Energy to support the Philippines’ nuclear push.

This included support in reviewing proposals for the BNPP revival, technical cooperation for required licensing activities and assistance in establishing a dedicated nuclear regulatory body.

‘Looking ahead, Argentina’s participation in the PINSCF signals a new chapter in bilateral nuclear dialogue, one rooted in trust, mutual learning and shared vision,’ the embassy said.

‘Ultimately, this partnership demonstrates the power of international collaboration in shaping emerging nuclear energy landscapes and ensuring that nuclear power contributes to development in the 21st century,’ it said.

Apart from Argentina, nuclear experts from China, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, Russia, United Arab Emirates and United States are also set to participate in this year’s PINSCF.

Recently, the Philippines’ nuclear ambitions gained further momentum after President Marcos signed a landmark measure establishing the country’s first independent nuclear regulatory body.

This bodes well for the country’s target of unlocking at least 1,200 MW of nuclear power into the energy mix by 2032 and scaling this up to 4,800 MW by 2040.

The Philippines has also returned to the 35-member Board of Governors, one of the IAEA’s two policy-making bodies, after being elected for the term 2025 to 2027. Its previous stint was from 2015 to 2017.

Cebuano beauty queens Beatrice Luigi Gomez and Gazini Ganados and Cebu-based actress Kaye Abad called for prayers and assistance after the province was struck by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake last night.

Kaye, who is married to fellow celebrity and Cebuano Paul Jake Castillo, updated her fans that her family is safe from the earthquake.

‘To my friends who are asking kung kamusta kami, we are ok. Me and the kids are in Manila. My family in Cebu are ok,’ she said.

Kim Chiu shared a post with a groufie taken from a shooting in Cebu City.

‘Medyo blurred lang, may aftershock pa ata ‘tong phone ko sa lindol,’ Kim said.

Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados and Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez also shared their experience from the quake.

‘Watch out for aftershocks. Pag-amping intawn sa mga naa sa Cebu karon,” Beatrice said, reminding people to take care.

The Miss Universe Philippines Organization also extended its deepest sympathy and solidarity to the people of Cebu and the entire Visayas region affected by the earthquake.

‘Our hearts are with the communities, especially our Cebuano partners, delegates, and their families, who are navigating the aftermath of this natural disaster,’ the group said.

When Malian center Mo Diassana went down with an ACL injury in NU’s first game, it became difficult for the Bulldogs to stay competitive the rest of the last UAAP season. NU battled without a Foreign Student Athlete (FSA) until the end and finished seventh of eight.

To address a similar situation handicapping any team in the future, the UAAP Board of Trustees asked for a solution from the Board of Managing Directors and the proposal that was made is to allow two alternating FSAs so that in case one goes down, the other can still hold the fort. Unfortunately, the proposal is the wrong solution to the problem. If the idea is to keep a level playing field, the right solution is to eliminate FSAs all together because they undermine the integrity of college sport. The NCAA saw the light, bit the bullet and did it in 2021.

The reality is FSAs are simply imports who are peddled from school to school with agents bowing to the highest bidder. They come with signing bonuses, big salaries and fat bonuses, turning UAAP into a virtual commercial league. This leads to local players demanding more from their schools and the spiraling effect is dangerously inimical to the purity of college sport.

Is it discriminatory or racist to ban FSAs? Of course not. Foreigners are free to enroll as students but it’s a school’s prerogative whether or not to allow them to join varsity sport. UAAP bans FSAs to vie for MVP honors. Is it discriminatory? The PBA excludes imports in the Philippine Cup. Is it discriminatory? Dissenters argue that schools abroad don’t ban Filipinos or foreigners from joining varsity teams. But how many schools are there in UAAP? Eight. How many schools are there in the US NCAA D-1? More than 350. Then, there are about 300 D-2 and some 450 D-3 schools. If a Filipino player is good enough to play D-1 basketball, the door will always be open for him. US schools couldn’t care less if UAAP bans FSAs.

In UAAP, a dominant FSA can tilt the balance of competition so the challenge is to recruit the best possible import. That comes with a price. Schools with big budgets will bring in the best talents while schools with lean budgets will suffer. That’s not levelling the playing field. The standard of competition becomes a function of how much a school can afford to pay an import. With the proposal of two FSAs, imagine at what cost they’ll come.

Varsity sport is supposed to engender loyalty to the school. But except for Ange Kouame, no FSA has shown identity with his school. Not even Ben Mbala who ended up playing as an import in Mexico, Korea, Spain, Turkey and France. After finishing their UAAP eligibility, FSAs are gone with the wind. It›s not a good example to local players and surely, not something UAAP would like to foster.

Some self-minded local players – who must be reminded to think league first, not think me – contend that FSAs make them better and prepare them for international competition. But FSAs also take away opportunities for coaches and players to improve. With a dominant FSA, the easiest thing to create a winning program is to focus the offense and defense on him, leaving the locals to play second fiddle. The place to learn from imports is the pro league not UAAP and the recipe is certainly not to make UAAP a de facto commercial league.

UAAP has to put a stop to turning players into pros with some earning allowances bigger than the average PBA player. The first step is to eliminate FSAs or imports who provide imbalance, not balance, to the league and are mostly a poor example of players who enroll not to study but to play for pay.