The Sentry - Bulacan Polytechnic College

𝗔𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘀: 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿?

Weeks before the 2026 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup in Candon, Ilocos Sur, the heart of Philippine volleyball stopped beating for a moment. The established Alas Pilipinas core—anchored by veteran playmaker Jia Morado-De Guzman—withdrew from the tournament in a dramatic, quiet storm. It wasn't a sudden lack of desire, but a direct protest against the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF). Exhausted by overlapping club and collegiate seasons, and weighed down by deep-seated contractual disputes, the players chose to draw a line in the sand for athlete welfare.

The fallout was immediate. Volleyball fans raised eyebrows across social media, staring at a blank canvas where a championship roster used to be.

But where critics saw a crisis, the pioneers of the sport saw a duty.

Stepping directly into the eye of the storm was none other than "The Phenom" Alyssa Valdez. Returning to the national pool for the first time since captaining the squad in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, Valdez did what she has always done: she rallied the flag. Alongside fellow veterans Ces Molina, Ara Galang, Tots Carlos, and Jovelyn Gonzaga, she formed a bridge to a younger generation of powerhouse stars like Alyssa Solomon, Niña Ytang, and other collegiate standouts.

Predictably, the skeptics were loud. Critics argued that this hastily assembled wing spiker rotation, burdened by age and past injuries, would struggle to convert kills on the grueling international stage.

Yet, to look at this roster and see only a fallback plan is to completely miss the point.
The initial protest exposed what many consider years of systemic fractures within the country’s volleyball program—a glaring warning light that the sports structure requires immediate reform. The administration must heed the reasonable pleas of its athletes to prevent the national program's permanent decline.

But on the other hand, the emergency return of these veterans underscores a fierce, unconditional sense of nationalism. When the smoke cleared and the country needed them, they answered.

Addressing the sudden call-up and the noise surrounding the team, Valdez silenced the doubt with the steady grace of a seasoned leader.

"I will never get tired of representing the country," Valdez firmly stated during a recent media appearance. "Hopefully, hopefully, makatulong po tayo in our own little ways... Napakasaya to be surrounded by young, talented girls."

Tempered by a decade of cheers and boos on the hardwood, these athletes are no strangers to high-stakes pressure. They do not deserve to be dismissed as past their prime or incapable. Despite enduring major, career-threatening injuries over their careers, they have consistently chosen to rise, fight, and fly again.

Ultimately, the outside noise claiming this team cannot deliver will fall flat. For Alas Pilipinas, the battle in Ilocos Sur is no longer just about winning a trophy—it is about proving that the heart of Philippine volleyball cannot be broken.

✒️: John Emerson Larida

Teachers' Diurnal #8

"A Face as Gentle as Her Service"

“Ate Jenny, pahiram po ng susi.”

“Ma’am Jen, mag-iinquire po sana tungkol sa schedule namin.”

“Ma’am Jennilyn, pwede po ba’ng manghingi ng completion form?”

These are just a few of the concerns that Ma’am Jennilyn Fabia addresses on a daily basis. Both students and colleagues know they can easily find her at the Office of Academic Affairs to ask for assistance—requests which she gladly fulfills.

As I observe her daily, I can't help, but be amazed, especially as someone new to the office, by how she seems to know every job of everyone in the office. When I asked her how she manages it, she simply smiled and explained that her mentor, Ma’am Beth, taught them that no one should ever leave a concern unattended or a visitor unanswered.

I got intrigued with her work ethics and love for her job, so one question led to another.
She shared how she landed on her current job after coming home as an Overseas Filipino Worker from the United Arab Emirates. She wanted to finish college and learn how to use computers, so she intended to enroll as a Call Center Management student at Bulacan Polytechnic College. However, after talking with other applicants, she found herself writing "Computer Secretarial" on her application form instead.

Before she knew it, her two-year study was over and she was convinced by the then-College President, the late Dr. Perlita Cruz, to apply for a position after spending her on-the-job training in the office. She later found herself blessed as she was hired. She works passionately, which I personally witnessed as I was one of those faculty members who received a reminder for accepting students not wearing the prescribed school uniform.

She also pursued a Bachelor of Science in Office Management as part of the ladderized program for Computer Secretarial, so she only had to finish it in two more years. She only had to attend evening classes after work which was kind of terrifying for her instructors. After all, she was part of the monitoring team that made sure their classes started and ended on time. She, who had been a working student, possesses a heart for both her co-workers and the students, thus playing the bridge to them most of the time.

She has witnessed the inevitable 'people come and go' of the institution, seeing many faces—both new and old—pass through its doors. Yet, she has forged a strong bond with all of them because of how she treats them, and her own personal journey has inspired them to keep going throughout their stay in the institution. Some would often come back to thank her and she would always greet her with her signature smile.

Many new faces will meet us in the corridors of BPC, but there can only be one face of the Acad office—the one where people will surely find hope—Ate Jen’s.