Jia de Guzman and Alas Pilipinas during a game against Indonesia in the SEA Games 2025 volleyball women’s volleyball bronze medal match. –SAVA PHOTO
Bangkok — Another Southeast Asian Games ended without a medal for Alas Pilipinas, but for team captain Jia De Guzman, the latest heartbreak felt less like an ending and more like a moment of reckoning for Philippine volleyball.
The Filipinas once again finished just outside the podium after absorbing a narrow five-set loss to Indonesia, 26-28, 25-13, 28-30, 24-26, in the women’s volleyball bronze medal match at Indoor Stadium Huamark. The defeat extended what has now become a 22-year SEA Games medal drought, a statistic that continues to hover over the national program like a stubborn shadow.
Yet instead of dwelling on the pain, De Guzman chose to reframe the conversation. For the veteran setter, the recurring near-misses have underscored a deeper issue that goes beyond any single match or tournament.
This SEA Games marked De Guzman’s fourth appearance on the regional stage, and she said each campaign has reinforced the same lesson. Talent and effort, she stressed, can only go so far without sustained preparation and institutional support. Speaking after the loss, she emphasized that the message she has been sharing for years is no longer just personal frustration but a collective call echoed by multiple generations of national team players.
Leading a squad that featured nine SEA Games debutants, De Guzman acknowledged the emotional toll of falling short yet again, particularly for younger teammates experiencing the stage for the first time. She urged them to treat the disappointment not as a deterrent, but as fuel.
For De Guzman, the most encouraging sign has been continuity. Since the relaunch of Alas Pilipinas last year, the women’s team has managed to stay together across competitions, producing tangible results outside the SEA Games stage. The Filipinas captured a silver medal in the AVC Nations Cup earlier this year and collected bronze finishes in all four legs of the SEA V.League, proof, she said, that progress is possible when players are allowed to grow within a stable system.
Still, she was candid about what remains missing. Limited training windows, largely dictated by club and league commitments, have repeatedly disrupted preparations for major international tournaments. This year was no different, as the late arrival of several PVL players prevented the team from holding an extended training camp before the SEA Games.
De Guzman pointed out that regional rivals such as Vietnam and Indonesia have benefited from long-term programs that keep their national players training and competing together for years. She noted that the Philippines once matched up well against those teams, but the gap widened when others doubled down on continuity while local preparations remained fragmented.
With the club season once again set to take priority, De Guzman acknowledged the realities faced by Filipino players. Even so, she believes the foundation laid over the past two years should not be abandoned. Maintaining the national team pool, she said, is already a significant step. The next, more difficult step is aligning schedules and resources so that preparation for biennial events like the SEA Games is treated as a long-term project rather than a last-minute assembly.
Despite the disappointment, De Guzman said the team’s resolve remains intact. After the match, the message to the younger players was simple: keep their heads high and take pride in having given everything on the court. For her, that willingness to compete fully, regardless of the outcome, is where real growth begins.
The loss in Bangkok, she insisted, does not mark the end of the journey. As players return to their respective universities and clubs, De Guzman hopes they carry with them not just the lessons of defeat but a renewed sense of purpose.
She believes that is how Philippine volleyball can begin to close the gap — by allowing national team experiences to elevate the local game, just as other countries have done. The blueprint, she said, is already visible across the region. What remains is the commitment to follow through.
For De Guzman and Alas Pilipinas, the pursuit of that elusive SEA Games medal continues, driven not by desperation, but by the belief that with time, continuity, and proper preparation, the long wait does not have to last forever.
