Pep talk with Pippo

By Edgar Villar


The UP Pep Squad has been looked up to in the cheerdancing scene for years now. Especially with the championship crown in the Cheerdance competition back in UP’s premises, the UP Pep Squad has regained its glory after a four-year loss to UST’s Salinggawi Dance Troupe.

With this kind of achievement, the members of the squad have been treated with high regard as a group. But seldom does one pay attention to the composition of the squad, the individual members who sweat it out to build fantastic pyramids, play those well-coordinated drum beats, and shout those solid “ooohs”.

So what really composes our champion Pep squad? Believe it or not, students just like us.
Paolo Soriano is now a fourth year journalism student at the College of Mass Communication. He transferred from UP Manila on his third year but was already training for the UP Pep Squad as a drummer the previous summer.

Pippo, as he is called by his friends, has been a member of the UP Pep Squad for a year now, so the obvious question would be how he copes with his studies considering the time-consuming training demanded by the squad. “Time-consuming talaga dahil matagal ang training,” he answers, and when asked about any conflicts in academics, he replies with a smile: “all the time”. “Minsan you really have to cut classes for some games,” he admits “but you really have to keep it to a minimum.”

But the sacrifices do pay off for the squad has again achieved their first championship since 2002. “Syempre masarap ang pakiramdam,” he says before bursting into laughter. “Second competition ko pa lang nakatikim na ako ng championship,” he boasts. “Maswerte talaga ako kasi some who join the squad ay guma-graduate na di man lang nakaranas ng championship”.

But now that the cheerdance competition is over, what’s life going to be for a Pep Squad member? “Definitely balik acads na muna, habol-habol in time for the finals,” he sighs, thinking of all the work in front of him. The members do not enjoy incentives in other subjects besides PE.

“After this, definitely pahinga muna,” he answers when asked for any plans for next year’s competition. “May pressure to defend the title especially dahil host ang UP next year,” he says, “pero ngayon focus sa acads, yun naman kasi ang mahalaga di ba?”#

Coach Lipa's job in hang time

By Edgar Villar

By the end of the second round of the men’s basketball division in the UAAP 70th season, controversy surrounded the Fighting Maroons coach, Joe Lipa.

Resignation was inevitable and expected from Lipa after the 0-14 win-loss streak of the Maroons during the two rounds of elimination in the men’s basketball division. But controversy struck when the coach was reportedly removed from his position as coach of the team.

Professor Ronualdo Dizer, an instructor and coach at the College of Human Kinetics sheds light on the controversy. “It is recommendatory of the college (CHK) to preterminate his contract or not to renew his contract after its expiration on December”, Dizer said. He said that the college did not axe him per se but only “recommended” him to leave. “It is still up to Chancellor Cao to approve the college’s recommendation or not,” he said.

As of now, no decision from Chancellor Cao has been officially released giving Lipa some slack from the issues. But as early as it is, the coaching staff of the Fighting Maroons is now in search of the next head coach for the team.

Being the host of the 71st season next year, the pressure is now on UP to regain its former glory. No coaches have been named yet to head the Maroons but they are definitely going to name one sometime soon as preparation for next season.

When asked about Lipa’s chances of going back to coach the team again, Professor Dizer replies, “Let’s put it this way, kapag binastos ka na sa isang lugar, babalik ka pa ba?”

Some sectors of the UAAP community, however, reacted negatively to the treatment Lipa is getting from the UP administration. Forums have sprouted from all over the Internet with the Joe Lipa threads reading; “Joe Lipa deserves better” and “I love Coach Joe”.

Joe Lipa led a coaching career for the Maroons from 1981 to 1986, leading the team to five straight championships, three UAAP finals, and even the first and only championship title the Maroons have, back in 1986, when Benjie Paras was with the team.

Coach Joe also led the Ateneo Blue Eagles to their championship when he was their coach from 1999-2001. #

College basketball in foul trouble: Game fixing

By Virgil B. Lopez

Last August 1, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested the star guard of the College of Saint Benilde basketball team on allegations that he fixed at least one game he played.

The NBI said they acted on a complaint filed against the player, Paolo Orbeta, by his classmate who bet on the game after Orbeta guaranteed he would win. When the classmate didn’t pay up, the player and some of his companions allegedly threatened him with bodily harm.

CSB promptly announced it was suspending Orbeta while the case is still being investigated. The NCAA, the league to which Saint Benilde belongs, was equally quick to pronounce the incident as

an isolated one.

“The NCAA has been very vigilant in terms of monitoring any forms of illegal gambling as evidenced by working closely with NBI since the 81st season. This season [the 83rd] has been very quiet and an incident like this is purely an isolated case allegedly involving an individual,” one top official of the league said.

The official may be whistled on for jumping the gun. It is too early to conclude that the Orbeta case is a rare exception. Or if Orbeta was fixing games on his own. The NBI has long had its eye on a highly organized syndicate running high-stakes, illegal sports betting. It just could not get hold of hard evidence to bust the group.

Sports has always been a rich hunting ground for criminal syndicates. Even professional leagues are not immune. A referee of the National Basketball Association is under federal investigation over suspicions that he had bet on games he officiated and agreed to influence the winning margins. The NBA commissioner, David Stern, described the referee as a “top-tier official” and intimated that he may have links with the Mafia.

In the early 1970s, several marquee players of Crispa, one of the country’s long-reigning basketball dynasties, were implicated in game-fixing and were invited for questioning by the military. No charges were filed, but the incident cast the players under a heavy cloud of suspicion.

In the university, however, College of Human Kinetics dean Hercules Callanta downplayed any speculations that game-fixing also happens. “That’s ridiculuous though it’s possible,”he said.
“Siguro may iilan dyan na sumasali sa mga illegal betting games but as far as UP is concerned, I think wala naman,” he added.

As the shadow of the scandal spread, the Games and Amusements Board chairman, Eric Buhain, acknowledged that game-fixing and illegal gambling did bedevil the Philippine Basketball Association in the past, but added that the pro league has licked the problem.

“We didn’t discount the possibility that game-fixing and illegal gambling exist in professional sports, but management control and vigilance in informing the players, officials and even the top-level executives made things easier for the GAB to control or even eradicate the problem,” Buhain said. #

With reports from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Ubelt.com

Lady Maroons bow to Eagles, 58-62, for a runner-up finish

By Virgil Lopez


The Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles captured on Saturday afternoon the 70th UAAP Women's basketball crown after a heart-stopping 62-58 victory over the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons in Game 2 of their championship showdown before a packed crowd at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.

The Lady Eagles pushed the tempo in the fourth quarter, pressuring UP at the backcourt. Treena Limgenco provided the go-ahead basket, receiving a kick-out pass from Crystal Ballentyne, with 17.2 seconds left in the game clock, and the score at 59-58. Ateneo trailed by as much as 13 midway into the third quarter.

“We had difficulty once again executing, just like in the first game,” explained ADMU coach John Flores. “The girls only loosened up the in the last five minutes.”

This is Ateneo’s second championship in three finals appearances. Last season, the Lady Eagles finished second. UP, however, has never clinched a women’s basketball title.

Limgenco led in scoring with 16 points going with four rebounds and two steals. Cassy Tioseco had a double-double of 12 and 13. She also chomped three assists, three steals, and four blocks.

Both Kat Quimpo and AJ Barracoso scored ten while Ballentyne had a near double-double with eight markers and nine boards.

“I commend (UP mentor) Eric Castro. He did well,” The 41-year old guru said. “The one thing they did well was give Kat Quimpo a hard time.”

The Lady Maroons had control most of the way, ending the half with a 12-2 scoring blast, 23-18. Asistio gave them a 13-point spread with a three-pointer at the corner, 5:01 of the third, 37-24.

Ateneo de Manila then trimmed the lead down to six going into the final ten minutes with a Tioseco three-point play against Fiona Molina, 39-45. Another Tioseco and-one play tied the count at 54-all with Quimpo expanding it to three with free throws, 1:17 remaining in the game.

Two Tolentino freebies and a Sadora lay-up off Tioseco made it 58-57 for the State U, with 26 ticks to go. After ADMU called for time, Limgenco received the leather then released a short jumper from the side against two defenders.

Fille Cainglet’s forward pass was deflected by the tall Tioseco to Quimpo for two charities. Cainglet once again lost the ball from the inbound as Ballentyne sealed the game by making her second attempt from the 15th parallel.

“They turned on the heat. UP did not respond well to the pressure,” Flores mentioned. “We were hoping composure would come into play.”

“Sayang, panalo na sana pero ganun talaga but it was a good fight, we put up a good fight” Sadora of Lady Maroons said.

“Bawi na lang tayo next year,” mentioned teary-eyed UP coach Eric Castro after seeing his cage belles losing to Ateneo four times this season. “But then, I salute the girls for a job well done. Motivation na rin ito para galingan pa ang campaign next year.”

In their first game, the Lady Eagles prevailed as they repulsed the Lady Maroons, 64-60.
The so-called “Battle of Katipunan” was sealed after the two teams subdued their respective Final Four foes at the Far Eastern University (FEU) Gym in Manila last September 15.

The top-seeded Lady Eagles escaped the no.4 qualifier Adamson Lady Falcons down the stretch to hack out a 56-47 victory and advance to their third championship appearance in four years.

The No.2 Lady Maroons, on the other hand, dominated the defending champion University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses all game long en route to an 80-61 win that catapulted them to their first title series in five years. #





With reports from Ubelt.com

UP tankers dominate UAAP

By Virgil B. Lopez



Bucking the absence of their two star tankers, the University of the Philippines ruled the men’s division for the fifth straight time, while University of Santo Tomas completed a four-peat in the distaff side at the end of the UAAP swimming competitions last September 23 at the Trace Aquatic Center in Los Banos, Laguna.

The Fighting Maroons extended their domination in the men’s division by amassing 204 points to beat La Salle, which placed second with 189 points, and Ateneo, which collected 179 points, for the crown.

The Tigresses nailed its fourth consecutive women’s crown with 224.50 points to crush the vastly-improved Lady Eagles, who placed second with 180.50, and the Lady Maroons who slid to third this year with 162.50 points.

Reigning UAAP Athlete of the Year Luica Dacanay made a record of sorts as the senior Family Life and Childhood Development student bagged an unprecedented fourth straight MVP award in the women’s division.

Dacanay was not bothered by the left knee injury she incurred on the eve of the competitions, as she won seven gold medals.

In an Inquirer interview, she said: “Every year, mahirap makakuha ng MVP award but this year yung pinakamahirap sa lahat, hindi lang sa injury ko but also, ang daming lumakas from other schools.”

“Kaya kung yung unang past three years, I gave my 100 percent best, I gave 100 percent more this season in my effort to swim,” she added.

UP captured the men’s title despite losing two of its key players—Ryan Arabejo and Ken Uy—due to their Olympic training program abroad. #