The Alas Pilipinas men's volleyball team bowed out of medal contention after back-to-back straight-set losses to powerhouses South Korea and China in Pool D at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
The Philippines put up a fight in both matches, with neither opponent nation able to pull away comfortably for much of the contest.
Alas succumbed against South Korea to open their Asiad campaign 25-16, 27-25, 25-22 on Sunday, Sept. 27.
The Filipinos showed more fight in the second and third sets, even taking leads of as many as four points, but costly errors kept them from closing out either frame.
The same problems resurfaced against China, as the Philippines fell 25-21, 25-20, 25-22 to the world No. 34-ranked side on Monday, Sept. 28.
Alas slipped to 0-2, leaving its quarterfinal hopes hanging by a thread with only the top two teams in Pool D advancing.
But beyond the losses on the continental stage, the Philippine team faced a more pressing concern in its Asiad campaign: a lack of financial support.
After the loss to South Korea, Alas captain Bryan Bagunas revealed that some players have struggled to attend practices because they have not received their allowances since July.
"Of course, the support is important. Regarding our allowance, some players have even started borrowing money from their teammates or other people just to get to training or go home," Bagunas said in Filipino as reported by POC Media.
"It's really tough for us to train. Sometimes, only seven or eight of us are able to attend because some players can't make it."
Bagunas said the situation has been particularly difficult for the team's student-athletes, some of whom have had to borrow money simply to afford transportation to practice.
"I understand because most of the players are student-athletes. So we just helped each other out so we could practice with a complete lineup," he said.
"Some of them had to borrow money because they really didn't have fare for transportation."
University of Santo Tomas standout and Alas Men's libero Josh Ybañez also voiced his frustration over the lack of support in a post on his Instagram channel.
"We just lost, and we're also hungry. What is happening, Philippines! My God, it's every man for himself out here. Do we not deserve your support? Just asking," Ybañez posted in Filipino, garnering mixed reactions from his followers.
Alas will close out its Pool D campaign against Chinese Taipei on Tuesday, Sept. 29, looking to secure a win before heading into the classification round.
PNVF, Frank Lao acknowledge Alas Men's concerns
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) addressed the issue following Bagunas' interview, apologizing to all Filipino athletes for the difficulties they have encountered.
"In response to the recent interview of Alas team captain Bryan Bagunas, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) extends its sincerest apologies to all our national athletes for the difficulties they have experienced," the federation said in a Facebook post.
"Our athletes have dedicated themselves to representing our country, and they deserve nothing less than the full support of the Federation."
The statement also revealed that newly elected PNVF president Frank Lao, who took over in mid-August, had "personally advanced funds to address several immediate concerns raised by the national teams."
Bagunas later confirmed with POC media that he met with Lao before the team flew to Japan, with the PNVF president giving each player ₱20,000.
"Recently, I had a meeting with Sir Frank Lao, and they gave us an allowance for coming here -- ₱20,000 each. Rebisco also gave us additional support. We're still very thankful because we're here to showcase what Philippine volleyball has to offer," Bagunas said.
Despite the financial assistance, Lao took responsibility for the lapses in the distribution of allowances to the national teams.
Recent developments from multiple sources also indicated that Lao inherited a debt of around ₱25 million before leading the organization.
"As president of the PNVF, I take full accountability for what happened to the allowances of both Alas Pilipinas Men and Women squads, as well as the beach volleyball teams," Lao said.
"I am the one asking for your forgiveness for where we fell short. But please give us a chance to make it up to you," he added.
"Just give me some time. As the president of the PNVF, I take this responsibility. I'm sorry."