Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano lauded Alas Pilipinas for breaking into 19th place in the ongoing FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Philippines 2025, calling it a historic moment for Philippine men’s volleyball.
The national squad climbed to 19th out of 32 teams with a gritty performance that also boosted the country’s world ranking from 88th to 77th—a significant leap for Philippine men’s volleyball. Alas Pilipinas now sits just behind France (18th) and ahead of traditional contenders Cuba (20th) and Germany (21st).
“Usually, if the host country is ranked low, they compete mainly for experience and honor, but Alas Pilipinas surprised us all—Pusong Pinoy,” Cayetano said during his September 19 Facebook livestream, recalling how the team battled adversity and made the nation proud.
Cayetano, co-chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee, praised Alas Pilipinas for delivering the country’s first-ever world championship victory with a stunning win over Egypt, followed by a nail-biting five-set duel against Asian powerhouse Iran, where the Filipinos even held six match points before bowing out.
“The Lord really blessed our players and coaching staff,” he added.
He also highlighted the achievements of several players who ranked among the best in the tournament: Bryan Bagunas (No. 3 in Scoring with 70 points, No. 3 in Attacking with 61 points, and No. 7 in Blocking with 6 points); Joshua Retamar (No. 4 in Setting with 111 successful points); Steven Ybanez (No. 7 in Digging with 21 digs and No. 5 in Receiving with 23 successful points); and Marck Espejo (No. 4 in Receiving with 24 successful points and No. 7 in Blocking with 6 points).
.png){kind=icon}