By MARK REY MONTEJO
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has reached out to the UAAP following recent reports about a pay gap among basketball referees in the country’s premier collegiate league.
In a statement released Saturday, Oct. 4, the SBP acknowledged the issue — particularly the disparity in officiating fees across different divisions — and said it is working to address the matter.
“In light of the recent issue regarding the pay gap for referees of men’s and women’s games, the SBP has already initiated a dialogue with the UAAP on how to improve the situation for all stakeholders,” SBP wrote.
“Both organizations stay committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible and advancing women’s basketball in the Philippines,” it added.
Online sports website SPIN.ph first reported the officials’ rates, revealing that UAAP compensates referees P3,000 per game in the men’s division, P2,500 in the boys’ category, and P2,000 for women’s and girls’ matches.
“The SBP also implores our stakeholders to stay united in this font. We can only elevate Philippine basketball to its highest levels if we grow it for everyone,” SBP wrote.
Last month, the UAAP commented on the issue, clarifying that “officials’ fees in the collegiate men’s, collegiate women’s, and junior high school boys’ divisions are determined by division and not by gender.”
The league also emphasized its commitment to raising the quality of refereeing through programs aligned with FIBA rules.
“Moving forward, while we will still maintain a tiered system, we will ensure that there will be no diminution of fees across all divisions from previous seasons,” the UAAP stated.
With the University of Santo Tomas as this year’s host, Season 88 kicked off last September and is expected to conclude by December or earlier, as the collegiate league commits to supporting the national contingent for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
