Senator Pia Cayetano calls on UAAP to change referee pay gap between men’s and women’s games

Senator Pia Cayetano urged the UAAP to “review and rectify” the referee pay disparity between men’s and women’s basketball tournament games. 

The UAAP faced criticism online after reports emerged that its referees, who officiated women’s basketball games, were being compensated less than those who officiated the men’s basketball games.

“I call on the UAAP and all sports organizations to review and rectify these policies immediately, and to ensure that they fully comply with the standards of fairness, equality, and justice set by our laws,” Cayetano said in a press release.

UAAP commissioner Jai Reyes explained the pay gap, citing that the men’s games had “faster plays” making it harder to officiate than the women’s games.

Senator Pia Cayetano has urged the UAAP to correct what she described as a clear case of gender-based pay disparity in officiating fees for basketball referees.https://t.co/OFLvZUhlnB

— Fastbreak (@fastbreaknewsph) September 30, 2025

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Cayetano slammed the UAAP’s explanation and said the disparity violates a mandate she authored that ensures gender equality, the Magna Carta of Women.

“In its attempt to justify the lower pay for the referees of the women’s division, the UAAP labeled the move as a ‘tiered, merit-based system,’ But creating tiers is a circumvention of the law,” Cayetano said.

“It degrades women’s sports and violates the Magna Carta of Women’s specific mandate that sports organizations must adopt affirmative action in their strategy and must use gender equality as a framework in implementing their policies and budgets,” she added.

Referees were reportedly paid only P2,000 for the women’s games they officiated, P1,000 more than the men’s games.

Cayetano also stressed that referees have the same duties in both divisions, and by initiating the difference in compensation, discourages referees from officiating women’s basketball games.

“Referees carry out the same duties, regardless of whether they officiate men’s or women’s games. To claim otherwise demeans women’s sports and reinforces harmful stereotypes that the Magna Carta of Women seeks to eliminate,” said Cayetano.

“It discourages officiating in women’s basketball and undermines gender equality instead of advancing it,” she added

According to the UAAP rulebook, there are no differences in rules and regulations between the women’s and men’s basketball divisions.

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