Senate honors Alas Pilipinas Men for historic FIVB World Championship finish

The Philippine men’s national volleyball team earned a standing ovation both on and off the court following a historic campaign at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship, hosted on home soil. Alas Pilipinas Men secured a 19th-place finish—the country’s best-ever result in the prestigious international tournament.

The Senate of the Philippines formally recognized the team’s breakthrough performance on Wednesday, October 1, with lawmakers unanimously adopting Proposed Senate Resolution No. 143 filed by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano. The resolution commended the team for bringing “immense pride and honor” to the country and proving that Filipino athletes can shine on the global stage when given proper support and opportunities.

“Sports brings Filipinos together. This team not only made us proud during the Southeast Asian Games, but they also made sure to pleasantly surprise us again,” said Cayetano during his address.

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The highlight of the team’s run came in the group stage, where they pulled off a stunning upset over a much higher-ranked Egypt squad, sending shockwaves through the tournament.

Present during the Senate session were key figures from the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) including President Ramon “Tats” Suzara and Secretary-General Donaldo Caringal. They were joined by members of the team led by head coach Angiolino Frigoni, deputy coach Ogie Mamon, and team captain Bryan Bagunas.

PRIDE OF THE NATION 🇵🇭

The Alas Pilipinas Men’s team was honored at the Senate for their historic and remarkable performance, which included the country’s first-ever win, at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.#AlasPilipinas #MWCH2025 #Philippines2025 pic.twitter.com/g4dt2669kH

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) October 1, 2025

The resolution also gave special recognition to individual performances:

• Bryan Bagunas finished third among the tournament’s top scorers. 
• Marck Espejo ranked fourth among receivers, showcasing the Philippines’ world-class talent on both ends of the court. 

Cayetano also took the opportunity to commend the FIVB for successfully staging the tournament in the Philippines, while emphasizing the need to build on this momentum to boost national sports development.

“Honoring Filipino athletes serves a public purpose. Their achievements inspire national pride, set standards for future sports programs, and justify continued investment in facilities, training, and athlete development,” he said.

He also confirmed that the Philippines will host the FIVB Women’s World Championship in 2029, giving the country four years to prepare and improve the hosting experience. While the men’s tournament was largely celebrated, it drew some criticism over ticket pricing and venue sanitation, issues the organizing committee is expected to address moving forward.

With this landmark campaign now in the books, all eyes turn to how the country will further elevate its volleyball programs—and its hosting capabilities—in the years to come.

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