Coach Tim Cone might now be receiving his laurels as he led Gilas into its first Asian Games Gold in 61 years. And deservedly so, after all, Cone has that magic touch (eg: 25 championships in the PBA and various successful performances as part of the RP coaching staff at international stages), that roster which had a tasteful brew of youth and experience, and a decadeslong profile to masterfully stir the line-up like a fiddle in scientific experimentation. 

But before that, Gilas Pilipinas has always been on the brink of success. Though almost always falling short of expectations, the Filipino basketball faithful must also give Former RP Team Coach Chot Reyes his flowers. Who could forget that FIBA World Cup win against Senegal where everybody and his mom shouted “Puso!” or that closely contested battle against Korea in 2013 which ended the Korean curse that started in 1978? While Coach Chot may have his fair share of online bashers, the 9-time PBA Champions head coach certainly has brought to the country’s basketball scene a handful of stories and winnings that will forever be part of the Philippine’s storied basketball history. Add to that Coach Chot’s relatively professional demeanor in dealing with his bashers--- he never really took the harsh words of the keyboard warriors personally, displaying utter professionalism and composure outside of the court. 

Reyes was kicked for the right reasons, given the incredible roster, he wasn’t unable to excel in international contests. He was seen failing in making in-game adjustments and was heavily reliant on isolation plays that centered on Blatche and/ or Clarkson. But remember that Chot is a founding pillar of Gilas and he embedded within it a Filipino identity. Remember that “Puso” tagline that he embodied especially in that famed FIBA World outing in 2014. Remember when Gilas was represented by Pingris, Hontiveros, De Ocampo, Alapag, Tenorio, and Lee--- arguably the most “Pinoy” lineup of Gilas was helmed by Chot. Chot built a team for the Pinoy Basketball fans, only these fans turned their backs on its head coach further down the road. Now that Chot Reyes’ Gilas Era has come to a stop, it’s only fitting that Pinoy Basketball fans remember both the good and the bad in his Head Coaching stint. He is deserving of his flowers. Tim Cone already sent his. 

The mandatory SIM card registration law was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. It promised us Filipinos another layer of security, providing us with accountability and law enforcement for tracking perpetrators of crimes committed through electronic devices. However, a closer look at this law will reveal some major flaws.

There are at least 162 million SIM cards in circulation and only 62 million are registered, but there are millions more SIM cards being used by OFWs. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of tourists going into the country, bringing even more SIM cards into the Philippines. SIM cards are not just for mobile cell phones, but also for tablets, landlines, pay phones, and the like. Less than half of all SIM cards have been registered. We still haven’t found a way to properly register all of these SIM cards, making it impossible to fully implement.

The aforementioned law states that it will provide safety and protection from scam callers, but it will only violate our rights to privacy and create a new set of criminals. SIM cards are not limited to mobile phone services, but as well as online transactions. They have access to our personal information and contacts. This system is prone to abuse by those who have authorization and access to the proposed database. We have to prepare ourselves for a new set of crimes, theft of SIM cards, identity theft, and illegal re-selling of stolen SIM cards. Just to name a few. We cannot expect criminals to register SIM cards under their own names. Ironically, the solution for preventing online crimes ends up making new opportunities for them. Its not making it better for the one out of 10 people that get scammed.

SIM cards are small pieces of silicon and metals. They get lost, replaced and damaged. There should be remedies in case this happens should the records not be updated. More than this,  we may soon see a future without physical SIM cards. Phone manufacturers like GlobaleSIM, Nomad, and Airalo are now proposing a phaseout of physical SIM cards. Then the proposed system will be pointless and a waste of effort, time, and resources that should have gone to fight the actual crimes.

SIM card registration will prevent the use of some mobile services like mobile phone networks if the user does not have the required documentation such as government-issued IDs. People like the elderly, disabled, or those living in remote areas will have trouble finding proper registration facilities.

Even though SIM card registration is not a difficult task for the youth and those who have access to facilities, it only creates new problems for Filipinos along the way. Delaying the deadline for SIM registration when the number of users registered is insufficient will nullify its purpose as it gives more time for scammers to victimize Filipinos. 

Training equipment is essential to a success of an athlete for in sound training lies what separates the gifted from the elite.

Yes, we may have talented, dedicated players and an able coaching staff but when we get to visit an established private school, immediately, we get to see their facilities: their airconditioned (if not covered) basketball courts, their volleyball courts with laminated floors, their Olympic-size swimming pools and that vast, endless expanse of grass they call a football pitch, and a fully furnished weight room. And then we get to take a look at their players: color-coordinated from head to toe replete with varsity jackets, duffle bags, branded shoes, and alternate jerseys when they are playing two consecutive games.

 From their looks alone, it could be said that they are well-put athletes. 

 Our players, although hardworking and dedicated, lack that oomph that only a brand-new and well-designed athletic uniform could bring. Definitely, this is a call of the public schools. It is only common sense that we are not at par with the said private institutions for we do not have a tuition fee that specifically tends to the needs of our athletes. Moreover, with more public schools expanding, and since our players are students first, and athletes second the Department of Education obviously makes it a point that they perform primarily their scholastic tasks as extra- curricular activities bear no more weight in the grade computation. But what we lack in equipment, we make up for in grit and passion.