In the absence of key national team stalwarts, Afril Bernardino couldn’t feel prouder of the spirited stand of Gilas Pilipinas Women in the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.
Even without the likes of Bernardino, Janine Pontejos, Chack Cabinbin, and Andrea Tongco — who were all unavailable due to military duties — the Filipinas once again defied expectations.
They managed to retain their place in Division A of the prestigious FIBA Women’s Asia tournament circuit, a significant accomplishment, especially with the Philippines set to host the 2027 Women’s Asia Cup.
Beyond simply staying in Division A, Bernardino, the all-around forward for New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas, heaped praise on the Pat Aquino-mentored Gilas squad for clinching the country’s first-ever berth in the qualification tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
“Syempre super proud ako. Actually, nung nagwa-watch ako ng games nila from the start, sobrang nagu-goosebumps na ako,” Bernardino said following the Valkyries’ dominant 99-45 win over RK-Hoops Quezon City in the 2025 Women’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on Sunday evening at the Enderun Gym.
After suffering a tough opening defeat at the hands of eventual champions Australia, the Filipinas nearly pulled off an upset against silver medalists Japan. They went on to defeat perennial contender Lebanon and showed both poise and promise in their games against South Korea and New Zealand to close out the tournament.
“They showed the heart and pride ng Pilipinas with the way they played, sa depensa, and even sa small things. They’re talking inside the court, kaya sobrang nakaka-proud na ganoon na sila ka-mature rin. Ayon, sobrang nakaka-proud,” she added.
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With Bernardino and Tongco committed to the Philippine Navy and Cabinbin and Pontejos serving in the Philippine Army, many anticipated that Jack Animam would take on the leadership mantle for the national team.
Animam delivered as expected, averaging 10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 1.2 assists throughout the tournament.
But it was the emergence of Gilas Women’s young guns that truly filled the void left by the veterans. US NCAA Division I standouts Naomi Panganiban, Vanessa de Jesus, and Sumayah Sugapong stepped up alongside local collegiate stars like two-time UAAP MVP Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo, Kent Pastrana of UST, and Louna Ozar of UP.
Among the six collegiate aces, it was Panganiban and De Jesus who stood out the most, each leading the Filipinas in scoring with 13.2 points per game. Their consistent production came despite facing a grueling schedule that included matchups against Australia, Japan, Lebanon, South Korea, and New Zealand.
“Even though they’re just practicing with Gilas just twice or thrice a week over the past months, still, they stepped up. Pinakita nila yung totoong laban at hindi magiging possible yung performance ng buong team without them,” the 5-foot-8 Bernardino shared.
Looking forward, Bernardino is eager to return to the national team and make up for lost time. For now, though, her attention shifts to club duties, where she’s anticipating the return of sharpshooter Khate Castillo to strengthen New Zealand Bluefire-Batangas’ championship campaign in the WMPBL.
Castillo had a breakout performance in the Filipinas’ final Asia Cup match, tallying 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep against New Zealand.
With the Valkyries currently undefeated at 3-0 atop the standings in the six-team field, Castillo is expected to make an immediate impact upon her return.
“She’s one of the seniors sa Gilas na napunta sa FIBA Asia Cup. Based sa pinakita niya, we can’t wait for her return para sa’min since malaking boost talaga siya sa team as one of the veterans,” Bernardino concluded.
