With four full years to prepare, Alas Pilipinas Women captain Jia De Guzman can only look forward to the possibilities awaiting the team when the Philippines hosts the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in 2029.
“We’re so, so happy, as in. We couldn’t believe it at first, but biglang napunta kami sa — that’s giving us a lot of time to prepare for it,” said De Guzman, who was present with the rest of the Alas Pilipinas Women’s squad when FIVB President Fabio Azevedo and Brazilian icon Leila Barros made the announcement.
As hosts, the Philippines will receive an automatic slot in the 32-nation competition, marking the country’s first-ever appearance in the prestigious tournament.
Capping off what Azevedo hailed as a successful staging of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025, the announcement served as another milestone in the nation’s growing volleyball journey.
De Guzman believes that anything is possible, pointing to the inspiring run of Alas Pilipinas Men, who nearly reached the Round of 16 after stunning Egypt and pushing Asian powerhouse Iran to the limit in the group stage.
For the Creamline star, the opportunity goes beyond just competing — it’s about proudly representing the flag on the world’s biggest stage and measuring how close the Philippines truly is to the global elite.
“With what the Alas Men showed, with 16 months of preparation tapos ganyan kaganda ‘yung pinakita nila, there are so many possibilities talaga. We’re just happy that we’re going to be given the opportunity to represent — women’s naman on this stage,” said the eight-time PVL Best Setter.
“Actually, if you listen to yung interviews ng mga top 4, top 6, top 18 na naglaro dito sa World Championship. Even Bulgaria, even USA. All of them kept saying the same thing. They wanted to see how far or how close they are to the best teams in the world. No one ever mentioned the podium. No one ever mentioned the medal,” she added.
“They just wanted to show off that they represent the country. The most out of the opportunity of learning from the best teams in the world. That’s what we want also. And this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity na we really want to take advantage of. So we’re really banking and hoping for the support that we need. Para makikita na natin kung hanggang saan ang Pilipinas. Tsaka mag-grow din talaga tayo.”
That same sense of pride fuels De Guzman and Alas Pilipinas Women, who have steadily carved their ascent on the Asian stage over the past two years, highlighted by bronze and silver-medal finishes in the AVC Challenge Cup.
This steady climb comes at a crucial moment, as the Philippines is set to benefit from a seven-year development program between the FIVB and PNVF — a long-term initiative designed to strengthen the national team system and further hone the young core of Alas Pilipinas Women ahead of 2029.
“Yeah we’re really happy kasi they also announced a long-term seven-year program. This is something we’ve been waiting for — everyone sa volleyball community: men’s, women’s, beach volleyball,” said De Guzman.
“This is the kind of program we’ve been waiting for for years. It’s inspiring also for the next generation to come in right now. Right now is a really good time to come into Alas and show the world what we’ve got.”
With the World Championship stage now within reach and a long-term development program in place, De Guzman sees 2029 as more than just a historic first appearance.
For her, it is the culmination of years of perseverance, a chance to showcase the progress of Philippine volleyball, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the next generation to carry the flag with pride on the sport’s biggest stage.
#WATCH: With four years to prepare, Alas Pilipinas Women co-captains Jia De Guzman and Dawn Catindig are excited for the possibilities as PH gears up to host the 2029 FIVB Women’s World Championship 🇵🇭🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/YRU64oz9Aw
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/l2rhPSbYcS
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 28, 2025
