For the first time in University of Santo Tomas’ eight wins this UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament, head coach Pido Jarencio walked into the postgame press conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena — not as a coach fighting to prove his worth, but as the steady anchor of a program that refused to fold under pressure.
In the final season of his three-year contract, Jarencio faced relentless criticism, compounded by a gut-wrenching four-game losing streak that tested the Growling Tigers’ patience in what was billed as a championship-or-bust campaign.
“Marami lang kasi mga marites diyan ‘eh, kung ano-ano mga sinasabi. Pag natalo ka, ang sama-sama mo tao, pero pag nanalo ka, ang pogi mo. Lintik na ‘yan, walang balanse ‘eh. Wala ‘man lang, hindi sayang, walang ganon ‘eh,” Jarencio shared.
“Talagang iko-condemn ka ‘eh.”
But rather than dwelling on the noise, Jarencio shifted his mindset: it’s one thing to respond to the haters, it’s another to prove them wrong.
On Sunday night, the 61-year-old mentor did just that, guiding the Growling Tigers to an 80-71 victory over top-seeded National University Bulldogs and securing a spot in the Final Four for the second consecutive season under his watch.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Manalo, matalo, sama-sama kaming lahat. We had that nice record nung first round, tapos three losses kaagad ‘no? Actually, four losses ‘yon kasi one against Adamson and natalo na naman ng four straight losses,” Jarencio admitted.
“Marami na naman pinag-uusapan at marami na naman pinagduduhan na papasok pa kaya itong UST na ito? Ano ba itong UST na ito, joke lang ba ito? No, we’re here, okay? Nakarating na kami,” he added.
“Maraming fake ‘eh, walang ginawa kundi pamba-bash sa team, lalong lalo na ako. Wala namang problema sa akin ‘eh, hindi naman ako mamamatay sa pamba-bash ‘eh. Basta kami, we’re doing our job.”
Despite the doubts that loomed over UST during a four-game skid that turned a promising 5-1 start into a 5-5 record, Jarencio’s trust in his team never wavered.
That faith proved pivotal as the Growling Tigers clawed back with a three-game winning streak, highlighted by back-to-back victories over the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles and the Bulldogs.
Beyond simply stringing together wins, Jarencio’s belief reshaped the narrative that UST is a star-driven squad centered on co-captains Forthsky Padrigao and Nic Cabanero, along with standout rookie Collins Akowe.
Instead, it became clear that the Tigers operate as a cohesive unit.
“Actually yung sinasabi mo na masama yung mga talo, lahat ng talo namin one point loss ‘eh. Hindi yung talo ka ng 10, 15, or 20 ‘eh. Yung mga heartbreaking losses ‘yon. Kaya nung nakalaban na namin yung UE at nanalo kami, ‘yon na, umakyat na yung mga bata. Against Ateneo, nakapick-up kami ‘eh at nakabwelo na ulit,” Jarencio revealed.
“Ako talaga, 100-percent naman yung confidence ko sa mga bata na ito ‘eh. Medyo may struggle, pero nakaka-recover naman… Malaki tiwala namin sa mga bata na ito, at yung mga bata naman, alam yung sistema at ang laki ng tiwala nila sa coaches,” he shared.
“Yun na yung laruan namin talaga. Takbuhan, tapos sharing the ball, playing as a team, kaya yan ang resulta ng stats. For us, normal na talaga sa amin ‘yan kasi we’re playing as a group and one unit. Amiel [Acido] and Mark [Llemit] stepping up din, yung three-points ni Mark at ni Amiel, timely lahat. Timing-timing din yan sa mga player na tumutulong.”
