Receiving the Most Valuable Player award is usually a moment of pure pride for any athlete.
But for Far Eastern University point guard Janrey Pasaol, the honor came with a bittersweet aftertaste.
Fresh off the 3×3 national team’s disappointing campaign at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, the 22-year-old Davao native couldn’t fully savor the accolade.
Alongside teammates Joseph Eriobu, Ange Kouame, and Joseph Sedurifa, he failed to secure a podium finish for the first time in history. The team fell to Singapore and Malaysia in the playoff round.
The team’s historic shortfall sent shockwaves throughout the country, and as FEU’s first MVP since the legendary Terrence Romeo in Season 76, Pasaol hopes the setback will spark meaningful change in the program.
“Sobrang disappointed kasi ‘di namin nakuha ‘yung goal namin, na mag-podium,” he admitted.
“So, ganun talaga ‘yung ano ng 3×3, minsan swerte minsan hindi. Kung ano na lang ‘yung binigay sa ‘min na sitwasyon, tatanggapin namin. Kailangan, mag-improve sa susunod na mga SEA Games.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Redemption for the Philippines in 3×3 basketball may be a while off, with the next SEA Games scheduled in Malaysia in 2027.
In the meantime, Pasaol hopes to channel his frustrations into the UAAP’s own 3×3 competition early next year.
While it won’t erase the sting of international disappointment, the tournament will give him a chance to overcome mental hurdles and apply lessons learned from facing foreign competition.
“Siguro ‘yung mababaon ko [galing] SEA Games, ‘yung makapaglaro ng ibang nations, ibang countries. ‘Yun na lang ‘yung gagawin kong baon para sa UAAP 3×3,” said the former Baby Tamaraw.
Off the court, Pasaol remains optimistic about FEU’s future in 5-on-5 basketball.
With three more years left with the Tamaraws, he’s determined to help the team return to the postseason for the first time since Season 84.
The newly-crowned MVP aims to turn narrow defeats this season into early victories next year, and he’s confident that the program’s incoming recruits will make an immediate impact.
“Alam mo naman ‘yung FEU, kung paano ‘yung program ng FEU. Sobrang lawak, sobrang bright ng future ng FEU lalo na maraming mga high school prodigies ngayon papunta sa’min. Tingnan na lang natin next season saan aabutin,” he said.
#WATCH: After Gilas 3×3’s debacle in Bangkok, Janrey Pasaol looks to turn it into motivation heading to the #UAAPSeason88 3×3 tournament 🐃 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/G034LXSHwv
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/LTPnpzg3Us
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 14, 2025
