UST GROWLING Tigresses team captain Kent Pastrana has joined the voices calling out the alleged disparity in the referee rates for UAAP Season 88.
The recently announced fees have sparked criticism after it was revealed that the fees of officials for women’s and girls’ games will be lower than those of their counterparts in male divisions.
Under the new scheme, referees for men’s games will receive P3,000 per match, higher than last season. Referees for boy’s divisions will still get last year’s rate of P2,500. In contrast, referees officiating women’s and girl’s matches will only receive P2,000 per match, a P500 decrease from last season’s rates.
Pastrana voiced her disappointment over the pay difference, urging the league to treat all divisions fairly.
“Just be fair. We can say that we may never have the same [intensity] as men’s, but all I can say is that they need to be fair,” Pastrana told The Flame.
“If they want a high salary then they shouldn’t decrease the women’s [pay], because we also worked hard to reach the intensity that the men’s [teams] have,” she added.
In a statement issued last Saturday, Sept. 27, the UAAP denied allegations that there is a gender-based disparity in the of its referees’ fees, saying the rates are determined by division and merit.
The league said it follows a “tiered, merit-based” structure designed to incentivize performance.
The system applies equally to referees across the collegiate men’s, collegiate women’s, and junior boys’ divisions, the UAAP added.
Pastrana emphasized the need to boost support for women’s basketball, as it becomes more prominent in the country.
“We should support women’s basketball too, because we’re all in one country. Especially nowadays, where women’s basketball is spreading more in the Philippines,” the graduating guard said.
“Just like what I said, be fair. We may not be able to match the men’s… but we all work hard on our sport,” she added.
The 5-foot-7 guard recently kicked off her final playing year with an 11-point, 11-assist double-double in a game that saw the Tigresses demolish the DLSU Lady Archers in a 49-point beatdown. F
