UAAP to implement minus-one eligibility year plus one-year residency rule this Season 87
NEW season, new rules.
The UAAP will implement a minus one eligibility year on top of the required one-year residency for all school member-to-member player transfers starting this 87th Season across all sports in the collegiate level.
From only a year of residency and likewise a year of eligibility stripped in the past season, all student-athletes transferring from one UAAP school to another now stand to lose two years from the maximum playing eligibility of five seasons.
The decision, approved by the UAAP Board as early as Season 86, is effective immediately for a collective goal of championing the welfare of the league, the schools and the student-athletes.
The revised residency rule also came on the heels of a bevy of transfers as of late that put the league under fire from the general public though the UAAP said it’s not the primary reason.
Notable transferees last season are Mason Amos (Ateneo de Manila University to De La Salle University), Rey Remogat (University of the East to University of the Philippines) and Kean Baclaan (National University to La Salle) among the few.
“I wouldn’t call it motivation but it’s part of consideration. That is where we’re coming from, we have to consider that as much as we protect and guarantee the rights of each and every student athlete, we have to balance that, with two other interests,” said UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag.
“I’m talking about the member schools per se and the UAAP as a collective. There are three parties concerned here that we need to balance their interests because at the end of the day, a better member school will lead to a better UAAP which leads to a better environment for student-athletes.”
The new ruling was previously questioned by Senator Pia Cayetano when it first floated in June, urging the UAAP to reconsider it with regards to RA 10676 or the Student-Athlete Protection Act she authored in 2015 to protect the welfare of student-athletes.
Part of the enacted law built on the UAAP’s controversial implementation of two-year residency centered on then high school star Jerie Pingoy is imposing a maximum residency of one year only to student-athletes transferring from one college to another.
The UAAP stuck to this as is, in terms of residency, but now strips a transferee another year in eligibility.
“We would like to defend if called upon. Allow me to say, however, that that is the beauty and gift of democracy. Everybody has their own views and perspective and we understand and respect where Sen. Pia (Cayetano) is coming from. If she views it as such, I think the term is circumvention,” added Mr. Saguisag.
“However, let me state for a record that all of us in this room, the welfare and interest of each and every student-athlete is of paramount importance. There is no question about that. We all agree about that and that’s the most important thing.” — John Bryan Ulanday