College athletic league reduces drums despite public backlash

Photo: Arvin Lim/ABS-CBN News.
Photo: Arvin Lim/ABS-CBN News.

The Philippines is one basketball-crazy country so games here are naturally a raucous affair. Pinoys love to bring in the fiesta atmosphere to games, which is why one collegiate league’s move to reduce the crowd’s noise was met with screams of protest and a few eyerolls.

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) announced in a memo released today that it will push through with its plan to reduce the number of drums used during the league’s basketball games.

Founded in 1938, the UAAP is an athletic association composed of eight of the country’s top universities.

According to the memo, universities will only be allowed to use four bass and two snare drums inside the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

On the other hand, only one bass and one snare drum will be allowed at the Filoil Flying V Centre at San Juan and the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

In Season 80 last year, each pep squad was allowed 5 bass drums and three snare drums, according to Interaksyon.

The new decision could be seen as a way to appease the league’s angry fans, many of whom protested when the league reportedly wanted to reduce the drums to one bass and one to two snares.

Many students and school alumni are familiar with the almost deafening beat of the drums during basketball games, undeniably the most watched sport in the UAAP.

Drastically reducing the number of drums is a big change that many are just not ready to accept.

Because really where in the world have you seen a match that was not ear-splittingly loud? The UAAP should be glad this is not South Africa, where the vuvuzela’s annoying buzzing sound reigned supreme during the 2010 World Cup.

If UAAP’s board wanted some peace and quiet, they should not organize basketball matches at all. Maybe they could just have golf?

But lawyer Rebo Saguisag, the UAAP’s Executive Director, said the move was done so that players and coaches could communicate effectively with each other.

GMA News quoted him saying: “The move is not without reason. We did not unilaterally decide to remove the drums. We spoke with the coaches. The game is not only about the drums. It’s a small part of the game. We need more communication between the coaches and players, the coaches and officials.”

In 2016, ABS-CBN News reported that Ateneo de Manila University basketball coach Tab Baldwin complained about the noise coming from the pep squads’ drums.

He said: “Players can’t communicate with their coach and the coach can’t communicate with his players. I think it’s a bit of a farce because basketball is a game of communication.”

Natrually, fans remain unhappy. Wrote @edogawacnn: “This is crazy. They’re obviously old the way they think. UAAP is for the youth. If you think it’s noisy then don’t watch.”


User @caninecanny wrote: “Its a NO. UAAP without the traditional number of instruments will be different.”

Meanwhile, @arnelredondo wrote: “[The noise] should be deafening!!!”

Was the UAAP board’s decision reasonable? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @CoconutsManila.



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