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Manila Bulletin devider Spotlight Features devider Woman of power and purpose

Woman of power and purpose

Published Sep 17, 2025 06:37 pm
ERIKA DY
ERIKA DY
Erika Dy holds a special place in this basketball-crazy nation.
Driven by passion and a woman armed with sheer will, Dy rose high in the sporting world marked by male leaders.
She is the first-ever female executive director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), and her position should ring bells as it is one of the most prominent seats in the ever popular federation known for supporting the Gilas program.
From her early years in college as a player and up to her excellent professional background that fits well with the vision she brings on and off the court, Dy seemed destined for the job.
"Reaching dreams require trust and courage. There's no substitute for hard work and patience," the 43-year-old Dy said.
Dy is a full-blooded Atenean with several tour of duties as a shooting guard in college basketball and as a coach for the Blue Eagles women's team.
On top of a master's degree in sports management at Columbia University in the US, Dy is a California-licensed lawyer and the legal commission chairwoman of FIBA, the highest body of the sport.
She also served several years as a legislative staff in the House of Representatives. She also worked at the Supreme Court, and was a professor for Philippine Government and Constitution at St. Scholastica's College in Manila.
Indeed, a mouthful of a résumé for Dy who is an attorney by profession and a basketball-loving Filipino by heart.
The latter was her true calling, she said.
"I really wanted to help our country."
In the Philippines where basketball is a religion, Dy is not just breaking barriers, she is redefining what it means to lead with strong desire, patriotism, and purpose, while opening the doors for aspiring female leaders.
ERIKA DY
ERIKA DY
Since her appointment in January 2024, she has boldly coped up with the challenges in the male-dominated field while also empowering the women's program of the federation.
"I want to repay the trust given to me. We all love basketball, so everybody's into it. But I want unity, I want everyone to get involved toward one goal," Dy said. "I want to elevate our programs and become world-class."
By those words she meant bringing the basketball teams to the grandest stage of all: the Olympics.
It is a mission worth completing as the last time the country had sent a squad to the Summer Games was in 1972 in the Munich edition.
"I think I don't have my personal life anymore because this job is too demanding," Dy said. “But I think it's because of my passion for the game that carries me through. I devote everything."
For now, Dy is busy plotting our country's participation in the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand late this year. The Philippines is the defending champion, and has 19 golds in the men's tournament in the long history of the biennial meet.
Dy, with the SBP, is in discussion with several collegiate leagues, including the UAAP, to lend some players and help compose the Philippine team.
Serving as one of her tasks to coordinate with several stakeholders, Dy had meetings with UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag and Mark Molina, Season 88 vice president and representative to the SBP, to address the concern.
"Talks are continuous as of the moment and they are willing to send us their players," she said.
The UAAP, where she also once worked, opens this weekend at the Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena inside the UST Manila campus.

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