Which team will you be rooting for?

This was the question friends have been asking me over the weekend and at the start of the week. The question concerns deciding the championship Game Three of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), scheduled for today. This will be played between the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, a match that is definitely a fitting conclusion to this year’s varsity basketball season.

The question is relevant because I have ties with both schools. I finished pre-med and medical studies at DLSU Dasmariñas, Cavite, where I met my future wife, and later took graduate studies in public ad-ministration at UP's NCPAG. So, I'll be cheering for both teams, though I'll keep it a secret which one I hope wins the championship.

The fact is, both teams deserve to be champions.

It will be recalled that both DLSU and UP had “bad” starts this season. UP suffered two successive losses at the hands of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers and the Adamson University Falcons, fueling doubts regarding its ability to win back-to-back championships. DLSU managed a slim two-point win over Adamson before bowing down to the UST team by nine.

For most of this year’s UAAP season, neither DLSU nor UP were frontliners. The National University (NU) Bulldogs hang on to the top spot while the UST team showed promise of a possible appearance in the finals. In fact, DLSU risked elimination after it landed at the hotly contested fourth spot. It had to defeat top-seeded NU twice to win a berth in the finals and a showdown with defending champion UP.

So, whoever goes home with the trophy this afternoon could never say it was “a walk in the park.” Both teams had to labor hard for every point. They had no blowout wins. Every game prior to today’s do-or-die match was the product of the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears.

Both teams had to contend with what seemed like insurmountable odds. For example, two key players from the Green Archers bench had to be sidelined for a few games due to serious injuries. The Fighting Maroons had to deal with the loss of key players following their graduation.

This is why this year’s UAAP championship match is an interesting one.

For several reasons. One is the fact that it will provide us with a welcome distraction from the sad state of affairs of the national government today. For at least 40-plus minutes of playing time, we can take our eyes off the saga of controversies hounding national government agencies, political personalities, and players in the contracting industry.

Today’s championship match reminds us again why our country is obsessed with basketball – a sport many say should be played by people with obvious height advantages, something which we must admit we do not have, even if we now have a few local talents who have grown to heights above the average.

To us, basketball is a game of “heart.” It is the ferocity of the will that wins the game. And, when it comes to “puso,” we are peerless. When playing against giants, we become “David,” the giant-slayer. We will not mind the obvious disadvantage. We will die trying to win the oftentimes lopsided game. In many ways, we are a do-or-die people. The young college players on the court will remind us once more of that inner strength.

There are other reasons. Many say the basketball passion is not just about watching; it is about “feeling.” The sport, they say, evokes strong emotions and deep connections from fans and players alike. They describe watching a game as “an emotional roller coaster.” They feel the highs and lows with every ball possession, every shot, and every foul. This is one sport where the spectator experience is identical to what the actual player goes through.

The game also reminds us that we are capable of working as a team. Mostly, we, Filipinos, go our own separate ways. Our competition for scarce resources and even more scarce opportunities oftentimes compels us to go solo. When we sit in the gallery and watch our favorite team, we are reminded that we do have the ability to work in harmony with others, and to work for a shared, common win.

Finally, there is the powerful sense of community. For about two hours, we sit down to watch a thrilling match with family, friends, and fellow alumni. At a sports venue, we reunite with classmates and acquaintances. We re-live our bonds. We are reminded that there is power in community.

So, who would I be cheering for in today’s do-or-die match? The answer is, I will be cheering for the Filipino do-or-die spirit. With utmost certainty, I believe I will see that spirit at its best and in full display by both the Green Archers and the Fighting Maroons.

Which team would I want to win? The answer is whoever wins today’s do-or-die match deserves to bring the championship trophy home. It was an uphill climb for both of them. They made it to the finals. They played with “heart.” They both have made us feel like champions.

(The author is a Doctor of Medicine, an entrepreneur and the mayor of Antipolo City. He was the former Rizal governor, and DENR assistant secretary, and LLDA general manager. Email: [email protected])