ALAS Pilipinas standouts Eya Laure and Bryan Bagunas were introduced as Official Ambassadors and indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben as Official Music Partner as the country hosts the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship Philippines 2025 in September.
Led by president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) unveiled the latest development on Tuesday during the official launch at The Vault in BGC in Taguig City to signal a six-month countdown before the historic conclave from September 12 to 28.
Laure and Bagunas will join the PNVF in a bevy of promotional tours here and abroad with Ben&Ben’s ‘Triumph’ serving as the official song all throughout the countdown until the 32-team world joust, which will be the country’s first-ever hosting and only the second appearance since 1974 edition in Mexico.
Included in the tour are International Road Show, Mascot Contest and Launch, Trophy Tour, Media Broadcast Conference, Team Managers Meeting, Test Event and the 100-Day Countdown in June.
“It’s such an honor to be one of the ambassadors. Maraming salamat po dahil dito ay mas nakikilala ang volleyball sa Pilipinas at ngayon, best of the best pa ang magpupunta dito sa atin. Nakaka-excite dahil kasama rin ang Alas men’s team. Suportahan po natin sila,” said the 25-year-old Laure, a UAAP standout from UST before rising as one of the country’s superstars.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa PNVF for bringing the world championship here. Sobrang laking bagay po nito sa Philippine volleyball community. Marami kaming matutunan dito at malaking pagkakataon para sa atin na mai-showcase ang Philippine volleyball,” added the 25-year-old Bagunas, a former UAAP and Spikers’ Turf MVP who also served as a Pinoy import in Japan and Taiwan.
Bagunas is in the thick of his recovery from a left knee injury, making steady progress to full availability for the world championships as Alas takes on 11-time African champion Tunisia, current Africa titlist and Paris Olympian Egypt, and 2024 Asian Championship runner-up Iran in Group A.
With an official music partner, song and the ambassadors on deck, the PNVF along with the Men’s World Championship Local Organizing Committee Executive Board are all set to step up the preparations for a monumental turn in Philippine volleyball history.
“Let’s get it going. We’re 192 days away from history. Tulong-tulong tayo and let’s get the (full preparations) started,” said PNVF head Suzara, also the executive vice president of the FIVB and president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC).
Joining Suzara for the launch were Presidential son William Vincent “Vinny” Araneta Marcos, who co-chairs the LOC executive board and PNVF chairman emeritus with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Pia Cayetano.
“What we’re doing here is bigger than just volleyball. It’s bigger than one team, one goal and one NSA. It’s whole country effort to show the best of the Philippines,” Cayetano said.
Marcos shared his excitement for the massive solo hosting by the Philippines.
“Volleyball is really growing popular here in our country and I really can’t wait to see as we host the world championship,” Marcos said.
For Senator Pia Cayetano, member of the LOC executive board, this hosting will go beyond just volleyball as the Philippines has slowly but surely becoming a mecca of world sports in the aftermath of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup hosting, success of the Philippine national women’s football team in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and another hosting of the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup
“It took us a lifetime to get here, to where the Philippine volleyball is, now hosting a world championship. This is not a regional or Asian championship but a world championship. This is major. We can make it happen but we have to do it all together to make it the best hosting ever,” said Cayetano.
Then there’s Ben&Ben, a nine-strong ensemble composed of twins Paolo Benjamin and Miguel Benjamin Guico (vocals and guitar), Poch Barreto (electric guitar), Jam Villanueva (drums), Agnes Reoma (bass), Patricia Lasaten (keyboards), Toni Munoz and Andrew de Pano (percussions); and Keifer Cabugao (violin), who wrote the official world championship song titled ‘Triumph.’
“We’re lucky and proud to have Ben&Ben. The song ‘Triumph’ perfectly fits volleyball and that’s important for us Filipinos, who love both sports and music,” beamed Suzara.
Triumph came out last year as a pre-release single of Ben&Ben’s third album titled “The Traveller Across Dimensions”, rising as a Filipino anthem for empowerment, resilience and hope that mirrors the Philippine sports, especially volleyball.
