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Refereeing in a Philippine pro basketball league wasn’t in the plans of Janine Nicandro. After all, there were no footsteps to follow in.
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) never had a female referee in its first four decades until Nicandro, along with fellow pioneers Edith Boticario and Mao Orioste, came along in 2016.
Today, Nicandro stands as the only remaining female referee as the league approaches its 50th anniversary.
“I never dreamt of becoming a referee,” Nicandro told Rappler in Filipino.
Prompted by the desire to earn a better living, Nicandro left her hometown of Pagsanjan in Laguna — where she worked as a sales agent for an LPG company — to try her luck in Manila after learning that the PBA was in search of its first batch of female referees.
Nicandro fit the bill, having played four years of varsity basketball at the Laguna State Polytechnic University.
So Nicandro, then a wide-eyed 21-year-old in 2013, signed up for training as part of the pool of female referees for the PBA Developmental League.
PBA referee Janine Nicandro with her fellow officials. PBA ImagesNicandro spent time in the D-League before being promoted alongside Boticario, eventually becoming the first female referee to officiate a PBA game when she worked the opener of the 2016 Governors’ Cup between Meralco and Phoenix.
The game still brings back fond memories as Nicandro remembered juggling excitement and nervousness.
“Na-overwhelm ako noon talaga. Tingin ko sa court noon, tabingi, hindi pantay ‘yung flooring. Bakit ganito? Ngayon, hindi ko na hinahayaan ‘yung sarili ko na ma-overwhelm,” said Nicandro. “Hanggat maaari ,ayokong makaramdam ng anumang emosyon pag nagre-referee ako kasi maaapektuhan ‘yung decision-making mo, ‘yung judgment mo, ‘yung reflexes mo.“
(I was really overwhelmed. I looked at the court and it felt like the flooring was uneven. I thought to myself, ‘Why is it like this?’ But now, I don’t let myself get overwhelmed. As much as possible, I don’t want to feel any emotions when I’m refereeing because it will affect your decision-making, your judgment, and your reflexes.)
And it was just not a groundbreaking feat for Nicandro but also for other female referees who aim to make it to the PBA.
PBA referee Janine Nicandro. PBA ImagesNot for the faint of heart
Nicandro understood the big responsibility that comes with the job.
“I was afraid that they might not like us because of my performance,” Nicandro said about her worries during her D-League stint. “I didn’t want to be the reason for them to discontinue the project.”
“That was the same thinking that I brought to my first official game in the PBA: I needed to perform well so that others would follow.”
Aside from personal pressure and expectations, Nicandro also had to deal with misogyny as fans questioned her mastery of the game.
Nicandro said she received sexist remarks primarily during her first two years in the league.
“Dati may nagsabi sa akin na, ‘Kusina ka na lang, magluto ka na lang.’ ‘Bakit may babae dito?’ ‘Anong alam mo sa basketball?’ ‘Janine, hihilahin ko ‘yang buhok mo,'” Nicandro recalled.
(Someone once told me that I should just stay in the kitchen and cook. They ask what a woman is doing in a court and what I know about basketball. There was one who threatened to pull my hair.)
It helped that Nicandro knew beforehand what she was getting into as she already expected the vile comments.
However, there were still instances when fans crossed the line.
“Sa picture ng mother ko [on social media], may nag-comment pa na fan na, ‘Hindi mo pinalaki nang maayos ‘yung anak niyo.’ Bakit may ganoon? Over naman. Tapos may death threat din sa Messenger. Doon din ako natuto na mag-private ng account,” said Nicandro.
(One time, a fan commented on a picture of my mother on social media, ‘You didn’t raise your child right.’ What was that for? That’s too much. There were also death threats on Messenger. That was when I learned to make my account private.)
“I’m family-oriented. Before, I used to upload pictures of my family, when there were birthdays. But when that happened after I joined the PBA, I didn’t post as much anymore.”
PBA referee Janine Nicandro with her fellow referees. PBA Images‘Sense of fulfillment’
Nicandro admitted she thought about quitting at one point as she wondered whether she was really cut out for the job, but the satisfaction she gets from refereeing overshadows her doubts.
While mistakes are inevitable in a sport that involves a lot of moving parts, with three referees at once in charge to oversee 10 players on the court, Nicandro said the goal is to try to minimize those errors.
And it is when a game ends without much of a hitch that Nicandro feels over the moon.
“There’s a different sense of fulfillment that I only get from being a referee. It’s like I’m a different person when I’m on the court and I like the feeling, especially when the game is over,” said Nicandro. “I always want to feel that. Even if I still feel nervous every start of the game, the way I overcome it feels good.”
Now nine years in the PBA, Nicandro does not see herself stopping anytime soon.
PBA referee Janine Nicandro gets ready for a jump ball. PBA ImagesShe aspires to become a crew chief someday and even join the ranks of FIBA referees after witnessing how they operate when she served as a liaison officer during the 2023 FIBA World Cup hosted by the country.
“I like the way they look, the way they stand, the way they move. I want to be like them,” Nicandro said.
Ultimately, Nicandro hopes to see more female referees in the PBA, and she is putting her money where her mouth is.
Nicandro hosts a podcast called Filipino Female Referees which features women who officiate in amateur and professional leagues all over the country.
“I really want someone to follow us, for us to grow in number. We have a group, a community, we’re becoming more close, and we’re getting to know each other better,” said Nicandro.
“There’s already someone next in line. I encourage them to become referees.” – Rappler.com
