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MANILA, Philippines – Bang Pineda is on the move again.
Although the spiker-turned-libero has been ribbed with the “Journeywoman” tag for her quite frequent team hopping, Pineda knows that sometimes, it’s just all business.
“My contract just ended,” she told Rappler in Filipino.
Pineda has been jumping from one club to another, from the Philippine SuperLiga all the way to the Premier Volleyball League.
From the 2010s where she played for Cagayan Valley, Kia Forte, Petron, Generika, United VC and Choco Mucho, to the current decade where she suited up for Sta. Lucia, Petro Gazz, and Akari, Pineda has always had a thirst and hunger to keep finding her spot in the sun.
And most recently, after spending a little more than a year as a Chameleon, she parted ways with Nxled.
“Ganun naman talaga ang life. Everything is temporary. Feeling ko lang natutunan ko na lahat ng lessons na puwede ko matutunan doon, and at the same time, naitulong ko na ang mga puwede ko maitulong sa team,” Pineda said.
“May mga partnership lang talaga na hindi meant to last.”
(That’s life. Everything is temporary. I feel that I’ve learned the lessons I needed to learn, and at the same time, I’ve given all the help that I could. There really are partnerships not meant to last.”
In some cases, though, there were things beyond her control, like when Cagayan Valley and Sta. Lucia both folded, or when Akari sent her to its sister team Nxled.
There’s no bad blood between Pineda and the Akari group, however, as the defensive ace is leaving the team with a grateful heart.
Not only did she get to continue playing professionally through both franchises, she also got to experience for a while what it was like to become an assistant coach for Adamson, a team Akari supports in the UAAP.
“Binago nun ‘yung perspective ko, sa totoo lang. Nung nag assistant coach ako sa Adamson, na-realize ko pinahirapan ko rin pala coaches ko noon. Hindi pala madali trabaho nila. Kaya ‘yung experience na ‘yun eh life-changing for me kahit sandali lang siya,” she said, talking about her stint as a support to Adamson women’s volleyball head coach JP Yude.
(It truly changed my perspective. When I became an assistant coach for Adamson, I realized I also gave my former coaches a hard time. Their job is not easy. So that experience was life-changing, even if it was brief.)
“Kaya kahit wala na ako sa Adamson, sobrang grateful ko pa rin sa kanila. The same way na grateful ako sa lahat ng teams na pinanggalingan ko kasi sa bawat team na ‘yun, nabuo kung sino ako ngayon,” she added.
(So even if I’m no longer with Adamson, I’m really grateful to them, in the same way I’m grateful to all the teams that I’ve joined, because I became the person that I am now.)
Nowadays, Pineda is rarely online, only keeping her Instagram and Facebook accounts for personal updates and brand deals. She is no longer on X (formerly known as Twitter). And she won’t be seen dancing on Tiktok either.
“Masaya lang puso ko right now na tahimik lang. Hindi pa rin ako perfect at never naman magiging perfect pero naniniwala din ako na I’m better now. I’m a better person now. Natuto ng life lessons, nakalagpas sa mga pagsubok, at inilaban ng tahimik lang,” she shared.
“Ano nga ‘yun? ‘Yung sinasabi nila? There is dignity in silence? ‘Yon.“
(My heart is happy and at peace. I’m not perfect and never will be, but I believe I’m better now. I’m a better person now. I learned life lessons, overcame challenges quietly. What is it they say? There’s dignity in silence? That’s it.)
As swift as she is in saving the ball on the court, there’s no dodging the most important question: Where is she headed next?
“Wala pa (Nowhere yet),” she said with a hearty laugh and a wink.
What that meant, only she knows.
It may mean she hasn’t decided yet on which team will be her next home, or it can also mean she already has chosen one and she’s just waiting for the squad to make the formal announcement.
But whichever it is, with a talent and work ethic like hers, there will always be a nest awaiting her to land.
And speaking of nests — her old collegiate nest in Adamson — Pineda also shared her thoughts on the record-breaking year Lady Falcons rookie Shaina Nitura is having in the UAAP.
The past week week, Nitura shattered the all-time scoring record set by Mark Alfafara way back in Season 76 (344 points) by scoring a total of 349 points with one more game left to play.
“Sobrang nakakatuwa at nakaka-proud, as someone from Adamson. Kasi simple lang kami eh. Nung time namin makakakuha kami ng players na may potential. Pero ito ibang klase. Pumasok ng seniors handa na agad makipagbakbakan,” said Pineda.
(As someone from Adamson, I’m so happy and proud. We’re just simple. During our time, we do get players who have potential. But this one’s different. She came in the seniors level ready to fight.)
“Umaasa ako na itong batch na ito na ang makakapagdala ng first championship sa Adamson kaya sana suportahan sila ng mga klasmeyt natin.”
(I’m hopeful that this batch will give Adamson its first championship, so hopefully, our schoolmates will support them.) – Rappler.com
