Mariana wears a KOLOR Oxford shirt and THOM BROWNE suit jacket and shorts, all from UNIVERS. Photo by Kim Angela Santos, styled by Roko Arceo
This July, Vogue Philippines celebrates the inspiring people who train, mentor, and shape athletes with “Passing The Torch.” Discover the story of Mariana Lopa, head of women’s basketball at Titan Management Group, deputy commissioner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and managing director of Girls Got Game.
Nominated by Ceej Tantengco-Malolos
In Mariana Lopa’s household, there are no boundaries for what a girl can do in sports. Growing up in a family that played basketball, Mariana fell in love with the sport. “My mom already set that bar,” she says, sharing that she and her mom were the first mother-daughter Lady Eagles in Ateneo. “It changed the norm in my mind, because that’s how it was in our house.”
What began in the home spread to Mariana’s passion as a basketball player. After playing the sport from elementary school up to law school, Mariana helped establish Girls Got Game, a non-profit organization that aims to empower young Filipinas with important life lessons through sports camp.
“When we started back in 2015, almost 10 years ago, the concept of having an all girls sports camp was totally foreign,” she says. As the first all girls sports camp, the organization was met with challenges, particularly with support and funding. “At a certain point, we had no sponsors, no partners. I told them that was the time to dig deep and focus on the program, and people will soon understand the value of empowering women through sports,” she shares. Sure enough, the organization has seen an increase in support from brands that believe in their cause.
Funding and support are not the only challenges that they encounter. With all of their girls belonging to underprivileged communities, opportunities to play become slim as they face economic challenges and familial responsibilities. “We have girls who say, ‘Coach, I won’t be able to come tomorrow because I have to sell sampaguita,’” she shares. “That’s when it really hit me that not everybody has the right to play, and that’s what we’re fighting for.”
As the managing director of Girls Got Game, Mariana has seen how supporting girls in sports builds their confidence. “On day one, they’re shy. They say, like, two words to you,” Mariana says. “But after 365 days, I see how much the girls grow and how confident they become.”
Confidence is not the only thing that they build in the sports camp. Beyond inspiring girls to become athletes, the organization also aims to build character. “None of our girls are the best basketball players in the country, but all of them are very well versed in the values that you can learn through sports,” she shares. These values are built through a series of weekly exercises and journaling, as well as on-court experience. “It’s different when you tell a kid, ‘Here’s how you should be when you lose,’ and when they actually feel the bitterness of a loss and still shake their opponent’s hand,” she says.
Mariana is also known for her phrase, “Malayo na, pero malayo pa.” And for her, this is true in the realm of women’s sports in the Philippines. To progress, she asks people to give athletes’ stories a shot. “Getting to know the athletes and their stories and following their careers already means so much, especially for women’s athletes, because often you feel like nobody really cares,” she says.
And if you’re in a position to support athletes by connecting them to brands and sponsors, it makes all the difference. “Women’s athletes are doing all of these things out of their own pockets,” she says. “They could be earning a living, but they’re choosing to continue to play. Investment in women’s sports is really important.”
When she was younger, she dreamed that she would fill the seats at Araneta Coliseum as a basketball player. It did not happen for her, but she dreams of the same dream for female athletes. “My dream is that people will come to women’s games and watch with the same excitement that they do men’s games,” she says. “I hate to compare the two, but I can’t wait for it to really boom.”
By Daphne Sagun. Photographed by Kim Santos of Kliq. Managing Editor Jacs Sampayan. Styled by Roko Arceo. Makeup by Joemel Reyes and Shay Kho of Estée Lauder Philippines. Hair by JA Feliciano. Produced by Bianca Zaragoza. Digital Associate Editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Digital Multimedia Artists: Bea Lu, Myc Priestley. Digital Content Writer: Celine Lagundi. Backdrop: Justine Arcega-Bumanlag.
