As crucial as can be

 

BY LANCE AGCAOILI

APRIL 18, 2026

Fhei Sagaysay (left) and Shaina Nitura seek to write women’s volleyball history to the only school they have played for. —UAAP MEDIA

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The sophomore duo of Shaina Nitura and Fhei Sagaysay will be spearheading the Adamson charge against Far Eastern on Saturday as the Soaring Falcons try to seal a place in postelimination round play in Season 88 of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Teammates since high school and the big reasons why the Baby Falcons won the girls’ crown two seasons ago, Nitura and Sagaysay are hoping to weave their magic once again as this team, which they now headline, will try to make it back to the semifinals for the first time in three seasons.

“I think if you really want something, you’ll find ways to go after it,” Nitura, last season’s top rookie, said in Filipino in the lead-up to their 5 p.m. clash with the Lady Tamaraws. “With the guidance of my coaches, the people around me and God, I’ve learned that if things don’t go my way, maybe there’s a better plan.

“So I just respond well and trust God’s will. That’s what our team believes in,” she added. “If it’s not meant to happen now, then we just have to be patient and wait for the right time.”

The Falcons were in the semifinals the last time in 2023, when Trisha Tubu, now a bona fide PVL star, played her only year in the UAAP.

Running third with an 8-5 record, the Falcons can also push the 7-5 Tamaraws closer to elimination with a win. Far Eastern is tied with idle University of Santo Tomas for fourth spot, with the Growling Tigresses seeing action on Sunday against depleted University of the Philippines.

“It really comes down to who wants it more and who responds better in (pressure) situations,” Nitura added. “For us, what matters is how we respond as a team. We set aside individual goals and focus on helping the team reach the Final Four.”

Sagaysay has been very much a part of Nitura’s dominant UAAP career, being the prolific spiker’s setter since their girls’ division days.

“I’m grateful because we’ve been together since high school. Of course, no relationship is perfect. We’ve had misunderstandings, too,” Sagaysay said. “But we always try to fix things and keep fighting, not just for ourselves but for Adamson and for everyone who supports us.”

To clinch a sweep

Far Eastern, on the other hand, can secure at least a playoff for a semifinals berth with a win, even if the format for the semifinals lies on unbeaten La Salle’s final elimination game on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Spikers seek to complete a 14-match sweep for an outright Finals berth against the National University Lady Bulldogs (9-3), which would trigger a step-ladder format.

The Lady Tamaraws need to win their last two matches, including their final match against the also-ran Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, to secure a Final Four berth. A split in those games would most likely push FEU into a playoff for the No. 4 spot.

Coach Tina Salak tries to steer her Tamaraws to a third straight Final Four berth with a squad built around Faida Bakanke, Gerz Petallo, Tin Ubaldo and Cla Loresco, who is set to face her Alas teammate Nitura.

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“I feel like in our past games, I wasn’t really at my best yet,” said Loresco after scoring a personal season-high 17 points in the Tamaraws’ 25-21, 22-25, 25-19, 25-22 win over the University of the Philippines last Sunday. “I even watched my old games. How I timed my hits, how I served and how I blocked.

“Now, I just need to keep asking guidance from God because He’s always there,” she went on. “But at the same time, I also need to do my part so we can meet halfway.”

“It really comes down to who wants it more and who responds better in those situations. For us, what matters is how we respond as a team. We set aside individual goals and focus on helping the team reach the Final Four, same with the coaching staff,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ateneo and the University of the East clash in a duel of also-ran squads at 11 a.m.

Olive May reflects on body image and finding balance beyond P-pop

 

BY ALLAN POLICARPIO

APRIL 18, 2026

Olive May | Photo from Olive May/Facebook

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In one particularly telling scene in “Born to Shine,” a musical drama series that explores the realities of the idol industry, an aspiring girl group member is asked to lose six pounds and is put on a strict diet plan if she’s to secure her spot in the lineup.

That hits close to home for Olive May, a former member of the P-pop group Calista. While she didn’t face the same direct expectations, the beauty standards and the inherent pressure to always look her best inevitably got to her. Before she knew it, the chicken inasal-loving, “extra-rice-kind of girl” had become overly mindful of her eating habits.

“Umabot sa point na na-co-conscious na ‘ko sa mga photo shoots. Or kapag masikip ang damit, parang ‘di ako makahinga, or naiisip ko baka may makitang kung ano. So, nag-diet ako,” she tells Lifestyle Inquirer.

Olive May | Photo from Olive May/Facebook

Not about being skinny

At one point, she limited herself to one meal a day. And some days would pass—after rigorous rehearsals and juggling her studies—only for her to realize it was already 10 p.m., and she had only had coffee. “It was unhealthy,” Olive admits. That became more apparent during the group’s workout sessions, where she would often end up completely spent.

Yes, she did lose weight, but the result wasn’t quite what she had envisioned for herself. The people around her couldn’t help but notice. “Pinagsabihan rin ako na, ‘Huy, tama na,’” says Olive, who was then also pursuing pageantry—yet another field where appearance is constantly judged.

It was one of the moments that made her realize that things didn’t have to be that way. While she believes that an idol must always look “presentable,” it shouldn’t come at the cost of health. “Being an idol isn’t about being skinny. Kailangan ding makita ng tao na healthy ka, or else, susundan ka nila.”

Olive didn’t want to set that kind of example. “Just appreciate kung paano ‘yung body mo,” she says, adding that she’s thankful that P-pop isn’t as rigid about body image as other counterparts abroad. “And if you must go on a diet and work out, do it with proper guidance. Most importantly, it should never reach the point where it starts making you feel sad or burned out.”

That’s exactly her outlook these days toward health and fitness. “Na-e-enjoy ko na mag-workout. Dapat hindi burden ‘yun; it should be something na excited kang gawin,” she says. “Sa food, ‘di naman kailangan na hindian mo lahat. In moderation lang talaga dapat.”

Olive May | Photo courtesy of GMA Entertainment

No regrets

Now, two years after her departure from Calista to pursue a solo career, she couldn’t be happier to be fulfilling her original dream of acting. On top of that, she gets to be part of a GMA 7 afternoon series that allows her to continue showcasing her singing and dancing talents. “Ayokong pabayaan ang performing,” she says.

As Megan Halari, an idol hopeful determined to prove her worth while living in the shadow of her superstar mother, all her extensive P-pop training came into full play. Scenes that required performance numbers felt second nature. The way you move onstage, the facial expressions, the aura you project—she already had them down pat.

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“You need stamina for it. Hindi madali kumanta at sayaw nang sabay,” says the 21-year-old singer-actress, who has also appeared in such shows as “Maka” and “Forever Young.” “But thanks to my training, it’s now more manageable.”

In fact, her knowledge comes in handy when working with creative staff or co-stars who aren’t as well-versed in pop group dynamics. “I get to help them with execution and blocking,” says Olive. “I’m aware of other genres like hip-hop and dancehall, too.”

Clearly, her idol career, however short-lived it was, has been an instructive and foundational part of her career. And while she’s incredibly grateful for it, she has no regrets about going solo—as it has blown the doors wide open for her career. “Ang daming opportunities at ang dami kong nakilala,” she says. “I’m happier now because I get to do the three things I love most.”

And this time, without the pressure to be anything other than the well-rounded artist she wants to become.