SIBOL’s Women Team Has Unfinished Business
SIBOL, the Philippine national esports team established by the national sports agency for esports, has long carried the flag of Filipino pride in international tournaments.
But it wasn’t until the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), held in 2023, that the Women’s MLBB roster under SIBOL truly punched into global view.
That roster was a mix: players from Smart Omega Empress, plus other talents under the national-team banner: names like Kaye “Keishi” Alpuerto, Rica “Amoree” Amores, Sheen “Shinoa” Perez, Mery “Meraaay” Vivero, Gwen “Not Ayanami” Diagon and Alexandra Dardo. Now, they include Cla Owari from Team Liquid Philippines, the lone athlete from Luzon. They are coached by Salman “KingSalman” Macarambon, the only guy in the team.
For additional context, it was this same roster, mostly, who competed and won at the MLBB Women’s Invitational (MWI) 2024 at the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2024 in Riyadh, and won gold. Now, they’re gunning for gold by representing the Philippines in one of the most contested stages of MLBB: The Southeast Asian Games. It is in this stage where SIBOL Women’s Team has always finished silver.
2023 SEA Games: Rise, Near-Miss, Silver Taste
When the tournament began, SIBOL Women started strong: a win over the hosts, Cambodia. But they also came face-to-face with their biggest rival from the outset: Indonesia Women’s MLBB Team. That first loss foreshadowed what was to come.
Still, in the semifinals they proved their mettle, sweeping Malaysia 2-0 to reach the grand finals.
The finals turned into a five-game saga — a turning point for both the team and for Philippine women’s esports. SIBOL dropped Game 1, but responded with impressive plays to take Games 2 and 3. For a moment, the gold felt reachable. What happened next stung. Game 4 and 5 slipped away. Indonesia sealed the deal. The Filipinas fell at the doorstep of history with a 3–2 loss.
Yet their silver medal was far from consolation. The Philippines had a women’s team in MLBB now, one that could challenge the top. And they did so without folding under pressure, even when the scoreboard hurt.
That silver was SIBOL’s only women’s MLBB medal in that edition — yet it stood out, especially in a SEA Games where SIBOL returned with six medals in esports overall.
The Aftermath: Reflection, Revenge, and a New Mission
Losing in a tight finals always leaves a mark. But for this team, it became fuel.
They didn’t disappear. They came back, and in 2024, at the inaugural Asian Esports Games (AEG) in Bangkok, the same squad battled through regional powerhouses again, only to fall short in the gold match vs. Indonesia. Result: another silver.
That makes two straight finals lost to the same rival. For many that might be heartbreak enough. But for SIBOL Women, it carved a debt, a scar — and more importantly, a mission.
And it’s not just esports pundits who noticed. The rising spotlight on women’s professional gaming in the Philippines has drawn serious attention. By late 2024, the governing body behind MLBB, Moonton Games, announced plans to launch a structured women’s league in the Philippines starting 2025.
This isn’t merely token progress. It’s recognition that the women fighting under SIBOL — the same women who carried silver medals and too-close losses — deserve a stable platform, a chance to raise a next generation under something more than national-team pressure.
The Debt That Remains, The Business Still Unfinished
For SIBOL Women’s MLBB squad, their history is not a clean arc of triumph. It’s jagged, gritty — brimming with near misses and narrow losses.
They’ve shown glimpses of brilliance. They’ve proven they can challenge the best. But despite back-to-back silvers, the gold remains elusive.
And that makes their story more compelling — because it’s still being written.
When they suit up again, it won’t just be for medals. It’ll be for redemption. For that line in the final match — background, pressure, everything — where they refuse to settle for “just silver.”
Because for them, against Indonesia, it won’t be just a game. It’ll be unfinished business.
