Frank Lao has been elected president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), leading a new board that Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino described as a committed group capable of sustaining the sport’s growth in the country.
Lao was elected during the PNVF elections held Monday morning at the Solaire Theater.
“This is a committed team, and I believe they could sustain the progress of volleyball that started when the PNVF was established in 2021,” said Tolentino following the elections.
Also elected to the PNVF board were Atty. Donn Kapunan as vice president, Rommel Ng as treasurer, and POC secretary-general Atty. Wharton as auditor.
The board of trustees is composed of Sienna Olaso, Francis Chad Salimbangon, Carmela Gamboa, Rustico Camangian, Mohamad Bernan Jr., and Jonas Cabochan.
Asian Volleyball Confederation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara, who served as the PNVF’s first president, was also elected to the board, while Donaldo Caringal was appointed secretary-general.
The two remaining seats on the 13-member board, representing the male and female athletes’ commission, will be announced at a later date.
POC to Give Way as PNVF Gets New Leadership
Crucially, the elections mark the end of the POC’s role as caretaker of the national volleyball federation.
The POC assumed the caretaker role after the sport’s world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), suspended the previous PNVF leadership elected in November 2025 over governance concerns.
During the transition, the POC supervised the formation of the Alas Pilipinas Men’s and Women’s teams for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Tolentino confirmed that both national teams will remain intact despite the change in leadership.
The election was witnessed and certified by FIVB Ad Hoc Committee chair Hila Asanuma of Palau and FIVB External Legal Consultant Atty. Alexa Monica Dabao.
With the new leadership now in place, the PNVF is set to resume its role in overseeing Philippine volleyball as the national teams continue their preparations for upcoming international competitions.
