Akari's Ivy Lacsina has her fair share of naysayers, but the outside noise simply do not matter thanks to her bond with partner Deanna Wong of the Choco Mucho Flying Titans.
Ivy Lacsina has grown accustomed to the noise.
As one of the most talked-about stars in the PVL, every performance she delivers—good or bad—draws attention and commentary.
Instead of letting outside voices dictate her mindset, Lacsina leans on her tight circle—especially partner Deanna Wong, whose steady presence has anchored her through both cheers and criticism.
For One Sports’ Off the Record, Lacsina opens up on how she deals with the naysayers, drawing strength from Deanna, and how their relationship has only grown stronger even under the spotlight.
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One Sports: Ivy, it’s no secret that whether you perform well or not, a lot of people have something to say about you. How do you block out the noise?
Ivy: Ako, hindi ko sila talaga masyadong ine-entertain or hindi ako masyadong nagpapa-affect.
Pero ano naman, parang minsan, syempre, kahit ‘yung ayaw mo makita, makikita mo eh. So ako, ginagawa ko na lang silang motivation. And syempre, mas kilala ko ‘yung sarili ko and ayan naman ‘yung family ko, si Deanna, so parang doon pa lang, okay na ako.
Hindi ko na kailangan na iba pang voices na magsasabi sa akin, sila lang.
One Sports: Speaking of Deanna, how does she help you deal with all the bashers?
Ivy: Actually, ito lang naman sinasabi ko sa akin: “Tapangan mo.” ‘Yun lang.
Kasi like, noong pinasok ko itong life na meron kami, it means nag-yes ako sa lahat. Nag-yes ako sa mga ingay na hindi magaganda. Nag-yes ako sa mga tao na may ayaw sa akin for her, ganyan.
So lahat yun talagang sabi ko sa sarili ko, kailangan tapangan mo at alam kong matapang ka, so laban lang kasi gusto mo eh.
One Sports: Would you say your relationship strengthened amid all the noise?
Ivy: Actually, madami kasi kaming common ni Deanna, so parang, ano, mas nag-focus talaga kami sa aming dalawa.
Doon talaga kami, para kasi kaming mag-barkada lang. Kapag magkasama kami, okay na kami. Kasama ‘yung mga dogs namin and, siyempre, mas masaya akong kasama ‘yung families namin.
‘Yun nga, mas nauna siya sa akin eh, so konting guide lang and nung pagkasabi niya sakin nito, sabi ko ready ako.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.