MANILA, Philippines -- New Gilas Pilipinas Women head coach Burke 'BT' Toews knows the Japanese basketball system too well.
Two months after succeeding longtime national team coach Pat Aquino, Toews is looking to apply the principles that helped turn Japan into one of Asia's premier women's basketball powers as he begins a new chapter with Gilas Women.
"It's my M.O. [modus operandi]," Toews said, referring to his reputation for rebuilding and elevating developing teams.
Toews began his head coaching career in Japan in 2011 with the Hyogo Storks in the Japan B.League's second division before joining Fujitsu Red Wave of the Japan Women's Basketball League as an assistant coach in 2014.
He was promoted to head coach in 2018 and guided the club to back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025, along with the 2025 Empress Cup title.
Now, he hopes to bring lessons learned from more than a decade in Japan to a Gilas program that has steadily risen in Asia over the past several years.
"I'm bringing a lot here," Toews told local media. "I sent about 12 players in ten years to the [Japanese] national team. And I'm very familiar with Japanese basketball."
"Part of being a coach that long there is that you are part of creating Japanese basketball. Coaches watch each other. They watch successful coaches."
Japan has become one of the world's premier women's basketball nations, ranking third in the Asia-Oceania region and tenth in the world by FIBA.
They have also qualified for the last three Olympic Games, highlighted by a silver-medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, led by former Japanese national team head coach Tom Hovasse, who is a close confidant of Toews.
Toews, who also holds Japanese citizenship, believes Gilas can follow a similar path through continuity and a defined playing identity.
"The fact that Japan plays the way they do is no secret," he said. "They started in 2015 with a ranking of 15th. And then it took them 12 years to go third in Asia. It doesn't happen overnight."
"My team at Fujitsu, where I coached for ten years, plays not much differently than the national team. Some of that is probably because Tom Hovasse, who's the coach there, and I have coached against each other for years. We're also really good friends."
Philippines currently ranks 30th in the world and sixth in the Asia-Oceania region.
While the gap remains significant, the program has made steady progress since earning promotion to FIBA Women's Asia Cup Division A in 2015.
Gilas Women recorded their best finish in the continental tournament in 2023, placing sixth.
They matched that result in the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen, China, where they finished 1-4, with their lone victory coming against Lebanon, 73-70.
The national team then qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup pre-qualifying tournament and later made more history by defeating Colombia 74-59, marking the program's first-ever victory over a non-Asian opponent in a global FIBA competition.
Those milestones convinced Toews that the program is capable of taking another leap.
"I've had some other offers in Asia to coach national teams, but I thought that Philippines had a really high ceiling," Toews said. "I thought that Philippines could really get to the top tier and be a perennial contender."
The optimism is fueled by a young core that includes Kacey Dela Rosa, Kent Pastrana, Ella Fajardo, Naomi Panganiban, Angel Surada, Vanessa de Jesus, Tiffany Reyes and Camille Clarin, alongside longtime national team pillar Jack Animam, who is set to rejoin the squad.
"I think they're super excited," Toews said. "The practices are probably different than they're used to. I feel like a lot of players are sore, which is always a good thing."
Improving perimeter shooting is among Toews' early priorities.
While he appreciates the team's confidence from beyond the arc, he wants a more disciplined and efficient offensive approach.
"Even though we're a smaller team, I feel like the shooting level is still low," he said. "They're not shy about taking them, but what we really want is efficient three-point shots, not just jacking shots up and hoping we can survive in the fourth quarter."
"We want to get good shots. We're trying to get a lot of shots in transition when the defense is not set. We're running things where players know where the pass should go. At the same time, a coach can't call every play. What we really need is to be efficient in a motion offense where it's not just isolation."
Defensively, Toews envisions an aggressive half-court identity rather than relying on full-court pressure.
"We'll be more of a half-court team but an aggressive defensive half-court team," he said. "I don't think it suits our personnel to be pressing full court for a lot of reasons. But they've latched onto it, and they're trying."
Toews will make his coaching debut in the FIBA Women's Olympic pre-qualifying tournament in Guadalajara from Aug. 17 to 23 -- where Gilas will face hosts Mexico, Canada and Senegal.
After the tournament, Gilas Women will shift their focus to the Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan before beginning preparations for the 2027 FIBA Women's Asia Cup, which the country will host in Cebu.
"I feel a sense of urgency because we have limited time," Toews said. "But fortunately, I'm coaching Filipino players who are not shy. They like to laugh, and they like to smile.
"So far, they're really working hard. I don't just build relationships during practice. On the floor and off the floor, I try to build relationships. It takes time for players to trust their coach. They're probably just as excited as I am to see how I do in a game, because this guy is going to be crazy on the sidelines."