Category: Philippine Star

Thai power puncher Thanongsak Simsri (41-1, 36 KOs) needed just two rounds to destroy Japan-based Filipino challenger Mark ‘Rasta Mac’ Vicelles (21-3-1, 11 KOs) and retain his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight crown Saturday, September 26, at the Fujisan Messe Industrial Exchange Exhibition Hall in Shizuoka, Japan.

Vicelles was the aggressor and appeared in control in the opening round, but Simsri quickly changed the complexion of the fight in the second.

The defending champion floored Vicelles twice with solid right hands just seconds apart before unleashing a barrage of telling blows that forced Japanese referee Koji Tanaka to wave off the bout at 2:05 of the second round.

The 26-year-old Simsri now sets his sights on a mandatory defense against Regie ‘Filipino Phenom’ Suganob (19-1, 8 KOs) of the PMI Bohol Boxing Stable.

Suganob earned a mandatory shot at Simsri’s throne with a fifth-round stoppage of two-time world light flyweight champion Sivenathi ‘The Special One’ Nontshinga of South Africa in their IBF title eliminator last September 12 at the Bohol Wisdom School (BWS) Gymnasium in Tagbilaran City.

The Simsri-Suganob championship match must take place by the end of January 2027.

PMI Boxing CEO Atty. Floriezyl Echavez Podot has earlier expressed his willingness to stage the IBF world title fight in Bohol if given the opportunity.

Meanwhile, on the same Japan card, Vicelles’ fellow countryman Pete ‘Prime Time’ Apolinar (21-7-1, 14 KOs) scored a ninth-round TKO victory over the dethroned champion Shunpei Ohata to snatch the WBO Asia Pacific junior lightweight crown.

Tapales makes rousing Featherweight debut

Over in Pattaya, Thailand, two-division world champion Marlon ‘The Nightmare’ Tapales (42-5, 23 KOs) returned to his winning ways with a second round knockout of Thai Nirun Baonok to claim the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) International featherweight belt.

IBF Pan Pacific lightweight champion Criztian ‘Golden Boy’ Laurente, stablemate of Tapales at Sanman Boxing, stretched his perfect record to 17-0 with a third-round KO of Benchalong Tanbu to grab the WBF Intercontinental lightweight title.

Renewed proposals to build a 20-kilometer bridge connecting Luzon via Matnog in Sorsogon to Allen in northern Samar in the Visayas received a major boost, with the approval of a P500-million fund from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a feasibility study for the project.

‘We are very pleased that the ADB has decided to come on board the Sorsogon-Samar Transport Crossing (SSTC) project at this early stage,’ Eastern Samar Rep. Marcelino Libanan said.

‘We never doubted the readiness of international development partners to support the project, considering its exceptionally high economic rate of return,’ Libanan, House minority leader, said.

The ADB funding of P500 million is aimed at helping bankroll the rigorous feasibility study for the proposed 20-kilometer SSTC over the San Bernardino Strait, in the Philippines’ eastern portion of the Pacific Ocean.

Libanan leads the group of Eastern Visayas lawmakers pushing for a fixed link between Matnog and Allen to provide a permanent road connection between Luzon and the Visayas.

The bridge is expected to reduce travel time between Matnog and Allen to 20 minutes, compared with roughly two and a half hours using the existing roll-on/roll-off ferry system.

The ferry service is also vulnerable to port bottlenecks and disruptions during bad weather mostly during the second half of the year, making a fixed crossing potentially important for more reliable transport and connectivity between Luzon and the Visayas.

The ADB feasibility study funding commitment was disclosed during House plenary deliberations on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s 2027 budget last week.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. relayed the information from DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon while responding to questions from Libanan about the SSTC feasibility study during the Sept. 24 plenary debates.

Momo said the ADB’s P500-million commitment would augment the P130 million initially appropriated by Congress for the feasibility study.

The ADB itself is expected to bid out the study in November, with completion targeted within 12 months.

The proposed SSTC is considered a technically complex and large-scale infrastructure project that would require extensive marine, bathymetric, geological and geotechnical investigations.

The feasibility study would also examine oceanographic conditions, seismic risks, navigation, environmental and social impacts, and the effects of typhoons and other extreme weather events.

Every magic show rests on the audience who watch it. Wowed by the illusion, we applaud because we know it is a trick. But what happens when the stage is the Senate impeachment court and the audience never agreed to be deceived? The impeachment court has given us a vanishing coin. Then followed by an encore involving a rabbit from a hat.

What deserves attention is not merely how the tricks worked. But on how early the preparations may have begun.

It was on day one of the Senate impeachment trial on July 6 when Sen. Chiz Escudero declared – after being sworn in as presiding officer – that 16 votes were needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte. This is in conformity with the two-thirds of a 24-member Senate. The announcement appeared to settle the constitutional requirement.

That was the coin. All eyes were on it. Less attention went to the hand holding it.

That constitutional requirement exists independently of any announcement by Escudero before the Senate impeachment court. There is already the question whether any duly elected Senators can be excluded from ‘all’ because they cannot participate.

Escudero practically issued a ruling beforehand, citing the precedent case of Bayan vs. Zamora on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) petition to quash it. The vote of 16 Senators was neither an invention nor a concession to the defense.

But announcing 16 as a ruling also placed an appealable decision between the impeachment court and the constitutional text. There was nothing inherently improper about that. Its significance became clearer when the ruling itself became the object of the challenge.

The impeachment court, as a collegial body, subsequently overturned Escudero’s interpretation. Whether that complied with the Constitution was a separate question.

This after the impeachment proceedings went on and allowed Escudero’s ruling left unchallenged despite initial query raised by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. In reply to Lacson if the 16 Senators will be the impeachment court’s threshold, Escudero retorted in the affirmative. But he hastily added, unless otherwise someone challenges it before the Supreme Court (SC).

Was the 16 votes a ‘threshold’ Escudero expected to hold – or a position he could announce but allow others to overturn?

After almost two months, Sen. Erwin Tulfo questioned anew whether 16 still applied with 4 minority bloc Senators currently unable to participate due to legal or non-legal problems. It was then the impeachment court decided to seek advice from ‘amici curiae,’ composed of retired SC justices.

One of them, ex-Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban suggested that Escudero could change his position before the final vote. The advice could support the argument but did not settle the constitutional question.

Then on Sept. 23, Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano challenged the impeachment court’s authority to proceed with the threshold vote. With his appeal set aside, Cayetano notified the body that he and the five remaining minority bloc Senators won’t participate in the voting whether or not to set aside the threshold of 16 previously set by the presiding officer. Naturally, Escudero was the lone dissenter when the impeachment court overturned his earlier ruling, 13 votes to one.

The majority obtained a path to a lower voting threshold. Escudero retained a vote he could point to as proof that he had defended 16 as the two-thirds mandated by the Constitution. Was that simply where the proceedings led him. Or he had anticipated the outcome when he first announced the number?

Only the presiding officer can explain. It does establish though the eventual reversal was compatible with his remaining publicly on the side of the ruling being reversed. The impeachment court’s new approach counts Senators legally and physically capable of participating.

If that leaves 20, conviction requires 14. Escudero explained that exclusions would require sufficient evidence and that the ruling applied to this case without binding future impeachment courts. Those qualifications do not erase the institutional consequence. A ruling need not bind a future Senate to influence it. Once a majority has shown that the number counted can shrink while the excluded Senators retain their seats, another majority will remember how it was done.

Escudero voted to let the challenge proceed, then voted against its success.The majority overturned his ruling. Whether it could constitutionally lower the threshold is the question its vote did not settle.

With 16 gone, the performance had room for an encore.

Four senators were absent amid legal cases and other circumstances. The new ruling allowed inability to participate to become a basis for exclusion from the count. For purposes of the trick, space had been cleared in the hat to provide the illusion. Then came the question of what might be placed inside it.

On Sept. 18, the Ombudsman announced graft complaints involving the Villar family. Days later, siblings Senators Mark and Camille Villar parted ways in the threshold voting. He abstained on Cayetano’s appeal, then joined the majority in overturning the 16-vote threshold. Camille did not join him.

The sequence invites an uncomfortable suspicion. Was legal pressure being used both to take Senators out of the count and to draw a useful vote from those who remained? First, empty the hat. Then place a rabbit inside. When the magician reaches in, out comes Sen. Mark who voted with the Senate majority bloc.

Sen. Mark’s vote did not establish how he would decide the impeachment case. It showed that the minority could be divided on a question central to its outcome. The Ombudsman’s cases must stand on their evidence. Mark’s vote must stand on his explanation. Neither should escape scrutiny simply because the audience has been invited to applaud.

None of this establishes the Vice President’s innocence. The evidence may justify conviction. If it does, the verdict should rest on a constitutional threshold whose legitimacy does not depend on who wins. Those are the suspicions, not an established but a faithful account of what happened. The timing does not prove that the complaints caused these votes.

Watch the hand – not the coin – that holds the bag of tricks.

Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna made quick work of Woman International Master Maria Elena Rodriguez Arrieta in 28 moves of their English duel on top board to power the Philippines to a 3-1 dismantling of Costa Rica in the 10th and penultimate round Saturday night in the 46th Women’s Chess Olympiad Silk Road International Exhibition Centre in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Also prevailing were WIM Jan Jodilyn Fronda-Grafil and Woman FIDE Master Shania Mae Mendoza, who downed Valentina Campos Munoz and Victoria Canales Chinchilla on the last two boards while WIM Ruelle Canino was the only one to tumble and succumb to WIM Sofia Mayorga Saraya.

The triumph catapulted the Filipinas, whose trip is being paid for by the Philippine Sports Commission, to a share of 21st place along with 10 others with 13 match points.

If they beat 20th seed England in the last round, the Nationals would seal a top 20 finish, which would surpass their 24-place effort in Budapest, Hungary two years ago.

Failure to cash in on its scoring opportunities bit the Philippines in the end as it dropped a close 0-1 loss to Vietnam at the start of the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup Saturday in Indonesia.

Nguyen Dinh Bac’s right-footed strike in the 25th minute proved enough for the Vietnamese to get the maximum three points against the misfiring Filipinos in the Group B opener of the new FIFA tournament featuring the region’s best plus guest teams.

Taking it to the reigning, back-to-back Asean champions in the match at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium, the Pinoy booters conjured more shots than the Golden Star Warriors, 10 against 5, with three shots on target, as they slightly dominated possession at 51 percent.

Randy Schneider nearly drew first blood for the Philippines but his long-range attempt just hit the crossbar in the 23rd-minute.

The troops of coach Carles Cuadrat appeared to have tied it up in the 82nd minute but Kenji Nishioka’s goal was overturned and disallowed for offside following a VAR review.

Sebastian Rasmussen found an opening for a potential equalizer in stoppage time but his header was saved by keeper Patrik Giang Le and Vietnam escaped with the W for second spot in the group behind Thailand, 4-0 winner over Pakistan in the other game.

Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez lauded the side’s ‘fluid offensive buildups and accurate passing’ against regional power Vietnam, which he said, is ‘evidence of the team’s growth.’

‘This is a far cry from how we’ve approached matches against Vietnam in the past. We were often the side sitting back and defending. Tonight, we were the ones dictating tempo and creating the chances,’ he said.

‘We were the more dominant side in creating chances in the final third tonight. That’s not something we can say lightly against a team like Vietnam.’

The Philippines seeks to bounce back Tuesday against Pakistan.

Melmac Sports officially opened its FIFA-standard football field at Villar City in Dasmariñas, Cavite, on Saturday, September 26, marking a significant milestone for the sports organization and the local football community.

The new facility sits on a 3.5-hectare property, providing ample space for football, sports activities, events, and future developments aimed at serving athletes, families, and the wider community.

The opening ceremony was led by All Star Properties Inc. President and CEO Mel Macasaquit, alongside Melmac Sports partners and former Philippine national team players Misagh Bahadoran and Simon Greatwich. Also in attendance were former Senator Manny Villar, chairman of Villar Land Holdings; Chief Operating Officer Mary Lee Sardiasa; Division Head Engineer Allan Santos; members of the Villar City team; and other guests and partners.

For Macasaquit, the opening represents more than just the addition of another sports facility, as football has long been at the heart of Melmac Sports.

‘While people may see a lot of basketball in our portfolio, football has always been the foundation of Melmac Sports. It was through this beautiful game that our deeper involvement in sports began. My partners, Misagh and Simon, both dedicated their careers to representing the Philippine national team, and for all of us, this has always been driven by our genuine love for the game,’ he said.

‘We hope this new facility gives young players a place to develop their skills, build their confidence, chase their dreams, and hopefully become the next generation of Philippine football players.

‘We’re incredibly grateful to the Villar Group for welcoming Melmac Sports to Villar City. This was not easy. It took a tremendous amount of work, time, and commitment from everyone involved. We even turned Misagh into a construction worker just to make sure we got this done,’ he added.

Macasaquit also highlighted Greatwich’s commitment to developing young footballers through G8 Academy, which now has a permanent home at the new facility.

‘Simon literally dedicated his life to teaching kids football through G8 Academy. Today, it finally has a home. And for me, that makes everything we went through worth it,’ he said.

The opening also coincided with the grand opening of Planet Melmac at Villar City, the fried chicken brand that originated in Singapore and has since expanded into the Philippines under the Melmac brand.

The Villar City facility further expands Melmac Sports’ growing footprint in Cavite. The organization also operates a 3,500-square-meter multi-sport facility at Vista Mall Imus, featuring courts and spaces for pickleball, 3×3 and 5-on-5 basketball, a sport-specific gym, and other recreational activities.

With the opening of the football field and Planet Melmac, Melmac Sports and Villar City aim to establish a destination where athletes, families, and the wider community can come together through sports, recreation and dining. (Contributed story)

More than 300,000 minimum wage earners in Central Visayas, including workers in Negros Oriental and Siquijor, are set to benefit from a P42 daily wage increase starting October 14, 2026.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) unanimously affirmed the decision of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7 (RTWPB-7) to grant the wage increase, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis Tolentino said in an interview over radio station DYLA.

The NWPC also approved a P500 increase in the minimum monthly wage of domestic workers, or kasambahays, in Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental.

Their minimum monthly wage will rise from P7,000 to P7,500, also effective after the required publication period.

Tolentino said the new wage rates will take effect after the required 15-day publication period for the wage order.

The increase will raise the daily minimum wage in Class A areas, including Expanded Metro Cebu, from P540 to P582.

Class A covers Cebu City, Danao City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Naga City and Talisay City, as well as the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando.

For Class B areas, the minimum wage will increase from P500 to P542 per day.

The wage adjustment will cover agricultural and non-agricultural minimum wage workers in Central Visayas, including Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, which are now part of the Negros Island Region but remain under the coverage of RTWPB-7 for wage-setting purposes pending the establishment of a separate wage board.

The NWPC’s current wage matrix lists the existing Central Visayas rates at P500 to P540 under Wage Order No. ROVII-26.

RTWPB-7 Chairperson and DOLE-7 Regional Director Emmanuel Ferrer said the P42 increase was reached after deliberations among labor and management representatives.

‘Right from the start, the board decided that there will be an increase, but the increase should be responsible enough from both sides,’ Ferrer said.

He added that the board considers socioeconomic indicators, the basic needs of workers and their families, and the capacity of employers to pay.

Data from government agencies, including the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Education, were presented during the deliberations to help assess economic conditions and the situation of workers at the grassroots level.

Labor and management representatives submitted proposals and counterproposals before the board arrived at the P42 adjustment.

The wage petitions were filed on April 6, 2026, followed by consultations and public hearings in Tagbilaran, Bogo, Cebu City, Dumaguete and Balamban.

Various amounts were proposed during the consultations, including a P100 increase, but the board eventually approved P42 after considering prevailing economic conditions and employers’ capacity to absorb the additional labor cost.

Tolentino said they also considered inflation and the economic situation in Cebu and Central Visayas before arriving at the wage adjustment.

For a worker paid the minimum wage and working 26 days a month, the P42 daily increase translates to an additional P1,092 in monthly basic pay.

Tolentino said the impact of the increase may also extend to benefits and payments that are computed based on the basic wage, such as overtime pay, holiday pay, night-shift differential and 13th-month pay, subject to existing rules.

Inflation pressures

The wage increase comes amid elevated price pressures in Central Visayas.

According to the PSA, Central Visayas recorded an 8.1 percent inflation rate in August 2026, following 8.7 percent in July and 10.0 percent in June. The region had recorded 10.8 percent inflation in May.

For households in the bottom 30 percent income group, inflation in Central Visayas was higher at 11.6 percent in July 2026.

While the wage increase was approved unanimously by the regional wage board and affirmed by the NWPC, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) questioned whether the P42 adjustment is sufficient to address workers’ rising cost of living.

TUCP spokesperson Carlos Miguel Oñate said the new wage rates remain far below what the labor group considers a living wage for Central Visayas.

Oñate said that even after the increase, the P582 minimum wage in Expanded Metro Cebu remains far from the estimated P1,400 daily family living wage cited by the TUCP.

He also questioned the continued application of different wage rates within Central Visayas, particularly the distinction between Class A and Class B areas.

The TUCP has called for legislation providing a substantially higher nationwide wage increase and cited House Bill No. 88, which proposes a P200 daily minimum wage increase. The labor group also pointed to the region’s inflation rate in arguing for a higher adjustment.

TUCP, in a separate statement, condemned the approved P42 daily wage increase in Region VII for being grossly inadequate, deeply insulting, and completely disconnected from the socioeconomic reality confronting Central Visayas.

It added that ‘without any sense of logic, urgency, or justice, the DOLE is effectively telling every worker in Central Visayas: prices are exploding, even faster than the nation, but your family must survive on a mere P42 increase.’

Assistance for MSMEs

Tolentino said the DOLE is preparing an assistance program for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that may have difficulty immediately absorbing the higher wage cost.

The program, called ‘Sagip Trabaho,’ will be implemented under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).

Tolentino said the program is intended to help eligible MSMEs sustain the wages of their workers while allowing the businesses time to adjust to the mandated wage increase.

Under the proposed assistance, DOLE would temporarily shoulder workers’ salaries for eligible small and medium enterprises that cannot immediately absorb the additional labor cost, with the goal of keeping workers employed while helping businesses survive the adjustment period.

Aside from the assistance program, Tolentino said qualified MSMEs that cannot afford the wage increase may apply for an exemption under the applicable guidelines.

He said eligible establishments will have 75 days from the effectivity of the wage order to file their applications.

The exemption mechanism is intended to provide temporary relief to qualified establishments while maintaining the general requirement for employers to comply with the new minimum wage.

Ferrer said employers will be required to comply with the new wage rates once the wage order takes effect.

Workers who encounter employers who fail to implement the mandated rates may report the matter to the DOLE-7 office along Gorordo Avenue in Cebu City.

The labor department may exercise its visitorial and enforcement powers under Article 128 of the Labor Code against establishments that fail to comply with the wage order.

For Filipino moviegoers looking for homegrown stories, the 2026 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival is proving to be a popular destination, with several screenings selling out within its first few days.

Long lines and packed lobbies greeted audiences on opening day, while moviegoers also took to social media to share updates on sold-out shows and remaining schedules.

The turnout comes amid ongoing conversations about the state of Philippine cinema, with the festival offering another indication of audiences’ continued interest in locally made stories.

‘This year, Pinoy cinema has been the subject of much debate and discourse,’ said Puregold CinePanalo Festival Director Chris Cahilig. ‘However, the success of our first day of screenings makes things incredibly clear: there remains a strong appetite for Filipino stories told by Filipino voices.’

The interest was already visible before opening day, with moviegoers lining up to secure tickets and festival passes at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma.

Among the films drawing audiences were the coming-of-age story ‘Apol of My Ai,’ supernatural queer films ‘Patay Gutom’ and ‘Multwoh (Patay na Patay sa ‘Yo),’ and romantic comedy ‘Stuck on You,’ which puts a deadly twist on the genre.

The festival’s seven full-length films and 19 student short films continue to screen at participating cinemas, with several late-afternoon and evening screenings during the previous weekend being sold out.

Beyond the films, festivalgoers can also take home souvenirs and giveaways, including grocery bags, custom totes, pins and personalized souvenir receipts.

‘Puregold CinePanalo is our treat to both artists and fans of cinema,’ Cahilig said. ‘While we continue to uplift the stories of local filmmakers, we also strive to create memorable experiences for those who come to support these films.’

The Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival 2026 runs until October 4 at Gateway Cineplex 18, TriNoma, Fairview Terraces, Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Circuit, Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Market! Market!

Regular tickets cost P250, while discounted tickets are P200 for PWDs, senior citizens, students, national athletes, and Aling Puring and Puregold Perks cardholders.

A P2,000 festival pass is also available at Gateway Cineplex 18 and TriNoma and can be used across participating festival venues.

Manila is set to take center stage in the global 3-on-3 basketball scene as Red Bull Half Court brings its 2026 World Finals to the Philippines for the first time.

On December 5, national champions from around the world will converge in the capital to battle for the Red Bull Half Court crown, combining high-level street basketball with art and urban culture across two contrasting Manila landmarks.

The group stage will take place at the historic Fort Santiago in Intramuros before the competition moves to Bonifacio Global City (BGC), one of the capital’s most vibrant modern districts, for the finals.

‘Manila is built for this format. It’s a city where basketball isn’t just watched, it’s lived. Bringing the World Finals here is about connecting the global 3-on-3 community with a place that truly understands what playground basketball is all about,’ said Paul Gudde, Red Bull Half Court Global Sports Director.

The Manila event will also feature several prominent names from the international basketball and dunking communities.

Streetball icon Grayson ‘The Professor’ Boucher and renowned shooting coach Chris ‘Lethal Shooter’ Matthews will be joined by Polish Red Bull athlete and world-class dunker Piotr ‘Grabo’ Grabowski and Filipino dunking star David ‘Air David’ Carlos, a FIBA 3×3 World Tour Dunk Contest winner and one of the Philippines’ leading dunkers.

Beyond the competition, Red Bull Half Court is also giving Filipino designers, street-art enthusiasts and basketball fans the opportunity to help shape the look of the event through Red Bull Half Court Design My Court.

Participants are invited to create their dream basketball court design, with the winning concept brought to life. Entries will be accepted from September 28 through October 21.

The sixth season of Red Bull Half Court has featured competitions in Egypt, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden and Ukraine. National champions from 13 countries will ultimately earn the opportunity to compete on the global stage in Manila.

Since its launch in 2021, Red Bull Half Court has staged its World Finals in iconic locations including Rome, Cairo, Belgrade, New York City and Dubai.

This year, the global 3-on-3 tournament adds Manila to that list, bringing the competition to a city where basketball is deeply woven into everyday life.

Arellano University has been a revelation recently, stringing together three straight victories en route to one of the best, if not its best, starts since it joined the NCAA 16 years ago.

The Chiefs will try to show that it’s no fluke as they clash with the dangerous, championship-contending Letran Knights in a duel of unbeaten Group B leaders today in NCAA Season 102 at the Filoil Center.

‘This will be the biggest test for us this season because we all know what Letran is capable of,’ said a wary AU coach Chico Manabat moments after his wards routed the Perpetual Help Altas, 88-65, at the PhilSports Arena last Friday.

Manabat was right. The Knights, last year’s runners up, have been considered one of the teams to beat this season and they have lived up to hype, producing a hat trick of victories that included a 91-80 win over the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals last Thursday at the San Juan venue.

Letran should be the favorite coming into its 5 p.m. showdown with AU although the latter has shown its ability to run its opponents down with its running game.

It will be tested though on this one as the Knights could score at will too. Five of their players average in double-figures headed by high-scoring rookie Denzil Walker, who has normed 19 points a game.

‘Our strength has always been preparation, consistency,’ said Manabat, whose biggest weapon so far has been T-MC Ongotan, who has posted impressive averages of around 20 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals.

In Group A action, reigning titlist San Beda (2-1) clashes with winless but dangerous Mapua (0-3) at 3 p.m., seeking a victory that would catapult it from second to a share of the bracket lead with St. Benilde (3-1).