PONCIANO “Pons”SALDAÑA (b. 19 Nov. 1928) comes from the well-known Saldañas of Guagua, a family that played a big role in developing Guagua’s economy. His family relocated to Iloilo in the 50s. For 4 years, he was a stand-out varsity basketball player of the San Beda College Lions serving as Team Captain, coached by Antonio Rius and Olympian Fely Fajardo. Early on, he was known for his shooting prowess in the court, and was part of the team that ended
After graduation, he played for Philippine Airlines in the MICAA (Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association) games. In 1952, Saldaña was named to the national basketball team, which played at the Helsinki Olympics, placing 9th place overall, a respectable showing. He was a consistent double point-shooter against power teams from Argentina and Brazil.
At the 1954 Asian Games in Manila, the national team bagged Gold, beating toprated South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. The Asian victory paved the way for a ticket to the 1954 FIBA World Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Included in the team were Bedan schoolmates Caloy Loyzaga, Tony Genato and Rafael Barretto. Newspapers reported how the speedy Saldaña scored 20 points in the team’s match against Israel, thus putting the Philippines up for the finals. The Philippines won a historic Bronze in the tourney, behind USA and host country Brazil, the best finish by an Asian nation in FIBA history.
In his later years, Pons Saldaña married Dra. Alice Tayag of Concepcion, Tarlac and settled in Iloilo, where they owned and managed Isla Naburot, a nationally-famous island resort in Guimaras. His wife also worked as Chief Pathologist of St. Paul's Hospital in Iloilo City. On the other hand, Saldaña, was named provincial manager of the Philippine Air Lines in Iloilo, a position he held before succumbing to a heart attack in Makati on 21 Jul. 2006.
SOURCES:
Christian Bocobo, Beth Celis, Legends and Heroes of Philippine Basketball, “Ponciano
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