PONCIANO “Pons”SALDAÑA (b. 19 Nov. 1928) comes from the well-known Saldañas of Guagua, a family that played a big role in developing the town’s economy through their fishpond and cigarette industries . His family line relocated to Iloilo in the 40s, but "Ponching" stayed on in Manila for his studies. He enrolled at San Beda where he became a popular campus figure for his basketball skills. He graduated in 1948--a batchmate of the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. His ECOS yearbook described Pons as "silent, dignified and religious....with a rare technique for bewitching people."
Saldaña remained in San Beda for his college education, where he took up B.S. in Commercial Science. He was elected Class President in his Freshman and Sophomore years, and served as well as an officer of the Students' Chamber of Commerce. He graduated in 1952.
In his 4 years in college, Saldaña was a stand-out varsity basketball player of the San Beda College Lions serving first as a Skipper (1947-1951) and Team Captain, leading the Red Lions to the 1951-52 NCAA Championships as well as the National Open Championships. The team was 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 the Letran Knights unbeaten streak of games in 1950.
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, a UST medical graduate of Concepcion, Tarlac and made their residence in Tabucan, 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. Their children include a son, Boy, a proficient golfer, and Anne, a chef who currently manages the Naburot resort.
On the other hand, Saldaña had a successful post-basketball career himself. He 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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