61. CARLOS, THE KING RETIRED, by Jose Quirino, The Sunday Times Magazine, 1964

“Undoubtedly, the greatest cager the country ever produced.." 

by Jose Quirino, STM, 16 Aug. 1964, p. 30-32

Last April 15, CARLO MATUTE LOYZAGA, Asia’s exponent of the dash and dribble game, retired from the basketball scene after taking part in 12 international cag competitions since 1951. Just about everybody who knows something about basketball, including the superstar’s former detractors, said something about Philippine basketball not being the same again without the Great Difference.

Caloy’s retirement was the end of a long journey. The journey spanned 15 years of of spectacular performance on the mahogany court—here and abroad. In those 15 years King Caloy made 12 Philippine teams. He was the spark plug of the local quintet in all four Asian Games (1951, New Delhi; 1954, Manila; 1958, Tokyo; and 1962, Jakarta) where the Philippines maintained its supremacy as Asia’s cage champions.

 Loyzaga was one of the country’s mainstays in two Olympics (1952 in Helsinki; 1956 in Melbourne); two world championships (1954 in Rio de Janeiro; 1959 in Santiago, Chile) and two Asian Basketball Conference Championships (1960 in Manila; 1963 in Taipei).

 RP’s finest

In 1962, The Manila Times conducted a poll among basketball experts to chose the country’s greatest basketeer of all time. Four of the jurors—Lou Salvador, himself an outstanding cager of yesteryear (he holds the record of 116 points in one game), handily picked Loyzaga. Only one chose Jacinto Ciria Cruz, yesteryear’s “Jumping Jack”.

Says Tony Siddayao of the Times: “There is no basis for comparing Loyzaga with the greats of the past. Unlike baseball and several other sports, basketball has undergone revolutionary changes over the last 2 generations and individual merits can only be measured in relation to the period they belong.

 “Man for man, the Ciria Cruzes and the Borcks and the Martinezes might have been superior to Loyzaga in respect to the position they played. But then Loyzaga handled all 3 slots (center, forward, guard), probably not with same devilish ability but certainly with as remarkable effectiveness….when Loyzaga was named utility man of the Philippine team, he gave new meaning to the term, for his was the supreme honor of being able to be assigned to any position.”

 Augusto Villanueva, sports editor of The Daily Mirror, chimed in (upon earning of Caloy’s retirement): “Philippine basketball lost its toughest pillar last night with the retirement of Carlos Loyzaga, undoubtedly the greatest cager the country has ever produced.”

Loyzaga Day

Probably the greatest accolade ever rendered to a Philippine athlete occurred last July 7 when the Manila Industrial-Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) observed a “Carlos Loyzaga Day.” A special award was presented to the Great Difference on that day by Atty. Jose G. Syjuco, MICAA president, amidst impressive rites held at the Rizal Memorial Basketball Coliseum, scene of many a Loyzaga triumph.

“It was one of the greatest moments of my life when I received the award, “Caloy told us sheepishly during a recent interview. He cited four unforgettable moments in his life, namely:

1.     When he was hailed as a conquering hero of the RP cage Team from the 1954 World Cage Tournament from Brazil.

2.     The day he joined YCO basketball team in 1954, just after that year’s national open tournament and just before the Brazil cage war.

3.     The day he got married to Victoria Cuerva in 1957.

4.     The day his first child (Joaquin Loyzaga II, named after Caloy’s father) was born at the Lourdes Hospital on Aug. 28, 1958, just one day before Caloy’s 28^th birthday.

 Manileño

Caloy was born in Intramuros, Manila on Aug. 29, 1930, the third among 4 children of the late Joaquin Loyzaga, one of the best football players of the Bohemian Athletic Club, and the former Carmen Matute. Caloy’s father died in 1935 when Caloy was just five.

The other Loyzagas are: Nieves (now Mrs. Carlos Merlo), 39; Joaquin Jr. 37, now working as a chemist in Sydney, Australia; and Eduardo, 31, who is also in Sydney.“Late this year, I shall take my family to Sydney to visit the folks,” Caloy disclosed.

Loyzaga’s immediate family include his wife, Victoria, and their 3 children, Joaquin II, 5; Ernesto 2; and Carmen, 1.

 A colleague of the late Joaquin Loyzaga said, “Caloy inherited the aggressiveness and fighting spirit of his father.”

Caloy underwent early schooling at De La Salle grade school and his secondary education at San Beda College. One semester before he could finish his commerce degree at San Beda, he quit schooling to concentrate his talents on basketball.

 Start of a great career

Loyzaga’s long journey as a basketball superstar started in 1947 when he was a spindly-legged, 130 pound six-footer who was called “Mr. Toothpick” by his friends.

“You’ll never amount to anything on the basketball court,” said one cynic to Loyzaga when the former saw the latter’s maiden attempts to shoot the ball at the basket. But Loyzaga persisted in practicing on the mahogany. Besides, somebody had told him that one way of improving his frail physique was to play basketball.

 Today, despite injuries from countless cage competitions, Loyzaga would make an ideal model for Charles Atlas body-building poster. The six-foot-three Caloy weighs 200 pounds of solid flesh and muscle.

The first quintet which Caloy joined was the Tervalac team. Surprisingly enough, he led his team in the scoring parade. Mr. Toothpick was turning inot a valuable cage asset.

 Sobriquets

In the course of his basketball career, Loyzaga has earned several sobriquets including such terms as The Great Difference or The Big Difference (popularized by sportscaster Willie Hernandez), High Pockets,King Caloy, Stupendous Spire and El Leon.

 When he was new in the game, he earned the title of Promfet because according to his team mates, he then had a playing style similar to that of Promfet , one of the stars of the Canadian Red Roses, a terrific team that invaded the Philippines 15 years ago.

After leading the Tervalac team at the Intergovernmental Playground Championship in 1947, Caloy powered the same quintet to an unbelievable victory over the star-studded Black and White team which was then coached by Gabby Fajardo.

 Fajardo was so impressed by Loyzaga’s playing style that he persuaded Caloy to join the PRATRA Juniors to the MICAA title: the following year, he became a senior and was the sparkplug of the team that won the MICAA and the National Open crowns.

 25 Gold Medals

It was in 1951 when he became a member of the Philippine team for the first time and distinguished himself in the 1^st Asian Games in New Delhi. That same year, he led the San Beda Red Lions to the NCAA gonfalon. In fact, he led the Lions to four NCAA titles and one national title in 1952. All told, Caloy has earned 25 gold medals since his first participation in the Asian Games in 1951.

Says The Mirror’s Augusto Villanueva: “A strong rebounder, heavy court general, and a brilliant scorer, Loyzaga was the sparkplug of every team he played for the moment he graduated from the junior ranks in 1949.”

It was Loyzaga who powered th the YCO Redshirts in an unprecedented seven straight National Championships (1954-1960) and five MICAA cage crowns. Moreover, Loyzaga has won the title of Mr. Basketball for three times and Athlete of the Year one time.

In the 1954 World Cage Tournament in Brazil, where the Philippines placed third, Loyzaga was chosen one of the 10 best cagers in the world by sportswriters who covered the games. What’s more, he was the only Filipino who scored over 100 points (his total for the tournament, in fact was, 147).

What lies ahead

What lies ahead for this superstar? “I have no complaints,” he told us. “Life has been good to me. Despite my injuries, I feel fine—as long as I’m not playing on the hardcourt.”

Caloy lives with his family in a comfortable bungalow at Baesa, Quezon City.  “I used to raise lovebirds but I abandoned this hobby because the birds kept multiplying and I had to keep adding rooms to our house,” he laughed.

Caloy is now a successful underwriter with the Metropolitan Insurance Co., and a trouble shooter at Elizalde International. But more than the visible signs of prosperity which spell success for the former toothpick, and more than the many medals won in international competitions, Caloy Loyzaga has finally found himself.

The last time talked to Caloy, we noted that he had attained genuine humility, he only genuine yardstick for real greatness. Caloy Loyzaga’s long journey has, indeed, ended.

***********

 POSTSCRIPT:

 BASKETBALL COACH

After Carlos Loyzaga announced his retirement in 1964, he embarked on a coaching career (he had been a playing coach for YCO until 1964), mentoring the UST Glowing Goldies (1964-1966) in the UAAP and the Manila Bankers  in the MICAA. He was the coach of the Philippine Team which captured the 1967 Asian Basketball Conference Championship. In 1968, Loyzaga was the coach of the national team that saw action in the basketball events of the Mexico Olympics. In the Phil. Basketball Association Games, he handled the U/Tex (1975-76)  and Tanduay Distillery (1977-79) cage teams.

 PUBLIC SERVICE

Loyzaga also forayed into government service, an elected member of the Manila Municipal Board (3rd district) and was in office from 1967-75.

 HONORS & RECOGNITIONS

1999 Philippine National Basketball Hall of Fame

2000 Philippine Sportswriters Association Athletes of the 20th Century award

2016 Philippine Olympic Committee Presidential Olympism Award

2023 FIBA HALL OF FAME

On June 2, 2023, CARLOS “Caloy” LOYZAGA  became the first Filipino player to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, an auxiliary lead-up to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, co-hosetd by the Philippines.

SOURCES:

 “Progress in Local Sports”, PROGRESS Philippines, 1955 Edition

 Bocobo C., Celis, E. Legends and Heroes of Philippine Basketball, “Carlos Loyzaga”,pp. 93-95, by Christian Bocobo, 2004

 “King Carlos, Retired”, by Jose Quirino, The Sunday Times Magazine, 16 Aug. 1964, p. 29-33

 Carlos M. Loyzaga, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Loyzaga

 2023 Hall of Fame, Carlos Loyzaga, FIBA Website, https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2023-hall-of-fame-class-carlos-%E2%80%98caloy%E2%80%99-loyzaga

 Other Photo Sources: PH Sports Bureau FB page, Philippine Passport Applications-Philippine Islands Vol. 17, PinoyMiler (Asian Games 1951 photo) , Rappler sports, Tiebreaker Times, screengrabs from Loyzaga FIBA Hall of Fame youtube video

 

60. The Great Difference: CARLOS M. LOYZAGA (1955-1963)

In 1955 CARLOS M. LOYZAGA ended his years as a San Beda Red Lion, after giving his college the prestigious Zamora Cup, given to 3-time winners of the NCAA cage tournament. It was a feat he helped accomplished in 1951, 1952 and in 1955, where he earned the monicker “the great difference”. The year before retiring from San Beda, Loyzaga had signed up with the multi-titled Filipino basketball team -- YCO Athletic Club--where he continued his dominance and find success in the country’s premiere basketball tournaments of the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA).

Highlighting Loyzaga’s  decade of dominance are the following achievements, convincing reasons why he deserves to be called “the greatest Filipino basketball player of all time”.

 AS AN  YCO PAINTER AT THE NATIONAL OPEN AND THE MICAA (1956-1964)

Loyzaga rose to become its YCO's most famous player. As an  YCO Painter, he got to compete in the National Open Cage Championships that year, with Loyzaga helping capture the team’s 3^rd consecutive triumph. The National Open, one of the 3 “cage diadems” in basketball, was open to all private and public athletic clubs and top collegiate teams from around the country. 

The National Open went underway from 21-23 Jan., with 23 teams contesting the crown. In his appearance as an YCO Painter, Loyzaga helped clinch the title by defeating the 1955 MICAA champions 7-Up that had dethroned the YCOans that year with a final score of 78- 69. Mapua placed 3^rd, with UST in 4^th . They would defend their National Open title in 1957 and in the next 3 more years.

At the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) tournament held later that year from June 3 to July 11, 1956, the YCO Painters and the 7-Up Bottlers found themselves again tangling for the top title after hurdling 2 rounds--along with PAL, San Miguel Beer, Heacock’s, and Yellow Taxi.

In the first round, YCO soundly beat the defending champions 7-Up, 72-63. The crucial 2^nd round,  held on the Jul. 11, was won in dramatic fashion. At the sound of the buzzer to signal the end of the playing time, both teams were tied 56 all. The game went on a 5 minute overtime, with YCO dealing 7-Up team their final blow 63-58. In individual scoring, Loyzaga came in 4^th,  making 138 points in 9 games, or an average of 15.33 points per game, after PAL’s Leo Schweiger (23.86 ave.), SMB’s Rafael Barretto  (16.90), and 7-Up’s Adriano Mora (15.70).

 At its peak, the YCO Painters was such a dominant force, with Loyzaga steering his team to historic wins at the National Open Championship (7 consecutive national wins), and MICAA (7 titles, from 1954-1960).

 AS A 2-TIME OLYMPIAN (1956, 1952)

In 1956, Loyzaga once more donned the country’s tri-colors to represent the country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He had participated in his first Olympics in 1952 at Helsinki, where the Philippines placed 9^th, a meritable performance that thrilled Filipinos back home. But in Melbourne, the Philippine team improved on their record by clinching 7^th place out of 15 country participants.

Loyzaga could have played in his 3^rd Olympics in Rome had he not sustain a broken wrist in an accident. He was so bent in joining his team mates  that he cried and begged  his coach to grant him permission to play for the Philippines, which his coach, understandably, could not give.

 4-TIME ASIAN GAMES MEDALIST (1962, 1958, 1954, 1951)

The Philippine winning streak at the much-followed basketball games at the Asiad continued with Loyzaga at the helm of the team. He had powered the team to its first Gold at the very 1^st Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951, followed by a second golden performance at the 1954 Asian Games before a jubilant home crowd.

But in 1958, the Philippines found a new competition other than Japan; Loyzaga and his team mates had to contend with another basketball power, Nationalist China. The Filipinos had easily disposed Thailand (97-40), Malaya (110-60), Korea (99-85) and Singapore (93-55) in their first 4 games. But in their next fight against China, the Filipino were defeated (88-93). In turn, Japan defeated Nationalist China in a game that went overtime 87-85. The Philippines came back when they beat Japan convincingly 90-83.

When all the wins and losses were tallied, the Philippines, China and Japan were tied with 4 games won and 1 loss each. The point margin system was applied in all the 5 games to determine the placements—with the Philippines as the clear winner, followed by Nationalist China, and Japan

The Philippine golden triumph continued in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, when they routed perennial foe Japan, 103-67 before a record crowd  of 20,000. After Japan led with 6  points in the first 2 and a half minutes of play, the Filipinos rallied, taking the halftime with a 12 point lead, 40-28—and never looked back. Skipper Loyzaga was one of the top shooters in the finals with 15 points, while Narciso Bernardo topscored with 23 points, Eduardo Pacheco with 22, and Eddie Cruz contributing 19 big points.

2-TIME FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER (1959, 1954)

Four years after winning the FIBA World Championship Bronze in Brazil, Loyzaga had a second crack at another basketball world cup title when he was named to the team that went to Chile, the host for the games.The Philippines was in Group C that included powerhouse Bulgaria, Puerto Rico and Uruguay. The Philippines managed to beat Uruguay (68-59), before losing to Bulgaria (85-61) and Puerto Rico (76-63).

The Philippines would secure the 8^th position in the the play-offs by pipping United Arab Republic (66-65) in the first round, and Uruguay in the decisive 2^nd round (78-70).

·       The 1962 Philippine International Invitational Basketball Tournament

 For its active participation in the FIBA World Cup, the Philippines was chosen to be the venue for the 4th edition of the basketball championship. Unfortunately, then Pres. Diosdado Macapagal refused visas to participating members of socialist countries including Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The games were aborted and moved to Brazil. 

Instead, a FIBA-authorized Philippine International Invitational Basketball Tournament was held here in 1962, with 7 country participants: Australia, Nationalist China, Spain, Puerto Rico, Canada, U.S.  The demoralized Filipino led by Loyzaga could only placed 5th, beating Australia and China, and losing the rest of their games. The U.S. won the invitationals, with Canada, pulling a surprise in 2nd place, followed by Puerto Rico.

2-TIME FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPION (1963, 1960)

Also formerly known as the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship, the biennial continental tournament was meant to determine Asia’s best in basketball. The tournament served also as a qualifying event for the FIBA World Cup Championship and the Olympic Games. Loyzaga captained the team that placed 1^st in the inaugural Asia championship held in Manila in 1960, with Republic of China and Japan, in 2^nd and 3^rd places, respectively.

In 1963, at the FIBA Asia Championship in Taiwan (ROC), the Philippines scored a back-to-back victory, placing first again, followed by the Republic of China and South Korea. Since 2017, the championship has been renamed FIBA Asia Cup, with FIBA Oceania teams included. Played every 4 years, it has ceases to be a qualifying event for both the World Cup and the Olympics.

 This was to be the last  international outing for Carlos Loyzaga as he pondered on his retirement plan at age 34.

 SOURCES:

“Progress in Local Sports”, PROGRESS Philippines, 1955 Edition

Perez de Tagle, E. “Mighty Yco Keeps Open Cage Diadem for Third Straight Year”, The Filipino Athlete, The Official Publication of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, Feb. 1956

 Perez de Tagle, E. “Yco Cagers Retain MICAA Title”, The Filipino Athlete, The Official Publication of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, July 1956.

 “Philippine Basketball Deglamorized”, Philippine Free Press, 1962

 Bocobo C., Celis, E. Legends and Heroes of Philippine Basketball, “Carlos Loyzaga”,pp. 93-95, by Christian Bocobo, 2004

 Carlos M. Loyzaga, Wikipedia,

 Other photos: PH Sports Bureau FB page, Philippine Passport Applications-Philippine Islands Vol. 17, PinoyMiler, screengrabs from Loyzaga FIBA Hall of Fame youtube video,

 

37. THE 1972 PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL TEAM TO THE MUNICH OLYMPICS

At the 20^th Olympiad held in Munich, Germany, the Philippine Basketball Team proved that it was still the best in Asia when it placed 13^th overall after the controversy-tainted finals between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. The Soviet Union snapped the gold medal streak of U.S.A. when it won by a point (51-50) , relegating the Americans to 2nd place, with Cuba placing 3rd. 

The Philippines team suffered defeats against Poland (90-75), Puerto Rico (92-72), West Germany (93-74), Yugoslavia (117-76), Soviet Union (111-80), and Italy (101-81). Undettered despite overwhelming odds, the Philippines won its games against Senegal (78-71), Egypt (2-0, by default) and perennial foe Japan (82-73).

Members of the 1972 Philippine Olympic Basketball Team.

WILLIAM "Bogs" ADORNADO. (b. 26 May 1951). UST college basketball player. Joined Crispa Redmanizers as rookie, achieving star status at the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) All-Filipino Tournament. 3-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (1975, 1976, and 1981). Named among the PBA Greatest Players. Inducted in the 2005 PBA Hall of Fame.

NARCISO C. BERNARDO. (b. 27 Jul. 1937 / d. 23 Dec. 2008). Played in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel, Crispa and Mariwasa. Coached the Crispa 400s in the MICAA and later the Crispa Redmanizers in the Philippine Basketball Association, leading the team to the 1984 PBA First All-Filipino Conference championship. Served as councilor in Mandaluyong City, but failed to finish term due to his death.

RICARDO "Joy" CLEOFAS. (b. 9 Feb. 1951). Played college basketball for Ateneo which became NCAA champions in 1969 with team mates Marte Samson, Chito Afable, Jun Ross and Francis Arnaiz. Played for YCO Painters at the MICAA after graduation. Known for his accurate distance shooting and passing. Member of the first Youth team in 1970 that won the first ABC Youth Tournament. Post-Olympics, plated at the 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation and the 1974 World Basketball Confederation in Puerto Rico. Entered the PBA pro league playing for Tanduay.

DANNY Z. FLORENCIO: (b. 5 Sep. 1947/d. 25 Feb. 2018). Nicknamed "Daredevil Danny", original "Skywalker". Played with UST Glowing Goldies (1965–1967). Member, PH Team, which beat South Korea 83-10 for the 1967 ABC Championships won through his last minute 4-points scoring thus earning his 1^st Olympic slot in Mexico. Placed 2^nd  in 1971 ABC Championships, qualifier to the 1972 Munich Olympics.  Played with YCO Painters and Crispa at the MICAA. Turned pro in PBA with the U/Tex Wranglers, the Toyota Super Corollas, 7-Up, and the Galerie Dominique Artistas (1975-83) . Ranked 11th in the all-time scoring plateau with 5,791 points, 8TH in scoring average, and 13th all-time in steals. Named PBA's Greatest Players (2000).  PBA Hall of fame inductee (2007). Retired and settled in San Francisco, California, until his death from a stroke in 2018.

JAIME "Jimmy" MARIANO. (b. 19 Apr. 1941). Known as “Mr. Cool”, the 6'3 1/2" Malabon native first played for the UE Red Warriors team under Coach Baby Dalupan. Later played in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel, Meralco and Concepcion Industries.  2-Time Olympian: 1968 Mexico, and 1972 Munich where he was the country’s flag bearer. Team captain of the national basketball team in the 1974 FIBA World Cup. Began his coaching career in 1981 as coach of  Presto Tivolis and  Red Bull in the Philippine Basketball League. Led Presto to the 1990 All-Filipino championship. Also had coaching stints with University of the East Red Warriors ( 2 UAAP Championship titles).

ROSALIO "Yoyong" MARTIREZ. (b. 9 Sep.1946/ d. 18 June 2024). “Sultan of Swipe. Originally from Samar, moved to Cebu where he played for Southwestern University before being recruited by the San Miguel Beermen. 2-time PBA champion, Guard of PH Team in  the 1972 Munich Games, a World Basketball Championship player in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a Gold Medalist in the 1973 ABC and 1970 Asian Youth tournaments. Saw action in MICAA from 1972-1982. In late 70s, forayed into acting, appearing on TV shows like “Iskul Bukol”, “John en Marsha”, “Pepito Manaloto”, among others. Debuted in the 1985 film “Ma'am May We Go Out? With Tito, Vic & Joey. Served as councilor and later vice mayor of Pasig.

ROGELIO "Tembong" MELENCIO. (b. 27 Sep. 27, 1939/ d. 1995).Tondo-born Melencio played for the Yutivo Opels and for Concepcion Industries in the MICAA. PH Team player at the ABC Championships in Seoul (1967)  and Manila (1973) where the Philippines won Gold. This Munich Olympians was also a key member of the Pesta Sukan Basketball Team. Tragically stabbed and killed in a bar room brawl in 1995.

 EDGARDO "Ed" OCAMPO. (b. 5 Oct. 1938/d. 19 Jul. 1992). Captain of the 1972 PH Olympic basketball team. Son of renown architect Fernando H. Ocampo and Lourdes Luciano. Initially played football for Ateneo, his first interest. Played in Korea and Spain as PH national team member and was named “Mr. Football” at age 17 in 1956. After a football injury, joined the Ateneo basketball team, leading to 2 back-to-back wins at the NCAA in 1957-58. Joined the YCO Painters in the MICAA and became part of its championship teams. Member, PH Basketball team (1959-1972). Placed 8th at the 1959 FIBA World Championship;  Member of 3 PH teams that won 3 ABC championships (1960, 1963, 1967). 3-time Olympian: 1960, 1968, and 1972. Had a long coaching career from 1975-1990. Honors: Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame (1982), National Basketball Hall of Fame (1999), PBA Hall of Fame (2013).

MANUEL “Manny” PANER. (b. 17 May 1949).A Cebuano, 6’ 2”, this Commerce student of University of Visayas, was renown for his strong defense and hook shots. Played in the MICAA for the San Miguel Braves. 1970 Most Outstanding Rebounder of MICAA. Named in the first Mythical Team of the 1975 PBA inaugural season. Left Royal Tru-Orange in 1978 for  Great Taste, after bagging a contract that paid him Php 8,000 a month, an unheard of sum at that time. Played briefly for CDCP Road Builders, but returned to San Miguel in 1982, until 1986. Named a member of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players (2000).  PBA Hall of Fame inductee (2007). Manny is married to actress Daisy Romualdez, father to 2 adopted daughters, Kristina and Danita.

ADRIAN “Jun” R. PAPA Jr. Played in the UAAP for the NU Bulldogs, and in the MICAA for Ysmael Steel Admirals and the Crispa-Floro Redmanizers . Joined Mariwasa in 1975  that played in the PBA, leading his team to 2^nd place in 1977 at the 1977 All-Filipino Conference championships. Named to PBA’s Mythical Five. His stint at the PBA spanned 6 seasons (1975–80).

 MARTE SAMSON. (b. 22 July 1951). Ateneo Blue Eagles ball player; 1969 NCAA champion. Gold medal, 1970 ABC Junior Championship (Now Called FIBA Asia U18 Championship), 1971 PH Team to the ABC tournament.  At age 21, the 6-footer Samson played first  for the Elizalde & Co. team at the MICAA. Had a 5-year stint at PBA  where he suited up as a member of the Painters,  Tanduay Distillery and Royal Tru Orangemen.

 FREDDIE WEBB. (b. 24 Nov. 1942). Schooled in San Beda, and Letran College (A.B. English) where he was a star player of the Letran Knights (1960–64). Played in the MICAA with the YCO Painters (1965–1975) and in the PBA with the Tanduay Rhum Makers (1976–78). Retired in 1978, and became PBA coach for YCO-Tanduay (1981–83) and Shell (1985). Also coached his alma mater Letran team in 1975. Joined politics as Pasay City councilor, 1971-78. Elected as congressman of Parañaque in 1987; Awarded one of the Ten Outstanding Congressman of the Year Award. Elected Senator in 1992. Became a Radio and TV personality as sportscaster, TV host and actor, appearing in the popular “Chicks to Chicks” opposite Nova Villa.

 *************

HEAD COACH IGNACIO RAMOS. Coach Ignacio "Ning" R. Ramos (b/?/ d. 22 Jun. 2012) played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the NCAA from 1949 -1950. Member of the Gold Medal winning  Philippine national basketball team at the 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi, India. Coached the San Miguel Corporation teams in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

TEAM MANAGER DOMINGO YULO ITCHON. (1924–2004). MICAA president (1971-74), 2nd president of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Asia's first professional basketball league. Cum laude business administration graduate of the University of the East, CPA board topnotcher and Harvard University graduate. Controller of the Elizalde Group of Companies. Appointed team manager of the Elizalde-owned YCO Painters in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), serving for over 20 years. Itchon was also MICAA president from 1971-1974. Itchon also became team manager of four Philippines men's national basketball teams. Posthumously inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame on 8 Apr. 2007.

SOURCES:

THE FILIPINO ATHLETE, Vol. XXV, Sep-Oct 1972 issue.

Wallechinsky, David. The Complete Boof of the Olympics, Penguin Books, 1988. "Basketbal", pp. 178