13 teams open bid in Congressional Cup 2024
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – It’s all systems go this Saturday, October 12, as the first season of the Benguet Women’s V-League and the Benguet Basketball League of the Congressman Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup start.
Commissioner Roderick Osis of the Media for Sports Development said it will be an exciting five months with 13 teams seeing action in the basketball and 12 in volleyball competitions.
With teams beefing up as well as better cohesion this season, expect tough competition for the crown that assures the winning team a PhP250,000 cash reward and another for their chosen beneficiaries.
Last year’s bridesmaid Bokod opens up basketball competition when it goes up against last season’s third runner-up Tuba, which is one of the more promising squads by adding firepower during the off-season.
Despite the loss of coach Romulo Rimando, Jr., who passed away mid-this year due to cancer, Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League champion coach Gerry Estranero hopes to lead the squad to the title this time out.
“I asked that coach Fernando Antonio be named as co-coach also since I will be out of the country by November,” said Estranero, who assisted Rimando last season and before he left for abroad for grandparents’ duty with his wife.
“I will leave for abroad this November so I called on coach Antonio,” said the soft-spoken Estranero, who steered the Cordillera Career Development College to the 2008 BBEAL crown by beating Saint Louis University.
Former Baguio College of Technology hotshot Jervie Calivo and Jason Tobias beef up an already solid lineup that includes reigning most valuable player Curil Nicholas de Vera, John Cedric Pugong, former University of Baguio Cardinal Ian Bernal, BCT point guard Fruto Luzadas III, among others.
Tuba suffered a shocking defeat to Atok in Sablan en route to a 9-4 win-loss slate for a fourth-spot finish after the elimination round last season, behind Bokod, La Trinidad I, and Itogon in that order.
Season I bridesmaid Bokod has added former UB guard Ray Bilibli during the offseason to beef up the already formidable starting line-up of John Ric and June Rey Buenaventura, Darwin Fernandez, and Rey Gabino.
With Nestor Cuilan, Jr. back in the line – up after sitting out last year after a non-basketball-related mishap that almost cost him most of his fingers on his right hand, Bokod has a big man to replace former Saint Louis University Navigator Ramil Alimba.
In the match, the Buenaventura brothers – Calivo rivalry resumes with the siblings having the advantage by beating Calivo’s BCT in the 2016 BBEAL finals. Calivo had Armando Pollante as the center of that quest.
Game time is 12 noon at the Baguio Sports Complex here after the opening ceremony where Benguet Rep. Eric Go Yap, and Benguet Gov. Melchor Diclas lead the mayors of the 13 municipalities with their muses in a parade with the basketball and volleyball teams.
Tuba’s de Vera will do the oath of sportsmanship during the opening rites.
Also debuting are Bakun and Kibungan in the second game where the latter will parade former University of the Cordilleras top gun John Paul Jularbal and take much load off the shoulders of hardworking Jeffrey Avanse and Norman Danglay.
The mining towns of Itogon and Mankayan tangle up in the third game where Jularbal’s former teammate Chad Villanueva hope to give last season’s first runner-up the win.
The defending champion is expected to have a walk in the park in the final game when it faces Kabayan. Pollante, Will Keane Lee, Neil Ulep, Jason Alvaran, and Clyde Habon expect to get good numbers from former SLU captain Shawn Aquisay and Trinidad II top guns Aaron Nang-is and Bryan Estepa.
On Sunday, it will be the women taking over the sports complex with the inaugural women’s volleyball competitions.
Itogon and Mankayan will open the fanfare, Kibungan opposite a strong Kapangan will be the second game, followed by the Bokod – Tuba face-off. But eyes will be on Sablan when it starts its bid against Buguias.
The winner of the Governor’s Cup last June will take on Buguias in the afternoon where it will parade BCT top player and BBEAL MVP Jasmynne Polon.
Atok, meanwhile, will try an upset when it faces La Trinidad, which has former SLU setter Shirley Balantac in its line-up.
There are 12 teams in the women’s volleyball league with Kabayan opting not to join the contest. CEGYCC Release
