The San Jose Summer Basketball League, c. 70s and 80s.

(Foreword: Again, if you can relate to this, please comment anything you remember about this topic or comment, pass or tag this to your friends that can well relate in this story. Photo commenting, photos from the past on this subject is welcome. As I have said, make them miss home while in quarantine in reminiscence especially this time when our town fiesta is near. You may share this but please do not copy paste.- NAN)

The heydays of local basketball in this lowly town was in the mid part of 70s to early part of the 80s. We all watch “flesh-and-bone” or live games in San Jose Summer Basketball League or SJSBL at the old roofless San Jose Municipal Gymnasium. Our fiesta then is not complete without summer basketball. If we turn back the hand of time exactly at this very moment, it is basketball time in San Jose!

This basketball tradition started in 1964 when Tirso Abeleda was the town mayor. Before the construction of the old gym, the tournaments were held at the present site of San Jose Town Plaza. Well, this narrative only covers circa 70s and 80s as I have emphasized in its title.

Before we enter the gymnasium, eateries, snack parlors are all over. They serve beer, too. This was San Jose by night. Three of the most prominent diners and bars then are owned by Deling Cruz, Helen Briones and Remy Zubiri.

At the gates of the gymnasium, the keepers were two old women. They are Flaviana Rayton and Pacencia Zubiri and we call them Lola Bianang and Lola Pacing, respectively.

The sportscasters, gymnasium barkers (we call them “announcers” before.) consist of the veteran (war veteran and public speaking veteran) Apolinar “Popoy” Valverde, famous for his favorite expression, “Tingnan natin”. Nathan Cruz, in case you already forgot was a gymnasium barker/sportscaster first before he became radio announcer and politician. Sam Pimentel and Benjie Villaceran also joined the fray later.

The use of English language in sportscasting, ala-Joe Cantada and Penggoy Pengson, was pioneered by Lito Malubag (when he is not serving as umpire or referee), a P.E. teacher at Divine Word College of San Jose (DWCSJ), his students, Rey Morales, Robert Asignacion, Rommel San Diego, and Lot Bagatsolon, came later. This batch brought to us the blow-by-blow account of the games using the foreign tongue.

Loyzaga Lumber Mill is a team owned by Norma Loyzaga, wife of Agustin Loyzaga, brother of basketball great Caloy Loyzaga. The Loyzaga Lumberjacks top local cagers are Emy Mariano, Arthur De Jesus, Boyet Loyzaga, Arthur Cariño, Francing Callanga, Nante Dela Cruz, Uly Javier, Boy Masangkay, Tony Quirante and Inso Malibiran. The Loyzaga Lumber Mill is the winningest team in town in the senior’s division. Loyzaga also has a junior team where future PBA player Joey Loyzaga also did play.

But later, the National Grains Authority (NGA) became the Lumberjacks’ closest rival. The Grainers, later renamed NFA, paraded great players from all over the province. Nanding Cordova, Elvis Leyto, Boy Liboro, Toto Agustin, Boy Balleza and Rudy Alindato, Ding Balleza, among others, coached by Boy Jimenez, who himself played for the Borromeo Bulldogs and Eastern Venture before he finally ended as a coach.

There are brothers who played for the same team. The Celestre’s from Bagong Sikat. The Mosquera brothers, Emer, Romy, and Harmony, along with Edgar Tabasa, played in 7-D, a team owned by Juanito Dimaano.

The MBM Mendenilla Fish Dealer is managed by Aling Orang Mendenilla who sought the help of certain players surnamed Torres and Mogul backed-up by Lito “Manok” Mendenilla and other locals. 

The Capitol Tamaraws, a led by Nelson Asaytono, whose name still unfamiliar in the basketball world, was also in contention that time.

The most unforgotten “imports” are Fred Demetrio of the Loyzaga Lumberjacks who played for ER Squibb in the PBA before that teamed up with original Crispa Redmanizer Billy Abarrientos. Agpacon’s (or the Aguilos Pablo Construction) Chito Plaza former forward of the Cosmos Bottlers in MICAA played in the Junior A Division. The MBM Mendenilla fielded in Ben Obrique of the CDCP-Galleon Shippers also in the PBA. The future Ginebra star Pido Jarencio played for the PC-INP that time. The legendary Lawrence Mumar was in the line-up of Nicolas Dimaano Warehouse Basketball Team. Ace guard Jerome Cueto was hired by the Department of Agriculture. Cueto also played Masagana-99 in the old Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) but never been played in the professional league. Also Benjie Paras for a time played here for the local Shell team courtesy of his friend Dennis Sy. 

The Street Brothers was a household name. Coached by Doms Bagatsolon, it was composed of June Palmares, Allan Fordan, Ardee Dula, Jojie Sarmiento, Gary Calitang, Egay Salvacion, Noel Sano, Jess Echevarri, Elmo Legayada, to name just few. (My friend, Edward Bagatsolon, is currently writing a separate and comprehensive story about the Street Brothers.)

The Divine Word College of San Jose been the hub of finest local basketeers of the era. It produces the likes of Pio Mabalot, Boy Zausa, Romy Ruiz, Bing and Romy Mataba, and the Baltazar brothers, Aldrich, Piper and Fort and that was in the early 70s.

The rivalry between Adgripina Dula Store (ADS) and Panaderia De Oro in the Junior B Division was also memorable. It was a clash of DWC high school students in the loop house that time. The ADS was commanded by Olly Ralleta, Noli Lim and several others. The Tan brothers, Allen, Tony and Bobby teamed up with Bubog boys,- Nonie Novio, Santos Abad and Dong Asenjo, all Diviners.

The “imports” who wed a local lady: Leny Ducut of Magtoto Fish Dealer, Boying Lizardo of the Department of Agriculture, Saling Melocoton also of the DA, Jojo Mangahas of Sam-Pris Studio and Enteng Mansilungan.

As for now, these are the only things that can be accommodated by this space.

Undeniably, summer basketball league was a tradition in Pandurucan before. Lest we forget, Caloy Loyzage, the greatest Filipino basketball player ever lived was born here in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

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(Photo: of Caloy and Chito Loyzaga from Pinterest)