Philippine Habagat Baseball Club to Play at PONY International Asia Pacific Zone Championships

The Philippines was once a powerhouse in baseball.  Over the past 3 decades, from being ranked  in the top 5, the sport has lost its appeal and we are now only ranked 28th in the world (International Baseball Federation).

It is our firm belief that we can be great again in this sport.  The challenge is to find a breakthrough moment that can create interest and support from Filipinos.  I think we have found the right opportunity.

 

Philippine Habagat Baseball Inc.( PHBCI)) is dedicated to its vision, “Better players, better people. “  Over  a span of 6 years , we have trained over 250 boys and have sent 9 teams to different countries to compete in various international tourneys. Playing against the best in the world is expected to raise the level of skill of our young baseball players.

This year we have an unprecedented opportunity to finally showcase the young Filipino baseball player’s ability.

Philippine Habagat has been invited to play as a guest team in the upcoming Protect Our Nation’s Youth (PONY) 13-14 year old category Asia Pacific Qualifier which will be held here in Manila this July.  

In respect and appreciation to the PONY organization, the South East Asian President, Mr. Boy Tingzon waived the joining fee in the hopes of helping us field the most competitive team.

In line with this, Philippine Habagat brought together 12 of the best 14 year olds we can find to compete in this prestigious tournament.  Although we will be regarded as a guest team, we will still get to play against Japan and Taiwan, ranked 1 and 3 respectively in the IBF, as they are lined up in our bracket.

The boys we brought together come from various barangays and municipalities representing Los, Banos, Muntinlupa, Quezon City,  Calamba, Tanauan and parts of Marikina.  They come from public schools and also play for their respective community teams.

Below are the names of the players:

John Matanguihan Tanauan

Patrick de los Reyes Canlubang

Ethan Mitschiener Muntinlupa

Joao Miguel Severino Marikina

Jemar Resoriaga Marikina

Herald Tenorio Cabuyao

Joshua de Juras Canlubang

Ivan Jonson Marikina

Jomar Sitchon Calamba

Oliver Tumbaga Canlubang

Kenneth de los Santos Tanuan

Head Coach:   Ronnie Lugay

Asst Coach: Ruel Batuto

Currently, DECA Homes (our major sponsor), the housing brand of 8990 Holdings has been supporting the financial needs to cover training, nutrition and purchase of equipment.  

Alaska Milk Corp., Gatorade Phils and Cebu Pacific have been donating other resources to get the team ready.

Philippine Habagat Baseball Inc. is at the forefront of the project.  

By: M. Ochosa