THEY came from everywhere, even those living abroad, as past and present players of the Mapua Cardinals celebrated the school's NCAA championship with a grand reunion held Saturday.

About a month ago, the Cardinals captured the championship, the 100th edition of the NCAA, and as though fate would have it, the school was also celebrating the 100th year of its founding.

It was a sea of red and gold at the VFarm Garden Resort in Santa Maria, Bulacan where 77 Cardinals, some of whom became the country's basketball icons, gathered in the biggest reunion of the school's storied basketball past.

Yes, the school might not be as successful as, for example San Beda or La Salle and Ateneo, when the latter two were still part of the NCAA, but Mapua has shown that despite the rigors and demands of getting an engineering diploma, it could manage on some occasions to marry both academics and sports to win championships and produce athletic heroes.

Fortunato "Atoy" Co was one of them. Known in the PBA as the Fortune Cookie, Atoy, as he is also fondly called, was a Cardinal before becoming a superstar who helped raise the profile of the league where he shone and brought his Crispa team to incredible popularity and success.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

“I’m so happy kasi I’m the oldest,” the 73-year-old two-time NCAA MVP said. “I’m really proud na inabutan ko ‘to. How are you going to explain na inabutan ko yung 2024-25 na champion pa, ‘di ba? Kaya I think I’m blessed.”

There was Joel Banal, who played for Mapua from 1982 to 85 and led the team to back-to-back titles as a coach in 1990-91, who surprised everyone when he came over from Spain.

Benny Cheng, part of that back-to-back champion team, gave the opening prayer and recounted his time with the Cardinals, before other Mapua greats followed suit with their own speeches.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

Clint Escamis, the star of the current Cardinals that led the team to its first NCAA title since 1991, was inspired by the words from his predecessors.

“Sobrang nakakatuwa, kasi hearing from the legends, mga past Cardinals, sobrang nakaka-motivate na ganun pala yung samahan ng Mapua Cardinals, kasi nung una, kala ko team lang talaga ‘to eh. And hindi ko alam na may ganito pala na sobrang grabe yung samahan nila.”

“Sakto din na one hundred years reunion at nakakatuwa just to be part of history,” the 24-year-old Escamis added.

The program saved its best for last when a Cardinals panel of one representative each from the 70s until the 2000s, named the 15 greatest Cardinals of all time – based on their contributions to the Mapua program, impact on Philippine basketball, and individual achievements.

Four-time PBA MVP Alvin Patrimonio leads the Top 15 that also features Valerio 'Amang' Lopez, Enrique 'Ike' Liwanag, Charlie Badion, Arturo Trajano, Co, Freddie Hubalde, Joel Banal, Leo Isaac, Bong Ramos, Cheng, Randy Alcantara, Reuben Dela Rosa, Chito Victolero, and Escamis.

Patrimonio, one of the most beloved and a PBA great like Atoy, however, was not around to join the celebration.

“Very happy and thankful also because this is the first time that we gathered ganito kadaming Cardinals and na-timing pa na we’re celebrating our one hundred years at na-timing na nag-champion pa men’s basketball team namin,” Victolero, the gracious host at his own VFarm resort, said.

“So I think this is giving thanks also to kung ano binigay sa amin ng Mapua. Kung ano man kami ngayon, yung foundation namin, kung ano man narating namin is galing sa Mapua,” he added.

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