AFTER a long period of preparation, the 1st Calderon Cup 21-under Inter-Town Basketball Tournament is all set to get underway this Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Jose Macoy Gymnasium in the town of Dumanjug, Cebu.
Host team Dumanjug and neighboring town Ronda will face off in the main game of the opening day double-header of the competition, which features eight municipalities from the 7th District under the leadership of Congresswoman Patsy Calderon.
Before the Dumanjug-Ronda showdown scheduled at 7:30 p.m., the matchup between Alegria and Malabuyoc will formally open the tournament at 6 p.m.
An opening program will also be held starting at 3 p.m., highlighted by the much-anticipated selection of the first-ever Miss Calderon Cup 2026, adding excitement to the event.
This will be preceded by a short parade of the eight participating teams, accompanied by their respective muses, around the Jose Macoy Gymnasium.
The eight teams are Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, and Moalboal in Bracket A, while Badian, Alegria, Ginatilan, and Malabuyoc comprise Bracket B.
Officials from the eight local government units, led by their respective mayors, are expected to attend the event, which is part of Congresswoman Calderon’s grassroots sports development program.
Calderon, along with other officials from the 7th District, will also deliver their messages to the athletes.
The home-and-away competition will follow a double round-robin elimination format in each bracket, where the top team automatically advances to the semifinals.
The No. 2 and No. 3 teams will then face each other in crossover quarterfinals to determine the other two semifinalists.
Atty. Ramil Abing, the brainchild behind the Governor’s Cup during the term of former Governor Hilario Davide Jr., will head the organizing committee, with Jun Migallen serving as commissioner and Rey Cañete as deputy commissioner. (JBM)