AFTER thorough preparations, the newly established Metro Cebu Collegiate Basketball League (MCCBL) is ready to kick off its inaugural season starting December 6, 2025, at the Cordova Sports Complex in Cordova, Cebu.
Six collegiate teams will compete in the four-day tournament, which aims to provide exposure and discover talents among student-athletes from colleges that are not part of the Cebu's premier league -- the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi).
Last Saturday, November 29, the MCCBL was formally launched through a press conference held at Solea Resort in Cordova, led by founder Remar Baguio, who is also a councilor of Cordova, along with Sandi Grumo, who will serve as executive director, and Jerry Capacio, who was appointed commissioner.
Coaches and representatives from the participating teams were also present at the gathering.
The six educational institutions gearing up to showcase action in the league are Cebu Technological University (CTU) Main Campus, Cebu Sacred Heart College–Carcar Campus, Cordova Public College, Mandaue City College, St. Cecilia’s College, and Talisay City College.
Baguio said the MCCBL’s inaugural season will be a short competition since this is the league’s first trial run in Cebu, giving organizers a chance to assess what improvements need to be made.
The organizers envision that the MCCBL will eventually serve as a pathway for promising Cebuano basketball players toward bigger leagues.
“Big things start from small beginnings,” said Baguio, who also revealed that several other schools have already expressed interest in joining the league.
He also expressed deep gratitude for the school heads’ support and positive response to his invitation.
“This is what we call trust and confidence. We thank the college presidents and administrators for their positive response to our invitation and for making history with us in the first MCCBL,” Baguio added.
He said registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is among their priorities so the league can formally become a legitimate sports organization in Cebu.
Capacio, for his part, clarified that the MCCBL was not established to compete with Cesafi, but rather to provide opportunities and exposure to athletes whose schools are not part of Cesafi.
In fact, they plan to hold the next MCCBL season before Cesafi begins to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Capacio also did not dismiss the possibility of adopting a home-and-away format in the future to further enhance excitement.
Earlier, Grumo, a veteran sports announcer, also emphasized that this league offers opportunities for small schools with big dreams to shine.
Cebu has a long history of developing basketball talent, a legacy that is seen today in major leagues.
The opening game is set for December 6 at 7:30 a.m., featuring CTU-Main versus Mandaue City College.
The host team, Cordova Public College, will face St. Cecilia’s College in the second game.
After the second game, the opening program will immediately follow, to be attended by top officials and representatives of the participating teams.
In the afternoon, four more matches are scheduled.
The games will be available via livestream across various social media platforms. (JBM)