Caloocan, Biñan look to light up MPBL opening day

The Caloocan Batang Kankaloo are also favored against the Quezon City Black Bulls, with former La Salle star Kean Baclaan and ex-Ateneo standouts Dom Escobar and Kymani Ladi leading the charge. Quezon City will pin its hopes on prized recruits Pat Buena and Jake Agoncillo, along with veteran Rey Publico.

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The Biñan-Gensan matchup shapes up to be a toss-up, with former University of Santo Tomas standout Nic Cabanero, alongside Warren Bonifacio, Kenny Roger Rocacurva, Carlo Lastimosa, and Pamboy Raymundo, powering the home squad.

Gensan, on the other hand, will lean on former St. Benilde starter Anton Eusebio, University of Makati’s Nelo Santos, and Lyceum’s Jan Michael Versoza to support Kyle Tolentino, Louie Vigil, and Mark Cruz.

Simple opening ceremonies, led by MPBL Commissioner Emmer Oreta, will precede the games, which will be broadcast on Solar Sports and streamed on YouTube. League officials, including MPBL CEO Joe Ramos, Operations Head Zaldy Realubit, and Legal Counsel Glenn Gacal, are also expected to attend.

Among the fresh faces in the league are  UP’s Janjan Felicilda and Ateneo’s Joshua Lazaro (Zamboanga SiKat); Adamson’s Cedric Manzano (Quezon Province); University of the East’s John Abate (Quezon Province); National University’s Jolo Mendoza (Quezon Province); and Mapua’s Tucker Molina and Drex Delos Reyes (Abra) and JC Recto (Mindoro).

A total of 28 teams, split into the North and South Divisions, will compete in the country’s largest regional league, founded by sports legend Manny Pacquiao.

Reigning national champion Abra Solid North, which swept the 2026 MPBL Preseason Invitational, banners the North Division alongside San Juan, Caloocan, Ilagan Isabela, Bulacan, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Bataan, Pasig, Parañaque, and newcomer Meycauayan-Marilao.

Back-to-back South Division champion Quezon Province headlines the southern field, which also includes Batangas, Biñan, Zamboanga, Rizal Province, Gensan, Mindoro, Sarangani, Imus, Negros, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Basilan.

The tournament will follow a single round-robin elimination format, with the top eight teams from each division advancing to the quarterfinals. The top four teams from both divisions will then move on to the semifinals, with the finalists disputing their respective division titles in a best-of-five series.

The North and South champions will face off in a best-of-seven series to determine the 2026 MPBL national champion.

The Abra Weavers swept the Quezon Huskers, 3-0, in the 2025 National Finals and remain the league’s benchmark, with DJ Fenner, Jake Figueroa, Kascius Small-Martin, JD Cagulangan, and 6-foot-8 Drex Delos Reyes joining reigning MVP Dave Ildefonso, 6-foot-7 Raven Gonzales, and Encho Serrano.