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Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL)
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2025 MPBL playoffs
SportBasketball
FoundedAugust 29, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-08-29)
FounderManny Pacquiao
First season2018
COOZaldy Realubit
CommissionerKenneth Duremdes
MottoAng Liga Ng Bawat Pilipino (The League of Every Filipino)
No. of teams30
CountryPhilippines
HeadquartersPasig
ContinentFIBA Asia (Asia)
Most recent
champion		Pampanga Giant Lanterns (2nd title)
Most titlesPampanga Giant Lanterns (2 titles)
BroadcastersSolar Sports
MPBL (Facebook, YouTube)
Official websitehttps://mpbl.com.ph/

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is a men's regional professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 30 teams.

Founded in 2017 by eight-division boxing world champion and then-Senator Manny Pacquiao, the MPBL is not intended to be a competitor to the top-flight Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), but rather to provide a gateway for local, homegrown talents to showcase their skills. The league uses a home-and-away format, similar to the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.[1] The MPBL started an amateur league before being granted professional status by the Games and Amusements Board.[2] Due to Pacquiao's role in the league, it has also been referred to as Manny Pacquiao's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

The MPBL is the first in a series of leagues which bear the Maharlika Pilipinas name. It is followed by the Junior MPBL and Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) in 2023,[3][4] and the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) in 2024.[5]

The Pampanga Giant Lanterns are the current defending champions, beating the Quezon Huskers in three games during the 2024 MPBL finals. They are also currently the only team to win multiple championships.[6]

History

[edit]

2017: Founding

[edit]

Pacquiao formally launched the MPBL on August 29, 2017, with the intent to feature both the commercial and barangay-level side, with teams on the commercial side to have a home locality in addition to a corporate sponsor.[7][8] The plan was for the league to begin with Luzon-based teams only and then expand to Visayas and Mindanao later on. The expanded league would have two divisions, North and South, where one team from both divisions face in a finals series similar to the format of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America.[1] The league was planned to start as early as September 23, 2017 with at least six teams.[9] A preseason tournament was held with the Bulacan Kuyas finishing as champions.[10] Snow Badua was the league's inaugural commissioner, but he did not take on the role when the first season eventually began as six-time PBA champion Kenneth Duremdes succeeded Badua as league commissioner on November 22, 2017.

2018–2020: Amateur era

[edit]
The Smart Araneta Coliseum (left) served as the venue for the league's inaugural gameday on January 25, 2018. The Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum (right) is home to the Zamboanga Sikat, one of sixteen teams that joined during the league's national expansion.

The MPBL began its inaugural season on January 25, 2018, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The inaugural season featured ten teams, all based in Luzon, with the requirement of each team having three homegrown players.[11][12] In the opening game, the Parañaque Patriots scored a 70–60 victory over the Caloocan Supremos.[13] The playoffs only had eight teams due to the small size, concluding with the Batangas City Athletics winning the inaugural title in the 2018 finals against the Muntinlupa Cagers.

In the 2018–19 season, the league added sixteen expansion teams, bringing the total to 26 teams. Five of the sixteen expansions are based in Visayas and Mindanao, thus marking the league's national expansion.[14][15] The North and South Divisions were introduced and the playoff pool doubled to sixteen teams, eight per division.[16] The league also placed roster restrictions on teams, only allowing one Filipino-foreigner and up to five ex-professional players, intended to maintain parity and preserve the league's grassroots foundations. However, the classification of and restrictions on Filipino-foreigners was critized by fans, coaches, and players, particularly other Filipino-foreigners including Rob Reyes and Abu Tratter.[17][18] The rule would later be relaxed in future seasons.[19][20] The 2018–19 season also saw the inaugural edition of the MPBL All-Star Game, which was held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. The San Juan Knights won the title that season against the Davao Occidental Tigers in the 2019 national finals, which is to date, the only series to go the full length of five games.

John Wilson was a key player in San Juan's 2019 championship run and, in 2020, became the first player in the league to score 1,000 points.[21]

The following 2019–20 season featured 31 teams participating in the league, the most the league had in its history, adding six expansion teams but also saw its first departing team, the Mandaluyong El Tigre. Roster restrictions were also relaxed, allowing more Filipino-foreigners and ex-professional players to play in the league.[22] This season also saw the debut of the International Invasion series, which saw games being played in the United Arab Emirates and in Canada.

2020–2021: COVID-19 disruption

[edit]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the league suspended play on March 12, 2020. Nearly a year later, on March 6, 2021, the league announced the resumption of its playoffs. The remainder of the league's 2020 playoffs was held at a bubble at the Subic Bay Gymnasium.[23] In a rematch of the 2019 national finals series, the Davao Occidental Tigers won the 2021 national finals against the San Juan Knights. Because of the restrictions imposed by the government due to the pandemic, the league's 2020–21 season would be cancelled. The league's fourth season would be postponed multiple times before it eventually began in 2022.[24][25] In October 2021, Chooks-to-Go took over the league's basketball operations.[26]

The continued suspension of league play led to some teams taking part in tournaments of the newly-established FilBasket in an effort to remain competitive.[27] This trend of teams competing in other regional leagues during the off-season continued into later seasons with the Pilipinas Super League (PSL).[28]

2021–present: Professional era

[edit]

On November 9, 2021, it was announced that the MPBL would turn into a professional league. A month later, on December 9, 2021, the MPBL was granted professional status by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB).[2] This also allowed the league to feature collegiate players on team rosters, as long as the player himself has a Special Guest License. The league's first professional event was the 2021 Invitational, during which all roster restrictions were lifted.[29][30] The preseason tournament would later be developed with the MPBL Preseason Invitational in future seasons as a smaller pocket tournament.

As the league continued its recovery from the pandemic, it finally started its fourth season, the 2022 season, after multiple postponements and over a year after last season's conclusion. It only featured 22 teams, the smallest the league has gotten since its inaugural season. The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards became the first team to achieve a regular season sweep and subsequently won the 2022 national finals against the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines. The succeeding 2023 season featured 29 teams, which included the additions of the Negros Muscovados and Quezon Huskers.[31] The season also marked the beginning of a trend where PBA prospects, such as Justine Baltazar, CJ Cansino, and Adrian Nocum would first play in the MPBL before eventually declaring for the draft.[32][33][34] Similarly, PBA veterans such as the likes of Marc Pingris, Jayjay Helterbrand, and Arwind Santos also began playing in the regional league during the latter part of their playing careers.[35][36] The season culminated with the homegrown-laden Pampanga Giant Lanterns sweeping the Bacoor City Strikers in the 2023 national finals.

Justine Baltazar (pictured with the Converge FiberXers) led Pampanga to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 before joining the PBA.

The 2024 season also featured 29 teams and marked the start of the league's Northern Luzon expansion. The ex-professional player limit was removed, allowing teams to sign any number of professional players onto their rosters.[37] In April 2024, the league began exploring the possibility of joining the East Asia Super League.[38] However, this was later refuted by EASL CEO Henry Kerins in October that year, stating that "there were no exploratory talks" while also sharing his respect for the league.[39] The season culminated with the first back-to-back championship after Pampanga defeated the Quezon Huskers in three games in the 2024 MPBL finals, which also featured the league's first international games in five years.[40][41]

The 2025 season features 30 teams and will see the introduction of the league's play-in tournament, a series of games to be held after the regular season and before the playoffs to determine which teams take up the final playoff spots similar to its NBA counterpart. The Northern Luzon expansion continued with the addition of the Ilagan Isabela Cowboys.[42]

Further developments

[edit]
See also: Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association and Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

Following the success of the MPBL, Pacquiao has made further developments in grassroots-based sports. On June 15, 2023, the Junior MPBL was unveiled in a press conference. The youth-oriented league's inaugural season began on July 9, 2023, with teams competing in 14-under, 16-under, and 18-under divisions.[43] The junior league features a 21-under division, billed as the "Junior MPBL D-League". In the same press conference, Pacquiao also shared intent to create a volleyball counterpart similar to the MPBL that will cater to female players.[3] That league would be known as the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA) and began on October 22, 2023, with eight teams.[4][44] On October 27, 2024, it was reported that a direct women's counterpart, the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is in development. UST Growling Tigers coach Haydee Ong was set to be the first commissioner of the women's league.[5]

On November 7, 2023, the league launched its social arm, the MPBL Kalinga, with the goal of providing medical assistance to MPBL players, former and current, as well as league officials and staff.[45] In October 2024, a party-list sharing the same acronym, the Maharlikang Pilipino sa Bagong Lipunan party-list, was created in an effort to extend their grassroots program into other sports.[46]

Title sponsorship deals

[edit]

In December 2019, Chooks-to-Go of Bounty Agro Ventures became the league's first title sponsor. The deal was initially set to last for five years (until December 2024), but only lasted until the 2021 Invitational.[26] Sports betting platform OKBet, succeeded Chooks-to-Go as the league's new title sponsor in 2022 and continued into 2023.[47] In 2025, the league signed a new title sponsorship deal with gambling company 1xbet, which supposed to last until 2026,[48] however the sponsorship was eventually pulled out mid-season.

Game-fixing issue

[edit]

The league has been noted for its game-fixing problem, which has been one of its long-standing issues. The league began cracking down on game-fixing ahead of the 2019–20 season,[49] a season that went on to have multiple such cases.[50][51][52] Ahead of the 2024 season, the league banned 47 players and officials who were allegedly involved in such acts.[53] The league has also told team owners to exclude any players and coaches who are suspected to be involved in this issue.[54]

Teams

[edit]
See also: Timeline of the MPBL
Expansion and contraction of the MPBL
Season No. Exp. Ret. Dep. Diff.
2018 10 10 — — Increase 10
2018–19 26 16 — 0 Increase 16
2019–20 31 6 0 1 Increase 5
2022 22 0 0 9 Decrease 9
2023 29 2 5 0 Increase 7
2024 29 2 2 4 Steady 0
2025 30 1 3 3 Increase 1

The league began with 10 teams in 2018 and, as of 2025, consists of 30 active teams. Teams are divided into two geographic divisions: the North and South Division. The Ilagan Isabela Cowboys are the newest expansion team, having joined the league that year.

In the maps below, blue pegs indicate North Division teams while red pegs indicate South Division teams. Yellow pegs indicate expansion and returning teams.

class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams based in Metro Manila
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams based in Luzon
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams based in Visayas
class=notpageimage|
Locations of teams based in Mindanao
Overview of MPBL teams
Division Team Location Arena[a] Capacity Founded
(lineage) 		Joined Head coach[b]
North Abra Solid North Weavers Bangued, Abra University of Abra 1,500 2024 Yong Garcia
Bataan Risers Balanga, Bataan Bataan People's Center 4,000 2018 Goody Ilagan
Bulacan Kuyas Baliwag, Bulacan Baliwag Star Arena 5,000 2017 2018 Terence Reyes
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo Caloocan Caloocan Sports Complex 3,000 2017 2018 Myk Saguiguit
Ilagan Isabela Cowboys Ilagan, Isabela Capital Arena 10,000 2025 Louie Gonzalez
Manila Batang Quiapo Manila[c] San Andres Sports Complex 3,000 2018 Max Dayandante
Marikina Shoemasters Marikina Marikina Sports Center 7,000 2018 Angelo Nebres
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards Palayan, Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija Coliseum 3,000 2019 Don Dulay
Pampanga Giant Lanterns San Fernando, Pampanga Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center 3,000 2018 Dennis Pineda (de facto)
Frederick Dimatulac (acting)
Pangasinan Heatwaves Calasiao, Pangasinan Calasiao Sports Complex 3,000 2024 Jerson Cabiltes
Pasay Voyagers Pasay Cuneta Astrodome 12,000 2018 Marlon Martin
Pasig City Pasig Ynares Sports Arena 3,000 2018
(1998) 		2018 Aldrin Morante
Quezon City Galeries Taipan Quezon City Quezon City District 2 Gymnasium N/A 2018 Jeff Perlas
San Juan Knights San Juan Playtime Filoil Centre 5,500 2018
(1999) 		2018 Alexander Angeles
Val City Magic Valenzuela WES Arena 1,100 2017 2018 Raymond Valenzona
South Bacolod Tubo Slashers Bacolod La Salle Coliseum 8,000 2019 Paolo Javelona
Basilan Starhorse Lamitan, Basilan Lamitan Capitol Gymnasium 3,000 2018 2018 Rich Alvarez
Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters Batangas City, Batangas Batangas City Sports Coliseum 4,000 2018 Cholo Villanueva
Biñan Tatak Gel Biñan, Laguna Alonte Sports Arena 6,500 2018 Boyet Fernandez
Cebu Greats Lapu-Lapu City Hoops Dome 4,600 2018 2018 Junthy Valenzuela
Davao Occidental Tigers Davao City[d] Davao City Recreation Center 2,500 2018 Arvin Bonleon
GenSan Warriors General Santos Lagao Gymnasium 6,000 2018
(2005) 		2018 Elvis Tolentino
Imus Braderhood Imus, Cavite Imus Sports Complex 1,000 2018 Britt Reroma
Mindoro Tamaraws Pola, Oriental Mindoro Pola Gymnasium N/A 2019 Bengie Teodoro
Muntinlupa Cagers Muntinlupa Muntinlupa Sports Center 3,000 2018 Giovanni Ludovice
Parañaque Patriots Parañaque Olivarez College 3,500 2017 2018 Stephen Mopera
Quezon Huskers Lucena Quezon Convention Center 7,000 2023
(2004) 		2023 Eric Gonzales
Rizal Golden Coolers Rodriguez, Rizal Ynares Center Montalban 8,000 2018 Ralph Rivera
Sarangani Gripper Motorcycle Tire Alabel, Sarangani Sarangani Capitol Gymnasium 1,000 2019
(1998) 		2019 Ronnie Dojillo
Zamboanga Sikat Zamboanga City Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum 12,000 2019 (2018) 2018[e] Bong Ramos

Former teams

[edit]
Team Location Arena Capacity Founded
(Lineage) 		Joined Last season
Bacoor City Strikers Bacoor, Cavite Strike Gymnasium 1,500 2018 2023
Bicol Volcanoes[f] Legazpi, Albay Ibalong Centrum for Recreation 8,000 2019 2024
Iloilo United Royals Passi, Iloilo Passi City Arena 2,000 2019 2024
Makati Super Crunch[g] Makati Makati Coliseum 12,000 2018 2023
Mandaluyong El Tigre Mandaluyong José Rizal University 1,000 2018 2019
Navotas Clutch[h] Navotas Navotas Sports Complex 1,000 2018 2020
Negros Muscovados Bacolod La Salle Coliseum 8,000 2021 2023 2024
Tarlac United Force Tarlac City, Tarlac Tarlac State University N/A 2024[i]
Notes
  1. ^ Teams may have multiple home arenas in a season. For the purposes of this table, only their primary arena is listed. If the team hasn't played any home games in the most recent season, their last primary arena is listed.
  2. ^ Teams may have two head coaches: a de facto head coach and an acting head coach. For the purposes of this table, both coaches are listed.
  3. ^ Despite being named after the district of Quiapo, the Manila Batang Quiapo play their home games in Paco and Malate.
  4. ^ Despite being named after the province of Davao Occidental, the Davao Occidental Tigers play their home games within the Metro Davao area.
  5. ^ The Zamboanga Sikat initially competed under the Zamboanga Valientes banner in 2018 before splitting from the latter in 2019. Should the Sikat be considered a successor to the Valientes, the team's lineage can be dated back to 2006.
  6. ^ Last played as the Bicolandia Oragons in 2024.
  7. ^ Last played as the Makati OKBet Kings in 2023.
  8. ^ Last played as the Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines from 2019 to 2020.
  9. ^ The Tarlac United Force were pulled by the league without playing a single game due to financial issues.

Teams per region

[edit]

The table below shows how the league is spread across all regions in the country, sorted from north to south. Metro Manila has the most active teams out of any region with ten followed by Calabarzon with five and Central Luzon with four. Soccsksargen is the only other region that has multiple representing teams with two. In terms of island groups, most of the teams are based in Luzon, which has 23 teams, while Mindanao has five teams and Visayas has two teams.

As of 2025, thirteen of the country's eighteen regions are currently being represented. Two others, Bicol Region and Western Visayas, previously had teams represent their respective regions. The only regions that haven't had a representing team at any point are Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga.

Region Season
2018 2018–19 2019–20 2022 2023 2024 2025
Ilocos Region — 1
Cordillera — 1
Cagayan Valley — 1
Central Luzon 2 3 4 3 4
Metro Manila 6 13 12 9 11 9 10
Calabarzon 2 5 6 5
Mimaropa — 1
Bicol Region — 1 — 1 —
Western Visayas — 2 1 3 1 —
Negros Island Region[a] — 2 1
Central Visayas — 1 — 1
Zamboanga Peninsula — 1
Davao Region — 1 — 1
Soccsksargen — 1 2
Bangsamoro[b] — 1 — 1
Notes
  1. ^ The Negros Island Region was re-established in 2024. The two teams from the region at that time, Bacolod City of Smiles and Negros Muscovados, were based in Western Visayas prior to that.
  2. ^ Bangsamoro was established in 2019. The lone team from the region at that time, Basilan Steel, was based in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao prior to that.

Roster regulations

[edit]

There is no draft held during the off-season, instead teams acquire their players through the signing of contracts. Teams must have a minimum of 15 players in their roster, with the maximum being 22. In each game, however, teams can only field a 15-man roster into the court. All local players are eligible, although teams can also sign up to two Filipino-foreigners. The league currently doesn't allow imports.[55]

Being based in the grassroots level, each team is required to have at least three homegrown players who come from the team's home locality. Since 2022, with the transition to professional status, the league has also allowed collegiate players to join as long as the player is granted a Special Guest License from the Games and Amusement Board.[56] Since June 1, 2024, the NCAA no longer allows SGLs to play professionally.[57][58] The league also had an ex-professional player limit, where teams were allowed to sign limited number of players with prior professional experience. This was replaced with an ex-PBA player limit in 2022, and in 2024 the limit was scrapped in its entirety.[37] The league schedules a window during the middle of the season where teams can propose trades, all to be approved by the commissioner's office.

Season format

[edit]

Preseason

[edit]
Main article: MPBL Preseason Invitational

Before the regular season begins, an invitational tournament is usually held as part of the preseason. The tournament is divided into two phases: the group stage and the playoffs. In the group stage, the participating teams are divided into multiple groups, where each team will play against their group opponents once. The top two teams of each group advance to a single-elimination playoffs.

Regular season

[edit]
See also: List of MPBL seasons

The regular season utilizes a single round-robin tournament format, where each team plays against all of the other teams once, regardless of division alignment. The league uses FIBA rules for all of its games. The league uses the number of wins as its first metric for determining rankings and any ties are broken using the quotient system.[59]

Two or three games are scheduled each day to be played in a single venue, thus a majority of the league's games are considered neutral-site games. The home team typically plays in the final game, although in some occasions, it may also be a neutral-site game. Should any games be postponed or suspended, most commonly due to natural disasters like typhoons, the games would be moved towards the end of the regular season schedule. The affected games will only be played or resumed if there are any playoff implications for any of the teams involved.[60]

Similar to the PBA, league also schedules series of out-of-town games throughout the regular season, known as Invasion series, where consecutive gamedays take place in areas far from the Greater Manila Area, such as Visayas and Mindanao. Invasion series also cover the league's international games.

All-Star Game

[edit]
Main article: MPBL All-Star Game

Near the end of the regular season, the league holds its seasonal All-Star Game. Two teams representing the North and South Divisions are composed of fifteen players from each division, all of whom are declared as the season's all-stars. Alongside the All-Star Game are the various festivities held at the same day, including the Executives' Game, Three-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Contest.

Play-in tournament

[edit]

Beginning with the 2025 season, the league will feature a play-in tournament to be contested by teams ranked seventh through tenth in their respective divisions. The seventh and eighth-placed teams play to determine the seventh seed in the playoffs. The ninth and tenth-placed teams play to face the looser of the seventh place game for the last seed.

Playoffs

[edit]
See also: MPBL finals

Since the 2018–19 season, sixteen teams advance to the playoffs, eight per division. These include the top six teams from each division as well as two qualifying teams from the play-in tournament.

In the first round or the division quarterfinals, the first seed matches with the eighth seed, the second with the seventh, the third with the sixth, and the fourth with the fifth. The division semifinals will then have the winner of the 1–8 series match with the winner of the 4–5 series, and the winner of the 2–7 series with the winner of the 3–6 series. The winners of both series then meet in the division finals. The champions of each division will then meet in the final round, dubbed as the MPBL finals or the MPBL national finals, where the two teams play in one final series to determine the series champion.

The first two rounds, the division quarterfinals and semifinals, are best-of-three series while the last two rounds, the division finals and national finals, are best-of-five series.

Homecourt advantage

[edit]

During the first two rounds of the playoffs, two games from within the same division are played in the same gameday at the same venue. Because of this, a different system is used to determine homecourt advantage for those two rounds, shown in the table below. Both the division finals and national finals use a traditional 2–2–1 format, where the higher-seeded team hosts games 1, 2, and 5.

Seed Court
DQF DSF Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
1st Highest Home Neutral Home
2nd Home or
Neutral
3rd Second-highest Neutral Home
4th
5th Second-lowest Neutral Away Away or
neutral
6th
7th Lowest Away Neutral
8th Away
Notes
  • If one or two series feature a game 3, the highest-seeded remaining team hosts the games.
  • If more than two series feature a game 3, the two highest-seeded remaining teams host the games.

Awards

[edit]
Main article: List of MPBL awards

A majority of the league's awards are given out during the national finals, such as the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards. Two awards, the Finals MVP and Coach of the Year, are given out after the finals.

Championships

[edit]
Main article: List of MPBL champions

As of 2024, five teams have won the championship, with the Pampanga Giant Lanterns being the only team to win two titles. Three teams have made two appearances in the national finals thus far.

† Team has since departed the league
Team Win Loss Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Pampanga Giant Lanterns 2 0 2 2023, 2024 —
San Juan Knights 1 1 2 2019 2021
Davao Occidental Tigers 1 1 2 2021 2019
Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters 1 0 1 2018 —
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards 1 0 1 2022 —
Muntinlupa Cagers 0 1 1 — 2018
Zamboanga Master Sardines 0 1 1 — 2022
Bacoor City Strikers† 0 1 1 — 2023
Quezon Huskers 0 1 1 — 2024

Junior MPBL

[edit]
Year Season Age group Champion Runner-up
2023 Season 1 U-14 Cavite City Aces Solar Mindoro Junior Disiplinados
U-16 Davao Red Cubs Quezon City 828 Junior Giants
U-18 Mandaluyong Junior Microsmith Davao Red Cubs
2024 Season 2 U-14 Biñan Tatak Gel Rizal Switch Fiber
U-16 San Pedro Spartans Makabagong San Juan Mighty Warriors
U-18 Palawan Yurich Builders Rizal Switch Fiber
D-League
(U-21) 		Pasig Servants Caloocan JY Batang Kankaloo

Media coverage

[edit]
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
GenreMPBL game telecast
Starringvarious commentators
Country of originPhilippines
Original languagesFilipino
English
No. of seasons7
Production
Production locationsVarious MPBL venues
Camera setupMultiple-camera setup
Running timevaries
Original release
NetworkABS-CBN Sports (2018–2021)
Fox Sports Asia (2018–2019)
IBC (2021)
TAP DMV (2021; streaming only)
Cignal TV (2022–2024)
Solar Sports (2025–present)
ReleaseJanuary 25, 2018 (2018-01-25) –
present

Throughout the history of the MPBL, it has had multiple networks acquire the league's television and streaming broadcast rights. Regardless of platform, the league has always used a centralized broadcast feed, meaning that the same feed shared across all platforms in which it is broadcast. It also employs its own broadcast team of commentators, analysts, and courtside reporters.

ABS-CBN became the league's first television partner beginning with the 2018 season,[61] and aired the games on television via the main channel, S+A, Liga, its various regional stations in regional markets, and The Filipino Channel in international markets. The network's iWantTFC streaming service aired the games worldwide. Additionally, Fox Sports Asia, held the television rights for Monday games throughout the 2018–19 season. The shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting during the 2019–20 season suspension meant that the network's final MPBL broadcasts came during the 2021 national finals, which were aired on the A2Z channel.

While the league was finding a new broadcast partner for the 2022 season, the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) held the television rights for the 2021 Invitational. TAP Digital Media Ventures Corporation (TAP DMV) held the streaming rights, streaming all games via its TAP Go service.[62]

The league eventually found its successor to ABS-CBN in 2022 with Cignal TV becoming the league's new television partner.[20] The primetime game was broadcast on One PH while Media Pilipinas TV (MPTV), a channel dedicated to programming of the Maharlika Pilipinas leagues, aired all games beginning in 2023. The network's Pilipinas Live service held the streaming rights since its launch in 2023. Cignal's television and streaming rights lasted until 2024, with its final broadcasts being during the 2024 national finals.

Succeeding Cignal is the league's current television partner, Solar Entertainment Corporation, which will air a selection of Monday, Thursday, and Saturday games on its Solar Sports channel beginning in 2025.[63]

Commissioners

[edit]
Kenneth Duremdes, MPBL commissioner since November 2017.
No. Commissioner Tenure
From To
1 Snow Badua August 29, 2017 November 22, 2017
2 Kenneth Duremdes November 22, 2017 incumbent

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is a men's regional professional league in the , founded on August 29, 2017, by boxer-turned-politician to promote grassroots basketball and local talent development through city- and province-based teams.
The league's inaugural season launched in 2018 with a limited roster of teams and has since expanded significantly, reaching 30 active franchises by 2025, divided into North and South divisions competing in a regular season followed by playoffs culminating in national finals.
Under Commissioner , a former PBA star, the MPBL emphasizes accessible, community-oriented games often held in local arenas, providing a platform for former college and professional players while fostering regional rivalries.
Key achievements include rapid growth and increased fan engagement via live broadcasts, but the league has been marred by controversies such as multiple game-fixing scandals, resulting in lifetime bans for dozens of players, coaches, and officials, as well as incidents of on-court and referee assaults.

History

Founding and Early Amateur Phase (2017–2018)

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) was established on August 29, 2017, by Manny Pacquiao, an eight-division world boxing champion and Philippine senator, with the objective of fostering grassroots basketball development through both commercial teams and barangay-level programs. The league emphasized providing opportunities for local talent outside the elite Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), explicitly positioning itself as a non-competitive alternative focused on community engagement and skill-building rather than professional rivalry. During its founding phase, the MPBL operated strictly as an amateur league, adhering to regulations that prohibited professional player contracts and prioritized unpaid or minimally compensated participants to align with its developmental ethos. This amateur structure allowed for broader participation from emerging athletes, including those from streetball and collegiate backgrounds, while avoiding direct overlap with established pro circuits. The league's inaugural season launched on January 25, 2018, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, featuring ten teams exclusively from Luzon, primarily Metro Manila areas such as Valenzuela, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Batangas. These teams competed in a single-division format without regional playoffs initially, culminating in Batangas City Athletics claiming the first championship after a regular season of ten games per team. The early games drew modest crowds and highlighted raw, unpolished play, underscoring the league's nascent stage and commitment to organic growth over polished professionalism.

Expansion and Pre-Professional Era (2019–2020)

The 2019–20 MPBL season, designated as the Lakan Season and sponsored by Chooks-to-Go, represented a phase of rapid expansion for the league, which grew to 31 teams—the largest field in its history at that point—through the addition of six new franchises while operating under semi-professional rules that emphasized regional representation and limited player compensation. This growth built on the prior season's national outreach, incorporating teams from underrepresented areas to foster basketball development across , , and , with squads divided into North and South divisions for scheduling purposes. The league maintained its focus on Filipino players, primarily locals with ties to their franchised cities or provinces, adhering to eligibility rules that restricted foreign imports and prioritized over high salaries, distinguishing it from fully professional circuits like the PBA. Key expansion teams included the , which joined in May 2019 to represent , and the Bicol Volcanoes, debuting in the South Division and playing their opener on June 12, 2019, at the Mall of Asia Arena against . Other newcomers, such as the , further extended the league's footprint into island provinces, aiming to cultivate talent pipelines and boost local economies through home games in municipal venues. This era underscored the MPBL's pre-professional model, where franchises relied on sponsorships and municipal support rather than substantial player contracts, enabling broader accessibility but constraining operational budgets compared to accredited pro leagues. The regular season ran from June 12, 2019, to February 12, 2020, featuring a grueling schedule of triple round-robin games within divisions to determine playoff qualifiers, with top performers like the and emerging as frontrunners before external disruptions halted proceedings. Playoff formats retained a best-of-five series structure for later rounds, rewarding consistent performance amid the league's emphasis on physical, defense-oriented play suited to rosters. This period highlighted the MPBL's resilience in scaling operations without professional accreditation from the , which would only come in late 2021, allowing it to serve as a developmental bridge for players aspiring to higher tiers while navigating logistical challenges of a dispersed, city-based expansion.

COVID-19 Disruptions and Transition to Professional Status (2020–2021)

The 2019–20 MPBL season, known as the Lakan Season, was suspended on March 12, 2020, midway through the North and South Division finals due to the escalating . At the time of suspension, the playoffs featured four remaining teams—, , Makati Super Crunch, and Basilan Steel—with only one game left in each division final series. The halt aligned with government-imposed restrictions on mass gatherings and contact sports, prioritizing amid rising cases. League officials initially explored resumption options, including a potential bubble setup to complete the suspended playoffs behind closed doors in a single venue under strict quarantine protocols. However, persistent pandemic challenges, including the nationwide ban on contact sports during general community quarantine and the shutdown of broadcast partner Sports+Action, led to the outright cancellation of the entire 2020–21 season on June 1, 2020. Commissioner cited insurmountable logistical issues for the league's 31 teams, such as enforcing health protocols across widespread locations, as a primary factor. The next season was rescheduled to begin on June 12, 2021, with teams required to retain 20% of player contracts to maintain roster stability. As preparations advanced for the 2021 resumption, the MPBL transitioned from its framework—established since 2017—to full status, a move mandated by the (GAB) to sustain operations under ongoing regulations. On November 10, 2021, league officials confirmed the shift, requiring players to obtain licenses while allowing collegiate athletes special guest permits, with GAB assisting in processing. GAB formally accredited the MPBL as a league on December 9, 2021, enabling the launch of the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational on December 11, 2021, featuring teams like , , and in a condensed 11-day format at venues such as . This accreditation, supported by sponsor Chooks-to-Go, addressed player demands for career advancement and positioned the league for structured governance, including stricter eligibility and compensation rules.

Professional Era Developments (2022–Present)

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League achieved status through accreditation by the on December 9, 2021, enabling the league to operate as a sanctioned competition. This transition facilitated enhanced player contracts, sponsorship opportunities, and alignment with national sports regulations, marking a shift from its prior semi- framework. The 2022 season, designated the Mumbaki Cup, served as the league's debut under auspices, emphasizing regional rivalries and increased competitive standards. Subsequent seasons underscored organizational growth through territorial expansions and roster policy adjustments. The 2023 campaign expanded to 29 participating teams, incorporating two new franchises amid a return of select dormant squads, which broadened representation across , , and . secured the national title that year, prevailing over in the finals and demonstrating the viability of sustained investment in talent development. In 2024, introduced flexibility in player composition by lifting prior restrictions, allowing teams unlimited imports within 22-man rosters—up from a cap of seven—aimed at elevating game quality and attracting higher-caliber athletes. Expansion continued with the addition of the Abra Weavers and Pangasinan Heatwaves, maintaining 29 teams while extending reach into northern provinces. repeated as champions, defeating in the national finals after a series that included international neutral-site games in . The 2025 season, the league's seventh overall, further advanced structural innovations with the debut of a play-in tournament to determine playoff qualifiers post-regular season, alongside growth to 30 teams via entry into the region. Regular-season play commenced on March 8, 2025, at the Capital Arena in , Isabela, signaling continued emphasis on geographic inclusivity and competitive depth. These evolutions reflect the league's strategy to scale operations amid rising fan engagement and regional economic ties, though challenges persist in maintaining parity across diverse franchises.

Sponsorship and Organizational Evolution

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) initially operated under the direct oversight of founder following its launch in 2017, with limited formalized sponsorship structures focused on grassroots and regional support. Early seasons relied on partnerships like ANTA's title sponsorship of the inaugural 2018 Rajah Cup, which provided uniforms and branding to establish the league's presence across provinces. Organizational setup emphasized city-based teams backed by local governments, without a centralized title sponsor dominating operations until later expansions. In December 2019, the MPBL signed a five-year partnership with Chooks-to-Go, designating it as the title sponsor and integrating its branding into league events to enhance visibility and funding. This deal marked a shift toward commercial scalability, with Chooks-to-Go supporting athlete development and nationalism-themed promotions. By October 2021, Pacquiao tasked Chooks-to-Go with handling operations, citing its organizational expertise amid his political commitments, which included expanded roles in scheduling, team management, and professional transition. This handover facilitated the league's pivot to professional status in November 2021, eliminating Filipino-foreign player restrictions to attract higher talent levels and removing amateur caps on salaries. Sponsorship diversified post-2021, reflecting the league's growth to over 30 teams. OKBet became the title sponsor for the fourth season, emphasizing gaming and tie-ins for broader . ANTA renewed its involvement in 2023 as the uniform provider for all teams, building on prior collaborations to standardize apparel and boost marketability. Suzuki Philippines extended its MVP award sponsorship into 2024, focusing on motorcycle branding at events. By 2025, title sponsorship shifted to through 2026, alongside Molten as official ball supplier and XTREME Appliances as a major partner, indicating a trend toward international and equipment-focused deals to sustain professional operations amid increasing competition from leagues like the PBA.

League Organization

Teams and Regional Structure

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League divides its franchises into two geographical divisions—the North Division and the South Division—to manage competition across the , reduce travel burdens, and highlight regional rivalries. This bifurcated structure, implemented as the league expanded beyond , assigns teams based on their primary locality, with northern teams (including those from the National Capital Region and provinces) in the North and southern teams (from southward through and ) in the South. The format supports a regular season of inter- and intra-division matchups, culminating in division-based playoff qualifiers. In the 2025 season, the MPBL fields 30 teams, up from 29 the prior year following the addition of a new franchise in August 2025. The North Division includes locality-based squads such as the , Vanguards, and Abra Weavers, drawing from Central and Northern strongholds. The South Division encompasses teams like the Zamboanga MasterS, Warriors, and , representing diverse areas from to . This setup prioritizes grassroots participation, with franchises often backed by local governments or businesses to embody provincial pride, though exact divisional headcounts fluctuate with expansions and relocations approved by league commissioners.

Roster Regulations and Player Eligibility

Teams in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League maintain rosters of up to 22 players. For each game, only 15 players may be active from the roster. A key regulation mandates at least three homegrown players—defined as talents originating from the team's represented city, municipality, or province—in the game-day roster to promote local development. This requirement applies to active lineups and supports the league's regional focus. Eligibility for former professional players, including ex-PBA stars, was liberalized starting in the 2024 season, removing prior caps of seven per roster and five per game. Teams may now sign unlimited ex-pros, subject only to the overall roster and game-day limits, provided the homegrown quota is met. Players from other leagues remain eligible unless under professional contracts elsewhere that conflict with MPBL rules. Filipino-foreign players require only a valid for eligibility, with restrictions on numbers and height eliminated as of the 2021 transition to professional status. All players must be Filipino citizens or hold such documentation, barring pure foreign imports. Local players face no nationality barriers beyond citizenship verification, enabling broad participation from across the Philippines. The league enforces uniform player contracts and random drug testing to standardize eligibility and maintain integrity. Violations, such as participation in conflicting professional leagues, may render players ineligible or classify them as ex-pros upon return.

Governance and Leadership

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) was founded on August 29, 2017, by , who serves as its chairman and maintains oversight of strategic direction. Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion and former senator, established the league to promote regional basketball development and provide opportunities for local talent outside the . Kenneth Duremdes has acted as commissioner since November 2017, managing league operations, franchise agreements, and competitive integrity. Duremdes, a former PBA Most Valuable Player, has overseen expansions to over 30 teams by 2025 and enforced policies such as allowing the league to assume control of underperforming franchises. In October 2021, Pacquiao delegated operations—including scheduling, player eligibility, and event management—to Chooks-to-Go, a major sponsor, to professionalize administration amid post-COVID recovery. Duremdes retained his commissioner role under this arrangement, focusing on regulatory enforcement while Chooks-to-Go handles logistical execution. The structure emphasizes founder-led vision with delegated operational expertise, without a publicly detailed .

Season Format

Preseason and Regular Season

The MPBL preseason typically features an invitational tournament with select teams to build momentum and allow squads to test rosters before the main campaign. In recent iterations, such as 2024, the event involved eight teams split into two groups of four, competing in a single round-robin within groups followed by knockout playoffs, hosted at a centralized venue like the Lagao Gym in General Santos City from February 21 to 27. Prizes included cash awards, with the champion receiving P1 million, underscoring its role in early-season preparation amid logistical challenges from travel and scheduling. However, the league opted to cancel the preseason for the 2025 season to streamline operations ahead of the regular season start, reflecting adaptations to resource constraints in a regional setup. The regular season forms the core of the MPBL schedule, structured as an extensive round-robin competition among its roughly 30 teams, divided into North and divisions for standings purposes. Each team plays approximately 28 to 29 games—one against every other participant—prioritizing home games to foster and attendance in local arenas. This format, echoing elements of the defunct , emphasizes volume over repeated matchups, with the season running several months; for instance, the 2025 edition began on March 8 at the and extends through late September, culminating in final elimination games around September 22–27. Standings aggregate wins from intra- and inter-division contests, seeding playoff qualifiers while accommodating the league's geographic spread across , , and . Adjustments, such as play-in games for borderline seeds, were introduced in 2025 to heighten competitiveness without altering the foundational single-round structure.

All-Star Events and Special Competitions

The MPBL , an annual mid-season exhibition, pits selected players from the league's North Division against those from the South Division, typically featuring fan-voted starters and coaches' selections for reserves. The event, introduced during the 2018–19 season, serves as a showcase for standout performers and includes skills competitions such as the three-point shootout and . No All-Star events occurred in 2020 or 2021 amid disruptions to the league schedule. The inaugural game took place on March 2, 2019, at the in City, with the South s prevailing over the North s in a contest coached by for the South squad. Subsequent editions maintained the divisional matchup format, with games held in various host cities to promote regional engagement. The 2022 event occurred on October 2 at the Batangas City Coliseum, emphasizing an "All-Star Sunday Special" with executive participation alongside player showcases. In 2024, the was hosted on September 7 in , where the North All-Stars secured victory over the South in a closely contested exhibition. The 2025 edition, held on September 6 in , Laguna, saw the South All-Stars edge out the North 82–81, with ' Judel Fuentes earning MVP honors for his 12 points in the decisive fourth quarter. Skills challenges complement the main game, highlighting specialized talents. The three-point shootout, contested annually during All-Star Weekend, awards points for successful long-range shots within a timed rack system; in 2024, finalists competed in . The slam dunk contest features creative aerial displays judged on style and execution, with a 2025 installment streamed live from . These events, often held prior to the , draw fan voting and media coverage to boost league visibility.

Play-In and Playoff System

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) postseason consists of divisional in the North and divisions, culminating in a national finals series between the division champions. Each division qualifies eight teams for the , with the top six advancing directly based on regular-season standings and the remaining two determined through a play-in involving teams ranked 7th to 10th. This structure was adopted starting in the 2025 season to expand postseason participation while maintaining competitive balance. In the play-in tournament for each division, single-elimination games determine the final seeds: the 7th-placed team faces the 8th-placed team, with the winner securing the 7th seed for the quarterfinals; separately, the 9th-placed team plays the 10th-placed team, and the winner of that matchup faces the loser of the 7th vs. 8th game for the 8th seed. These games emphasize higher-seeded teams' home-court advantage and aim to reward consistent regular-season performance. The introduction of play-ins in addressed prior formats where only the top eight teams per division qualified outright, potentially excluding bubble contenders. The divisional playoffs proceed as a single-elimination bracket: quarterfinal and semifinal matchups are contested in best-of-three series, with the higher seed hosting Games 1 and 3 if necessary. The division finals extend to a best-of-five format, a change implemented in 2025 to heighten intensity for championship berths, as opposed to the prior best-of-three standard across all rounds. Homecourt advantage favors top seeds throughout, determined by regular-season records. The North and South division winners then compete in the national finals, typically a best-of-three series held at a neutral or rotating venue, crowning the league champion. In the 2025 playoffs, which began with a 16-team field in October, this system ensured 8 representatives per division vied for supremacy.

Awards and Recognitions

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League annually recognizes outstanding individual and team contributions through awards such as (MVP) for the regular season, Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and All-Star Game MVP. These honors are typically presented at the conclusion of the national finals or dedicated ceremonies, highlighting statistical dominance, leadership, and impact on team success. The regular season MVP award, given to the league's top performer based on points, rebounds, assists, and overall influence, has been dominated by of the . Baltazar won the award in the 2023 season and repeated in 2024 during the league's sixth season, becoming the first player to achieve back-to-back honors after leading to consecutive championships. His 2024 victory underscored a season of statistical excellence, including high scoring and rebounding averages that propelled his team's playoff run. Finals MVP awards recognize playoff excellence, with Baltazar earning multiple accolades for his role in Pampanga's title wins, including the 2023 championship where his performance was pivotal in securing the franchise's first national crown. Additional recognitions, such as MVP, have gone to players like Jaycee Marcelino in 2022 for standout exhibition play, though comprehensive historical lists remain tied to league announcements. These awards emphasize the league's focus on regional talent development amid its expansion to over 30 teams by 2024.

Championships and Achievements

National Championship History

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's national championships pit the North and South division winners in a best-of-five finals series to crown the league champion. Since the inaugural 2018 season, the finals have produced six distinct winners, with the achieving the first back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, and the securing consecutive crowns in 2020 and 2021. These matchups have highlighted regional rivalries, particularly between Luzon-based teams and those from , with no team repeating immediately until Pampanga's recent dominance.
SeasonConference/CupChampionRunner-upSeries Result
2018Anta Rajah CupBatangas City AthleticsMuntinlupa Cagers3–1
2019Datu CupSan Juan KnightsDavao Occidental Tigers2–0
2019–20Lakan CupDavao Occidental TigersSan Juan Knights2–1
2020–21Lakan SeasonDavao Occidental TigersSan Juan Knights3–1
2022Mumbaki CupNueva Ecija Rice VanguardsZamboanga Family's Brand Sardines3–1
2023Fifth SeasonPampanga Giant LanternsBacoor Strikers3–0
2024Sixth SeasonPampanga Giant LanternsQuezon Huskers3–0
Pampanga's 2023 triumph marked their first national title, achieved via an undefeated playoff run culminating in a sweep of on December 2, 2023, at the . The following year, on December 7, 2024, they repeated the feat against Quezon in Game 3 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center, with earning Finals MVP honors after also securing back-to-back league MVP awards. Nueva Ecija's 2022 victory stood out for their perfect 21–0 regular-season record, the only such sweep in MPBL , before dispatching Zamboanga in the finals on December 12, 2022. Davao's back-to-back wins avenged prior finals losses to San Juan, with Mark Yee's overtime three-pointer sealing the 2019–20 title on March 21, 2021. Early championships featured tight contests, such as edging on April 19, 2018, to claim the founding crown. No national finals were held in select interim periods due to scheduling disruptions, including the .

Division and Regional Titles

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) organizes its teams into North and South Divisions, roughly corresponding to Luzon-based squads in the North and Visayas-Mindanao representatives in the , with division playoffs culminating in titles awarded to the winners before advancing to the national finals. These division championships highlight regional dominance and serve as qualifiers for the overall league crown, often featuring intense rivalries among local government-backed franchises. In the North Division, the secured back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, sweeping or defeating the in the finals each year to demonstrate sustained excellence in . Prior to that, the claimed the 2022 North Division championship with an 84-68 victory over San Juan, leveraging a deep bench to overcome early deficits and establish themselves as a powerhouse. The South Division has seen more variability, with the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines capturing the 2022 title after rallying past in , marking a for representation. In 2024, the executed a reverse sweep over Batangas City Embassy Chill to claim the South crown, propelled by key performances from players like Ljay Gonzales in decisive games. These victories underscore the competitive balance and logistical challenges of regional play, including travel across islands.
YearNorth Division ChampionSouth Division Champion
2022Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
2023(Data not fully verified in primary sources)
2024

Notable Records and Milestones

The Abra Solid North Weavers set the league record for the longest with 26 consecutive victories during the 2025 season, surpassing prior marks held by teams such as the . The Weavers achieved this by defeating the Mindoro Tamaraws 104–82 on September 30, 2025, extending a run that included 25 straight wins earlier in the month. The accomplished the first undefeated regular season in MPBL history, finishing 21–0 in 2022 before securing the . The later posted a 23-game regular season winning streak in 2024, contributing to their repeat title defense efforts. In individual achievements, Philip Paniamogan established the single-game record for most three-pointers made with 15, en route to a 46-point performance for in June 2025. Team-wise, the recorded the largest margin of victory with a 77-point of (118–41) in the 2021 playoffs. Milestones include the Athletics Tanduay claiming the inaugural national championship in 2018, defeating in the finals. The became the first team to win a national title on home soil in 2023, clinching the series at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center after starting in . No team has won more than two national championships as of 2025, with holding that distinction.

Junior MPBL

The Junior MPBL serves as the youth development league affiliated with the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, targeting players aged under 18 to foster grassroots basketball talent in the Philippines. It operates divisions for Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 age groups, with teams competing in a format mirroring the senior league's structure, including North and South Divisions leading to playoffs. The league emphasizes local player development, drawing participants from various regions and hosting games at accessible venues such as Divine Light Academy in Las Piñas City and SM Southmall. Launched under the initiative of , the Junior MPBL's inaugural season commenced on July 9, 2023, introducing structured competition to nurture young athletes for potential advancement to higher levels. Season 2 expanded participation, with semifinals and finals featuring teams like San Juan Mighty Warriors 16U, which advanced by defeating Taytay Hamaka Health Forum 86–78 in a key playoff game. For Season 3, announced in January 2025, the league plans to add at least two teams per division, increasing the talent pool and scheduling events starting around April 2025, with free admission to games to encourage community involvement. Participating squads, such as D' Generals and Rizal Switch Fibers in the 16U North Division semifinals, compete in high-stakes matches that highlight emerging skills, with standout performances like McRyan Macasarte's 20-point outing in a 14U playoff on October 19, 2025. The program prioritizes competitive balance and skill-building over professional outcomes, aligning with broader efforts to strengthen Philippine at the youth level without the commercial pressures of the senior MPBL.

Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL)

The Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) serves as the professional counterpart to the men's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, focusing on elevating in the through competitive play and regional representation. Established in 2024, the league aims to professionalize the sport for female athletes, building on grassroots and collegiate foundations to foster talent development and fan engagement. The WMPBL commenced with an invitational tournament in January 2025 featuring 14 teams divided into groups, culminating in the Pilipinas Aguilas securing the inaugural championship on April 23, 2025, via a 54-45 victory over the at in . This pre-professional phase highlighted emerging stars, with the mythical team including players such as Myra Orig, Patricia Algarin, Lalian Lauros, Analyn Llegado, Grave Miralles, and Melanie Umudhay. Transitioning to a fully format in June 2025, the league features six teams: Discovery-Rizal Perlas, Blufire-Batangas Valkyries, San Juan Lady Knights, Tagaytay-Tol Patriots, Solar-Pangasinan Home Suns, and RK Hoops-Quezon City. The season follows a competitive structure with regular-season games leading to playoffs, emphasizing physicality and skill under standard rules adapted for professional women's play. As of October 2025, the ongoing inaugural professional season has seen intense semifinal matchups, with Discovery-Rizal Perlas advancing to the finals after a 68-56 sweep over San Juan Lady Knights on October 22, and Blufire-Batangas Valkyries securing their spot by defeating Tagaytay-Tol Patriots. This development underscores the league's rapid growth, drawing attention to amid limited prior professional opportunities in the country.

Controversies

Game-Fixing Scandals and Investigations

In November 2019, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) founder filed criminal charges against 21 individuals, including players, coaches, and three Chinese nationals, for alleged game-fixing and point-shaving involving the Soccsksargen Marlins team during the 2018 season. The charges included multiple counts of outcomes and manipulating point spreads in at least 17 games, with evidence reportedly gathered from betting patterns and witness testimonies linking the scheme to an international based in . Players such as Jake Diwa faced 17 counts of point-shaving and two counts of game-fixing, while alleged mastermind Michael Sung, a Chinese national, was charged with 14 counts of game-fixing. On April 16, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) determined against 17 of the accused, recommending the filing of charges for violations of the Anti-Fixing Law and related statutes, though subsequent trial outcomes remain unresolved in public records. The scandal prompted the MPBL to suspend the Marlins franchise indefinitely and highlighted vulnerabilities in semi-professional leagues to organized betting networks, with Pacquiao emphasizing the role of foreign operators in exploiting low player salaries and lax oversight. In February 2024, the MPBL announced lifetime bans for 47 players and officials implicated in separate game-fixing activities, following an internal investigation and disclosures by naming individuals tied to point-shaving and outcome manipulation across multiple teams. The league's commissioner urged team owners to avoid rehiring banned personnel, framing the action as essential to restoring integrity amid persistent influences. No formal DOJ charges were immediately filed in this wave, but the bans reflected proactive league measures based on evidence from game footage, financial trails, and informant reports, underscoring ongoing risks from illegal betting syndicates. Suspicions of irregularities persisted into 2025, including an August incident where a coach was observed texting during a game amid "suspicious" plays, reigniting public scrutiny, though the MPBL classified it as unproven without escalating to bans. These episodes have drawn criticism for the league's reliance on self-policing rather than independent audits, potentially limiting deterrence against in a regionally competitive environment prone to match-fixing due to economic incentives for participants.

Integrity and Quality Criticisms

The Maharlika Pilipinas League (MPBL) has faced over officiating inconsistencies, exemplified by a pivotal non-call during the South Division play-in game between the Greats and Tamaraws on October 7, 2025, where failed to award a foul on a crucial play, prompting the league's Commissioner's Office to impose indefinite suspensions on the involved officials. This incident highlighted broader concerns about competence, as the league acknowledged the error but defended the officials' limited real-time angles compared to post-game reviews. Integrity issues have also arisen from physical confrontations targeting referees, such as the April 18, 2024, incident following an Abra-Pasay game, where eyewitnesses reported bodyguards allegedly employed by an Abra politician storming the referees' quarters and assaulting officials over disputed calls, leading the MPBL to launch an investigation into the lapse in game control and security. Similar lapses in decorum include the July 4, 2023, suspension and fine of coach Ariel Sison for striking an opposing player, deemed "conduct unbecoming" by the league, with the Games and Amusements Board conducting parallel probes. Critics have questioned the overall quality of play and organization, with observers noting that MPBL games often exhibit lower technical proficiency and entertainment value compared to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), attributing this to uneven team compositions and developmental gaps despite the league's regional expansion. Reports of player exploitation, including unpaid wages prompting teams like one in June 2025 to field only eight players in a lopsided defeat, have further eroded perceptions of standards, though the league has not publicly detailed mechanisms for wage compliance. These elements, combined with recurrent penalties—such as lifetime bans for players like Michole Solera in August 2025 for punching an opponent—underscore ongoing challenges in maintaining competitive integrity and elevating baseline quality.

Media Coverage and Impact

Broadcasting and Sponsorships

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has relied on multiple television partners for broadcasting since its inception. Early games were aired live on ABS-CBN's S+A channel on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. From 2022 to 2024, Cignal TV held the broadcast rights, with all games streamed live on Media Pilipinas Television (MPTV) via Cignal Channel 98. In March 2025, the league shifted to Solar Sports as its primary television partner for the season starting March 8, airing over 200 select games on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 6 p.m. Digital streaming complements traditional broadcasts, with the MPBL's official YouTube channel providing live coverage of regular season and playoff games, including recent matchups such as the 2025 South Division quarterfinals on October 24. In July 2025, a partnership with enabled additional live streams on platforms like PusoP.com, Smart Sports' and Puso Pilipinas' and channels, expanding accessibility for fans. Sponsorships have played a key role in the league's operations, particularly from betting firms and sports equipment providers. Global betting company became the title sponsor in February 2025, extending through 2026 and branding the season as "Manny Pacquiao presents MPBL," marking the first such partnership for a major Philippine professional league. Previously, OKBet served as the official betting partner for the 2022 season. In April 2025, Molten was named the official ball partner and supplier. ANTA Philippines has been the official outfitter since May 2023 under a three-year agreement, supplying uniforms and apparel to teams. Additional partnerships include Daily Fantasy for fantasy sports integration.

Cultural and Developmental Influence

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) reinforces basketball's central role in Philippine culture by promoting regional identities through city- and province-based teams, which cultivate local pride and rivalries akin to those in the (PBA). Dubbed the "Liga ng Bawat ," the league emphasizes accessibility and participation, drawing crowds to local venues and integrating into community events, thereby sustaining the sport's status as a unifying national pastime. On the developmental front, the MPBL functions as a talent pipeline, enabling players to gain professional experience before transitioning to higher levels like the PBA, with its semi-professional structure providing competitive play that hones skills in a less corporate environment than elite leagues. The league's expansion, such as Pangasinan's entry in February 2024, supports homegrown talent cultivation in provinces, fostering skill development through regular games and exposure. Complementing this, the Junior MPBL, launched on June 16, 2023, by , targets youth aged 13-17, offering structured competition to showcase talents, promote discipline, and deter involvement in vices via basketball-focused programs. These initiatives, including outreach and clinics, prioritize sportsmanship and youth engagement, contributing to long-term athlete progression from local to national stages.

Reception and Comparative Analysis

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) has garnered positive reception for its rapid expansion and emphasis on regional representation, drawing crowds through city-based teams that foster local pride and accessibility. Launched in , the league achieved professional status in 2021 and has since grown to include over 30 franchises, enabling more frequent games and broader participation across , , and . Early assessments highlighted its "phenomenal" growth and fan acceptance, with commissioner noting in 2019 that attendance and engagement exceeded expectations within the first year. This grassroots appeal has positioned the MPBL as a complement to elite , attracting former professionals and amateurs while promoting community involvement, though specific attendance figures remain lower than those of established leagues, with reports of smaller turnouts for non-Metro games. Critics, however, have questioned the league's competitive quality and value, attributing lower skill levels to its semi-professional structure and reliance on regional talent pools. Observers note that MPBL games often feature undersized lineups and less refined play compared to higher-caliber competitions, leading to perceptions of diminished excitement despite high-stakes regional rivalries. Recent shifts, such as allowing unlimited professional players per team starting in 2024, aim to elevate standards but have sparked debates over roster imbalances favoring wealthier franchises. Public backlash to officiating and disciplinary decisions, including high-profile suspensions, has further highlighted integrity concerns among fans seeking parity with more polished leagues. In comparison to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the MPBL operates as a developmental and regional counterpart, prioritizing volume and geographic diversity over elite talent concentration. The PBA, as the country's premier professional league since 1975, boasts superior player quality, with average viewership exceeding 975,000 per game in 2024—far outpacing secondary circuits—alongside record attendances like 52,612 at events. MPBL's city-centric model enables more inclusive competition, with reports of packed venues for marquee matchups and competitive salaries drawing PBA stars (e.g., offers up to ₱1.2 million monthly), yet it lags in overall production values and national broadcast dominance. This dynamic suggests the MPBL fills a niche for sustained engagement, potentially serving as a talent feeder, while the PBA maintains through structured and commercial appeal, though merger discussions underscore tensions over expansion and equity.

References

  1. https://betsapi.com/l/10769/Philippines-MPBL
  2. https://philippinetelevision.fandom.com/wiki/Maharlika_Pilipinas_Basketball_League
  3. https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/08/11/tmt-newswire/mpbl-welcomes-its-30th-team/2165516
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