The PBAM History:

take a glimpse of our past story and how PBAM was created

Below is an excerpt of Jake Maguigad's timeline of our history as can be read in full in pbam.ca

The History of the PBAM

The organization was started in 1971 by a motley crew of basketball loving, Filipino neo-immigrants in Montreal.; Robert de Guzman, Jun O’Clarit (Mapua-Crispa), Popoy Maximo (Lyceum), Fred Casia, Luis-Inaki Sarasola, Emil Advincula, Jun Rimbao, Romie Buenaventura, Jun Fernancdez, Jake Maguigad, and Albert Candoleta. Mike Castro, Jorge Tapia, Nelson Dosado, Hal Sotero, Boy Dagsaan to name a few, came right after. Together, they played FILAC TORONTO in home and away games.

In 1975, the loose group, aka Filipino Sari-sari Store guys, bolstered by Dr. Bart Javier and Bert Abiera started the first organized Montreal Filipino Basketball League. Chaired by big league oriented Gani Gregorio (Adamson-Mariwasa) the original six teams were the Green Lancers (Pards Medina), Red Lions (Ike Sarasola) Blue Max (Jorge Tapia), White Warriors (Hal Sotero), Orange Byrds (ake Cuerquis), Yellow Crusaders (Bruce Vergara). The League caught fire and with the influx of new arrivals, the Maroons (Boy Flores), the Cream Knights (Art Carrera) and the Charlie Browns (Ben Lising) joined in. In keeping up with the changing times and also be credible, the Association, on Hal Sotero’s initiative, acquired legal status. It was incorporated March 1982. A year later, the PBAM hosted the 7th PIBNA (PHILIPPINE INTER-CITY BASKETBALL OF NORTHERN AMERICA) tournament. It was the first of a record breaking 4 hostings (1991-2000-2006) of the prestigious 16 City Tournament. A tough act to follow but it was done.

For the next decade, Ike Dimayuga, Nilo Yee, Pepe Carbon Mike Castro, Jorge Tapia, Eric Cosico, Lito Espinosa, Bot Miranda, Peping Tolentino and others handled PBAM affairs. The Association and the League flourished and was on all time high but by the end of the decade, success got the better, negatively. The league started to unravel, the PBAM was in a tailspin. Marred by rough physical play and an aborted Championship game, the Association became no men’s land, a place where angels feared to tread.

Beyond the memory

This is where our journey begins. 

Time slips by softly, almost unnoticed. It doesn’t announce itself — it whispers. A passing comment, a brief message, a name mentioned in conversation… and suddenly you learn that someone you once shared a court, or a game with , or have watched has moved away — to another city, another province, another country. And sometimes, more painfully, you hear that someone has left this world altogether.

You pause. You drift back. You remember how you met, the first impressions, the laughter, the rivalries, the victories. Slowly, it settles in — they were part of your past, woven into your glory days. Some memories are warm and joyful, others edged with stubborn grudges and competitive fire. But all of them belong to that chapter that shaped you.

And with time, even the sharp edges soften. What remains are the stories that make you smile unexpectedly, the moments that make you shake your head and laugh, and the quiet pride of being able to say, “Those were good days. We truly had something special.”

In those moments when we found ourselves reunited at celebrations, picnics, or even funeral visitations, conversation would inevitably drift back to the memories we once shared. Laughter would resurface, stories would grow animated, and somewhere in those exchanges, a small spark was born — the idea of gathering once more to celebrate those glorious years.

It was Mike Castro who eventually reignited that spark. Taking the initiative, he brought together a few former members for an ad hoc meeting to explore the feasibility of organizing a grand reunion — one that would bring back players, coaches, friends, and members of the 1970–1990 PBAM Inter-Color era.

How we started

A few photos from the planning meetings.