FOTO CAPTION

PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios (left) welcomes Ramon Segismundo,
Meralco SVP and head of Human Resources and Corporate Services
who will represent the country’s biggest electric company in the
board.

Newly appointed Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio’s priority is to put together his coaching staff before working on the team line-up.

Gregorio is scheduled to leave for a brief vacation with his family in Guam on Wednesdaty and is scheduled to return on Monday and buckle down to work.

Meralco’s PBA governor Ramon Segismundo, Senior Vice President and Human Resources and Corporate Services head has said they will start forming the team on Gregorio’s return. The alternate governor of Meralco on the PBA board will be Betty C. Sy-Yap, SVP and finance officer.

The formation of the team will be taken up in an organizational meeting when coach Gregorio returns next week.

Segismundo said Meralco will build on its franchise acquired from Sta Lucia Realty “to develop a competitive team over the long-term.” He said “ Meralco’s legacy has always been intertwined with Philippine basketball” adding that “it is an honor and privilege for us to be part of PBA’s future.”

Segismundo who joined Meralco last January was formerly an executive in a multi-national company in Singapore.

Meralco was at one time a household name in Philippine basketball in the 1960s until the mid 70s while playing in the defunct MICAA.

Among its outstanding players at that time were the “Living Legend” of Philippine basketball and later senator Robert Jaworski,Alberto “Big Boy” Reynoso and sweet-shooting Jimmy Mariano who were all members of the Philippine National Team.

Gregorio told us after accepting the job as coach that the departure of Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes to Talk N’Text had weakened the team he inherited which still has veteran center Marlou Aquino and power forward Ali Peek.

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