The Blue Team bested the White Team by a point in the MVPO 2026 All-Star Basketball Game after Wendell Ramos sank the decisive free throw in the final seconds of the game.
The winning team, managed by PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, who also heads PLDT’s Business Transformation Group and coached by 10-time PBA Champion Jojo Lastimosa, scored 60 points.
Apart from Ramos, the roster included Enrique Gil, Rabin Angeles, Diego Loyzaga, Joao Constancia, Paulo Angeles, and Cedrick Juan, etc.
“I want to thank God for this opportunity. He made it possible for me to shine. Alam naman natin, halos mga anak ko na mga ’to. But it was a blessing to be part of it,” Ramos said.
Meanwhile, the White Team led by Meralco’s Atty. William Pamintuan and helmed by Coach Luigi Trillo of the Meralco Bolts, featured efforts from Derek Ramsay, JC De Vera, David Licauco, Dylan Menor, Marco Gallo, Michael Ver, among others.
“Minsan lang tayo makalaro sa Araneta Coliseum. Iyan pangarap ko when I was younger. Nabigyan ng chance kaya I made the most out of it,” Licauco said.
Ramsay, who revealed he was initially hesitant to play, said he intended to focus on defense as he continues to recover from an elbow injury.
“I recently started playing frisbee again. We had a tournament over the weekend and I hyperextended my elbow which was already injured from golf. That happened two days ago,” he explained.
Beyond showcasing entertaining sportsmanship, the All-Star Games also supported a collective journey toward wellness, with each player receiving mwell watches to help monitor and track their health stats.
“Basketball is the number one sport in the country. Every Filipino loves this. They get to see their idols play, it provides a really good atmosphere,” Ramsay said.“I really enjoy these kinds of things. The energy is different. It is really for fun.”
Apart from the players on the court, the lineup of performers was also star-studded. Several cast members of Bagets: The Musical opened the game, while Jed Madela, Andrea Brillantes, and G-Force performed during Halftime.
Celebrities also filled the audience, including Concert Queen Pops Fernandez, Dennis Trillo, Herlene Budol, Angela Muji and others.