Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Century Tuna fetes Mt. Everest summiteer Jeno Panganiban

Jeno Panganiban

Century Tuna officially celebrates the return of mountaineer and Superbod athlete Jeno Panganiban to the Philippines after successfully reaching the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest summit.

Through a couple of months of relentlessly climbing the unforgiving terrain and enduring the frigid climate of Mount Everest, Jeno has etched his name in Philippine history as the youngest male Filipino who has reached its summit in almost two decades, inspiring a new generation of Filipinos to embrace the challenge of facing their own summit with strength and proper nutrition.

Century Tuna honors his monumental achievement and welcomes Jeno home, shining a spotlight on his triumphant ascent. He embodies strength, endurance, and resilience in his pursuit to reach the summit of the world. 

When we were approaching the summit, I approached it with pride because by that time, we knew that the whole nation was watching us. And I felt emotional because I was able to carry the Philippine flag to the top of the world,” Jeno shared as he recounted the once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Jeno’s summit to the world’s peak is a testament to years of hard work and dedication to fueling his passion for mountaineering and optimizing his lifestyle. He transitioned from a former software engineer, working a 9-to-5 job, to owning a distribution business, supplying healthy produce to restaurants across Metro Manila, which has given him the flexibility to control his own time. 

When he set his sights to finally achieving his long-time dream of conquering Mount Everest, Jeno knew that it required singular focus and relentless drive. It wasn’t only about rallying together all his previous mountaineering experiences. It was also about actively choosing to go through extreme preparation and intentionally nourishing his body with the right nutrition that can push him to become one of the Philippines’ national prides.

From high altitude sickness, hazardous weather, to the looming threat of avalanches, Jeno persisted through the life-threatening challenges. He endured temperatures reaching below freezing, extreme sun exposure burning, and loss of oxygen as he was reaching the summit while pushing through exhaustion. 

You have to be comfortable in being uncomfortable,” says Jeno. “So every day, we made sure that our bodies were in the right condition. I made sure my body and mind were ready for the push.”

With Century Tuna as his partner, Jeno was able to bring his A game to his climb. His remarkable resilience to climb to an elevation of 8,849 meters is nourished by his favorite Century Tuna meal, the classic combination of Century Tuna Hot and Spicy with saltine crackers, a comfort food that’s easy to prepare but packed with protein to keep him energized throughout his arduous training and long ascent.

His journey perfectly embodies Century Tuna’s “Fit for Any Role” campaign, highlighting the brand’s celebration of the multi-faceted image of fitness and its part in helping individuals face any role. 

Century Tuna is proud and honored to support Jeno’s journey because he is a living testament that anyone can face their own summit. He has shown us that through properly nourishing the body and building up strength, everyone can go after their dreams — a pursuit that Century Tuna has always championed. He is an inspiration, not just to his fellow athletes, but to all of us who take on life’s challenges every day,” said Century Pacific Food, Inc. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Greg Banzon.

Century Tuna challenges every Filipino to define their own summit. Whether they want to achieve a fitness milestone, a personal goal, or a monumental accomplishment, being fit with Century Tuna means being ready to take on the challenge.

Jeno Panganiban successfully climbs Mount Everest, returning the Philippine flag to the peak after almost two decades

Jeno Panganiban atop Mt. Everest

Almost two decades after the last Filipino summited Mount Everest, Jeno Panganiban, along with two other mountaineers, has made history, putting the Philippine flag back on top of the world.

A graduate of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at De La Salle University, Jeno developed his love for hiking when he was a third-year college student. In 2016, encouraged by friends and classmates who posted their hiking photos on social media, Jeno set out to climb his mother mountain, the first mountain that a hiker summits, Mount Talamitam in Batangas, at 21 years old. 

Nine years later, he is the youngest male Filipino and the 11th Filipino mountaineer to summit Mount Everest.

It’s not a light undertaking, and it’s not for everyone,” shares Jeno as he recounts the challenges he experienced throughout his climb. For him, preparing for a climb that fewer than 10,000 people on Earth have accomplished requires years of hard work and dedication.

He resigned from his position as a software engineer and started his own distribution business that supplied healthy fruits and vegetables across Metro Manila to fully dedicate himself to his passion. Unbound to the routine schedule of corporate life, Jeno now had more time to pursue the ambitious climbs that few mountaineers could only dream of.

He first visited the Mount Everest Base Camp, the first of the five camps and the lowest elevation camp of the mountain, in 2022, when his aspiration to reach its summit began.

Since then, Jeno has dedicated his training to climbing Mount Everest. His first test that helped him prove his ability to achieve his dream was reaching the top of Mount Manaslu in Nepal, the 8th highest mountain in the world with a peak of 8,163 metres, in September 2024 and two weeks later, climbing a more technical expedition requiring rock climbing, ice climbing, and fixed-line ascent, Mount Ama Dablan in Nepal. 

In April 2025, he returned to Nepal and began his ascent to the world’s highest peak with the full support of his family, loved ones, friends, and Century Tuna, along with Filipinos across the country. 

From Everest’s Base Camp to Camp 4, he encountered numerous life-threatening challenges that tested his physical limitations and mental capacity.

You have to be comfortable in being uncomfortable,” says Jeno. “So every day, we made sure that our bodies were in the right condition. I made sure my body and mind were ready for the push.”

The first challenge that every Mount Everest summiteer faces is the Khumbu Icefall, a treacherous shifting terrain of seracs (towering ice columns), deep crevasses, and unstable ice blocks that can fall into deep snow cliffs at any time.

As Jeno and his expedition team forged higher up the mountain, they faced increasingly freezing temperatures and high altitudes that pushed their bodies to their limit. With the lack of oxygen from the thin mountain air coupled with raging winds, some mountaineers experienced various combinations of altitude sickness symptoms, including migraines, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, and lack of appetite.

Relying on his training, Jeno rallied through these challenges while experiencing snow blindness and intense sun exposure. He recalled powering through losing the feeling of his fingers and toes at various periods during the climb because he was determined to reach the top, a dream that is, finally, within his reach. He did not want his fellow Filipinos to wait another 20 years for the Philippine flag to be raised on the highest global stage. This journey was more than just about reaching the summit, it was about showing every dreamer back home that with courage in the heart and perseverance in the soul, even the impossible can be within reach.

And when he finally stood at the top of the world, that dream took on a breathtaking form, witnessing the astonishing curvature of the Earth was unlike any other experience in his life.

It’s an incomparable feeling. At first, I didn’t register that I was already there. But when it sunk in, I realized that I was on top of the world. I was higher than any person or any animal in the world,” recalls Jeno.

For most, conquering the summit of Mount Everest would be the end of a lifelong journey, the peak of their mountaineering career. But for Jeno, climbing Everest was a pace setter. He is already planning his next climb. He has set his sights on summiting K2, nicknamed The Savage Mountain for its extreme climbing difficulty and dangerous conditions, located on the border between Pakistan and China. Eventually, he plans to finish climbing the 14 mountains on Earth with peaks above 8,000 meters, known as the “8,000-meter peaks.”

Jeno has more summits to conquer and he hopes that someday he can pass on the lessons he learned along his climbs to the next generation of Filipino mountaineers who will continue to wave the Philippine flag on top of the world.

Monday, June 16, 2025

FIBA Asia Cup for Women trophy set for Philippine tour

FIBA Asia Cup for Women Trophy 

The Philippines will have a special tourist for the next couple of days, as the trophy for the FIBA Asia Cup for Women is now in the country, allowing fans to have a closer look at the continent's top prize for women's basketball, as well as highlight and celebrate the growing local legacy of the sport.

Personally hand carried by FIBA-Asia's Head of Communications Magesh Saba, it marked its arrival with a special invite-only gathering at the MAAX branch of Buffalo's Wings 'N Things that included select media members, as well as the Gilas Pilipinas Women's team. BWNT is among the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' official partners for the tour.

The next couple of days of the tour also is set to highlight local pride and community roots. 

On the second day of the tour, June 17, the trophy is off to Malolos, Bulacan, the hometown of Jack Danielle Animam. A motorcade is set to weave across the streets of the historic city, which will include passing through its city hall and culminate at the historic Barasoain Church.

The third and final day of the tour, June 18, will be headed to five universities, of which its alumnae have figured in the recent ascent of the sport in the local scene through their participation in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as student-athletes.

Serving as the first stop of the tour in at De La Salle University, where the trophy will be displayed in front of the St. La Salle Building. Khate Castillo, whom fans remember as the one who beat Sabrina Ionescu in a shootout when the American standout visited the country earlier this year, was a feared shooter from distance with the Lady Archers.

It then heads to National University, where current Gilas Women head coach Patrick Aquino engineered the Lady Bulldogs into one of the premier dynasties in the UAAP, with the likes of Afril Bernardino, Animam, Stef Berberabe, Angel Surada, and Monique del Carmen, and now producing future stalwarts like Cielo Pagdulagan into its ranks.

Acting as the midway point of the campus tour is the University of Santo Tomas, featuring former UAAP champion Kent Pastrana, who is set to make her senior national team debut. The trophy is set to make an appearance at the Arch of the Centuries within the campus that is set to host the UAAP's 88th season.

From Manila, it is set to travel to Quezon City, where it will reside at the Blue Eagle Gym, the iconic sports facility inside the Loyola Heights campus of Ateneo de Manila University. Two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player Kacey dela Rosa holds the fort for the Lady Eagles, whether in 5x5 or 3x3. Fellow Blue Eagle Katrina Guytingco has been part of multiple medal-winning teams during the SEA Games.

The final stop of the tour will see a short run along Katipunan Avenue into the University of the Philippines, where it will be set beside the iconic Oblation statue. Aquino's alma mater has a couple of up-and-coming standouts in Louna Ozar and Camille Nolasco set to establish the Fighting Maroons as not just a force in men's basketball, but also on the women's side.

The SBP will provide the necessary content throughout the tour through its official social media platforms.

Singapore set to host 2025 edition of Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp

BWB Asia 2024 (c/o BWB)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) jointly announced that sixty individuals have been invited to participate in the fifteenth edition of the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia Camp, which will take place at the Singapore Basketball Centre inside the city-state on June 19-22.

In announcing the location of BWB Asia 2025, NBA Senior Vice President and Head of International Basketball Operation Troy Justice says, "Bringing Basketball Without Borders back to Singapore reflects our commitment to growing the game in the country and across Asia-Pacific. This year’s camp is particularly special, as it will coincide with our new basketball and entertainment festival and the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, our first regional high-school basketball tournament.  We look forward to a memorable week of events that will leave a lasting impact on fans and players from across the region."

On FIBA's end, Head of Players Unit Kimberley Gaucher adds, "We are delighted that Basketball Without Borders Asia is being held this year in Singapore – a nation that has consistently demonstrated its ability to host world-class events like the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup. BWB Asia offers an incredible platform to inspire and develop the next generation of basketball talent across the region, and we are confident that participants will gain invaluable experiences throughout the camp, learning meaningful lessons both on-and-off the court."

This will be the first time since 2010 that the BWB, which is the global basketball development and community will return to Singapore, which will serve as part of the NBA's multi-day immersive basketball and entertainment festival there. The activity will be capped off by the inauguration of the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league's first regional high school basketball tournament bringing together teams from eleven countries for both boys and girls. Action there will take place from June 25-29 at the Kallang Tennis Hub.

BWB Asia 2025 brings together thirty boys and thirty girls that are all 17 and under from across the region to learn and compete against each other, while also receiving coaching from current and former NBA and WNBA players and coaches.

The kids will be going through activities like movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, as well as 5-on-5 games.

For this batch, helping mentor these campers are 2024 NBA champion Derrick White (Boston Celtics) and 2024 NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers). Other notables set to share their knowledge are Duop Reath (Portland Trailblaers), 2025 FIBA Hall of Fame inductee Ticha Penicheiro, and NBA assistant coaches Vinay Bhavnani (Toronto Raptors), Jared Dudley (Dallas Mavericks), Ronald Nored (Atlanta Hawks) and Khalid Robinson (Golden State Warriors).

Maxey says about his upcoming obligations, "I’m excited to visit Singapore and be part of Basketball Without Borders for the first time. I look forward to working with the top young players in the region and sharing my knowledge and experiences with them."

Serving as camp director is World Association of Basketball Coaches president Patrick Hunt, while Katherine Babcock (Memphis Grizzlies) is its athletic trainer. 

Participants will also go through life-skills and leadership development sessions, as well as social responsibility programming during the camp.

To cap off the camp, a ceremony will take place to award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the male and female players who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders.

In addition, the NBA will hold a youth clinic for boys and girls on June 20 in conjunction with SportCares, the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore with the objective of empowering individuals from vulnerable backgrounds through sport, as well as a coaches clinic the next day with FIBA.

Supplying the campers with apparel and footwear is Nike, which has been BWB's global partner since 2002.

BWB has already made inroads towards the NBA and WNBA, with 132 alums having made either league out of over 4600 participants from 144 countries and territories since its establishment in 2001, with 79 such camps staged in 53 cities across 33 countries. Notable alumni from the Asia-Pacific include Australians Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls, BWB Asia 2018 and BWB Global 2020) and Josh Green (Charlotte Hornets, BWB Global 2018) and Japanese forward Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers, BWB Global 2016).

For BWB Asia 2025, three Filipinos have been invited.

NU-Nazareth School student-athletes Zaydhen Rosano and Rob Celiz, as well as Bacolod Tay Tung standout Paul Barcelona have been picked to join the sixty-player camp. Rosano and Celiz were vital in the Bullpups earning their spots in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational for both boys and girls, while Barcelona is fresh from reinforcing Western Visayas’ silver medal finish at the recently-concluded Palarong Pambansa in Laoag City.

The following is a complete list of players participating in the 15th BWB Asia camp

(rosters subject to change) (Filipinos in italics):

 

GIRLS ROSTER

 

BOYS ROSTER

Kaila Proctor

 

Harry Cook

Aysha Kemp

 

Isaac Riddle

Taryn Bond

 

Issac Weldon

Cheyenne Bobongie

 

Koby Moir

Siyao He

 

Guer Bar

Qirui Xie

 

Junxian Li

Yingying Rao

 

Zhenhe Liu

Yu Chen Peng

 

Huicong Chen

Yu Shan Hsu

 

You-Cheng Jhou

Madeleine Ada

 

Piyush Choudhary

Yuzu Hamaguchi

 

Roi Honda

Hoor Alkarain

 

Kenichiro Benedict

Heewon Cho

 

Oga Sato

Juha Kang

 

Laith Sahlieh

Sohee Lee

 

Cooper Lepou

Caysey Hermawan

 

Hoani Ifopo-Togia

Yi Tin Ellie Chen

 

Aubrey Chunga

Pei Wen Jolin Ting

 

Cole Hopoi

Fathimath Shubaa Shujau

 

Cooper Te Ratana

Taia Lana Ama McMechan

 

Rob Celiz

Olivia Rose Hastings

 

Paul Barcelona

Gia Ana Vukona

 

Abdulla Mousa

Zaydhen Rosano

 

Zacharias Neli Sasulu

Tereise Sufia Reupena

 

Chase Kai

Mylaani Shay Siolosega Sione

 

Haram Yoo

Tricia Lau

 

Geonwoo Kwak

Marsya Sazali

 

Jiwon Yoon

Kanokpone Travulvera

 

Thanawat Pisarnyuttanapong

Fa'anaetaua Puloka

 

Ali Toychiev

Taarushee Tarun

 

Ramazan Sarkiev