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[Jay P. Mercado]

I've been itching to write a thread about the good old MICAA days of yesteryears, especially since this was the PBA back in the 60's and early 70's. I actually requested Atty Flores to author this one for he would be the more credible authority in this regard. This may be one of the most difficult threads to make especially since this will require a lot of history recall, especially since I was only a toddler back then. So forgive me for some areas that may not be that accurate and feel free to correct these if needed...

The Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was founded back in the late 1950's as a commercial league that featured not only basketball but also multiple other sports like baseball, football, and the like. The league was made up of different companies that represented various sectors of business. The big names that stood the test of time were the Yco Painters (referring to the paint owned by the Elizaldes), Ysmael Steel (a steel-making business owned by the Ysmaels), Crispa Redmanizers (garments owned by the Floros), Imperial Textile Mills (garments), Manilabank (a commercial bank owned by the Puyats), Yutivo Opel (a car manufacturer), Komatsu (a heavy equipment company), Meralco (an electric distribution company owned by the Lopezes), San Miguel, (a beer company owned by the Zobels and Sorianos), Talon Zipper (short-lived but whose business thrives in sealing our private parts in our pants), Frigidaire / MAN Diesel (a refrigerator brand and a heavy equipment company owned by the Silverios) Solid Mills (garments owned by the Euyangs), and APCOR (a financing company owned by Herminio Disini). These were mostly the companies that I recall having played at the MICAA during the 60's and 70's.

Much of the success of the MICAA was brought about by the rivalry between the Painters and the Steel Makers. These were two of the most dominating teams in the Philippines back then, as they not only lorded in the MICAA but also in the National Seniors (where even top collegiate basketball schools are invited). The Painters bannered stellar players like Ed Ocampo, Carlos Badion, Robert Jaworski, Johnny Revilla while the Steel Makers had in its fold the fabled shooter Boy Arazas among others. The two teams collectively won 13 titles during the 60's, 6 by the Steelers and 7 by the Painters.

But my personal recollection with the league started in the mid-70's when I started watching and appreciating the game better. When the PBA opened shop in 1975, practically all 9 teams from the MICAA bolted out of the league to get out of the barnacles of one Lito Puyat, who was then the BAP president. Team owners felt that Puyat's high-handed ways in running the BAP, plus his mendicant approach in forming the national basketball team have reached its maximum tolerance, thereby making them form their own league which we now know as the Philippine Basketball Association. Among the MICAA teams, only the Puyat family-owned Manilabank remained in the amateurs.

Hence, in 1976, teams like San Miguel, ITM, Solid Mills, Frigidaire, Yco, Manilabank became the top teams of the league. Solid Mills, a sister team of U/Tex in the PBA, was bannered by former FEU players as their head coach, Turo Valenzona, was running the show in Solid Mills. Leading the team back then were Renato Lobo and Anthony Dasalla, with talents like Rad Pasco, Marte Saldaña, and Hector Calma coming in thereafter. Frigidaire, Toyota's farm team, was bannered by Abe King, Federico Lauchengco, Pablo Javier, Leopoldo Herrera and Emerito Legaspi. ITM had former Mapua players like Romy Mamaril and Israel Catacutan while Manilabank had the eminent Jojo De Guzman, Rudy Hines and later to be joined by 1979 PBA ROY Arnie Tuadles. Tuadles, who was then with the San Miguel Braves alongside fellow Visayans Marlowe Jacutin, Jess Migalbin and Salvador Ramas, eventually joined the Bankers in 1978. Solid Mills won the MICAA tournament in 1976 and 1977 while Frigidaire ruled the roost in 1978.

One super team came out in 1980 with the formation of the APCOR Financiers. Owned by the HERDIS Group of Companies, APCOR got Valenzona as their head coach who took in his players from FEU like Pasco, Saldaña, Rey Obias, Arturo Cristobal, Rey Lazaro, Alex Clariño and other collegiate standouts like Trinity's Zaldy Latoza, Letran's Terry Saldaña, Adamson's Hector Calma, former Frigidaire star Ramon Cruz, former UM Hawk Gary Vargas, and Carlson Samlani. The team dominated the last two years of the MICAA as it won practically every amateur title disputed back then with its star-laden squad oozing with talent.

Eventually, the MICAA folded up in 1981 and the amateur scene became a doldrum scene. It was only in 1984 when things perked up again with the formation of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) made up of different commercial teams like ESQ Marketing, San Miguel Lagerlite, among others. Its first MVP was Santiago Cabatu, Jr., who eventually became the first ever top draft pick in the PBA in 1985.

[Percival O. Flores]

Great thread, Jay. Sigue I'll contribute my bit when I 'm not so busy.

[Jay P. Mercado]

The finest amateur players that joined the PBA in the formative years mostly came from the MICAA. Here's a partial list:

Jimmy Taguines / Yco Painters - joined the Tanduay Esquires in 1977 and became the PBA ROY; bruising power forward with a solid interior game

Virgilio Cortez / Manilabank - joined the Toyota Comets in 1976 and became the PBA ROY; excellent transition player recipient of the baseball pass from Jaworski and Fernandez

Jimmy Manansala / Yco - joined the Tanduay Esquires in 1978 and became the PBA ROY; hotshot standout who can drill baskets from out of range and eventually became a defense specialist in his latter years with Great Taste Coffee

Abe King / Frigidaire - joined the Toyota Comets in 1977; a strong force inside, perhaps the best power forward ever produced by the PBA

Arnie Tuadles / Manilabank & San Miguel Braves - joined the Toyota Tamaraws in 1979 and became the PBA's first ROY to earn a slot at the Mythical 5; a finesse forward known for his contra-tiempo moves inside the paint

Jojo De Guzman / Manilabank - played for the Tefilin Polyesters in 1981 as one of the oldest rookies to join the PBA back then; known for holding the PBA record once upon a time for making 5 out of 5 three point baskets in one game

Emerito Legaspi / Frigidaire - 5'10 off guard with a deadly range from all corners; joined the Toyota Tamaraws in 1978

Jimmy Javier / Imperial Textile Mills - joined the Crispa Redmanizers in 1978; bruited to be the most important big man to enter the league since its inception; at 6'5, he turned out to be a bust

Romulo Mamaril / Imperial Textile Mills - joined the Crispa Redmanizers in 1979; another topnotch center in the amateur league and was a many-time member of the national team due to his 6'6 ceiling; became more popular as MAMA while playing for the Ginebra San Miguel team

Pablo Javier / Frigidaire - perhaps the finest point guard of the MICAA during the mid to late 70's, he joined the Toyota Tamaraws in 1978 and was bruited to be the next coming of Robert Jaworski; a brother of Jimmy, at 6'1, he had the built of the Big J but that was all there was to him

Hector Calma / Solid Mills & APCOR - considered as the most complete point guard ever to be produced by the PBA; joined the league in 1986 as part of the NCC team that was absorbed by the Magnolia Cheesemakers; was part of the victorious 1977 Adamson Falcons team in the UAAP alongside elder brother Mon Calma; played for Solid Mills and APCOR but only as a backup to more renowned teammates Marte Saldaña (PBA ROY 1982) and Alex Clariño

Renato Lobo / Solid Mills - perhaps the finest shooter ever to come out of the MICAA in the mid-70's, he and teammate Anthony Dasalla were instrumental in giving Solid Mills two titles in 1976 and 1977. He joined the PBA in 1977 along with Tony Dasalla and played for their mother team U/Tex Wranglers. He never got untracked in the league though as his sweet-shooting finesse game couldn't hold its fort in the physical game of the pro league

Tony Dasalla / Solid Mills - bruited to be the next Ramon Fernandez, the 6'4 former FEU Tamaraw was part of the 1-2 punch of Solid Mills when they won the titles in 1976 and 1977. Dasalla likewise joined U/Tex alongside Lobo in 1977 but likewise never hit it big in the pro league; his lean frame may have much to contribute for his non-success although no one can argue that Dasalla was the most important center in the MICAA during his time.

Willie Tanduyan / Imperial Textile Mills - perhaps the most gifted off guard in the MICAA during his time, he was capable of scorching the hoops with 40 points or more as he ended the MICAA season as the league's top marksman; he joined the PBA in 1978 as part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers but because of the Redmanizers' deep bench, was never really given enough playing time to strut his stuff; he eventually landed a slot with the Gilbey's Gin team when the latter joined the league in 1979 and instantly became the team's captain ball for that season

More to come...

[Supersonic]

Magandang idea na naman ito. I've always been interested to know more about the MICAA, especially the early days. From the mid-70's thereon, I got it mostly from Sports Weekly. Keep it up, guys!

[Percival O. Flores]

The MICAA was established in the late 1930's, around 1938 or 1939. That's according to my grandfather who played junior ball for Letran in the NCAA. He played for the Philipine Educational Company or PECO in the pre-war MICAA.

Since it was a league for employees, the glamour league then was the NCAA. The MICAA then can be likened to the American AAU.

Even at the very start, San Miguel Brewery had a team in the pre-war MICAA. And it was sort of like the UAAP or the NCAA where basketball was but one of the sports the employees played. There was MICAA competition for baseball, volleyball, football, among other games. But as always it was basketball which became prominent. Edgardo Ocampo played football as well as basketball for the Yco Red Painters.

Back in those days, it may be important to note that the MICAA was but one of the slew of tournaments that figured in the crowded basketball calendar in those days. Other tournaments were: the Philippine Invitational (which featured guest foreign teams like the Flying Camels of Taiwan and the West Adelaide Bearcats of Australia); the National Seniors, an open tournament were MICAA teams played against collegiate teams and a team of U.S. servicemen from Clark Air Base playing under the name "Johnny's Supermarket"; the PANAMIN Cup, a tournament organized by the Elizaldes; the Challenge to Champions, a tournament of the MICAA champions and runners-up. There were however two MICAA tournaments: The MICAA Open which had imports; and of course the MICAA All-Filipino.

So from there, you can deduce that the PBA format was actually derived from the old MICAA format.

The first MICAA tournament that I followed was the 1971 MICAA Open. I was then six (6) years old. The MICAA teams then were the Crispa Floro Redmanizers, Yco Red Painters, Meralco Reddykilowatts, San Miguel Braves, Concepcion Motorolas, Mariwasa AKAI, Seven-Up Uncolas, Yutivo Opel, and U-tex Weavers.

Except fopr one notable exception all the team had two imports, but they were allowed to play only one at a time, and they could not be fielded simultaneously. The only team that insisted on playing All-Filipino even when there were imports was the San Miguel Braves.

Yutivo Opel import Carl Jenkins was named most valuable player of that tournament.

MICAA was then covered by ABS-CBN's Channel 4 with Emy Arcilla as the anchor and Caloy Loyzaga as the analyst. Tito Eduque pitched in from time to time.

Meralco won that one over Crispa, 2 games to 1, winning game #3 64-58. The game was played one Sunday afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum.

As far as I can remember here are the team rosters in 1971, beginning of course with the Redmanizers:

Crispa -

4. Reynaldo Alcantara
5. Rudolph Kutch
6. Ernesto de Leon
7. Rodolfo Soriano
8. Danilo Florencio
9. Johnny Revilla
10. Adriano Papa. Jr.
11. William Adornado
14. Virgilio Abbarientos
15. Danilo Pecache
16.Paul Scranton
17. Domingo Celis. Jr.
18. Tom Cowart
19. Reynaldo Franco
Coach: Baby Dalupan

Meralco
4. Roberto Salonga
6. Jaime Mariano
7. Robert Jaworski
8. Francis Arnaiz
9. Orlando Bauzon
11. Alfonso Marquez
12. Jumbo Salvador
13. Engacio Arasaz
14. Alberto Reynoso
15. Lawrence Mumar
16. Ramon Lucindo
18. Fortunato Acuña
19. Carl Greenfield
20. Bob Presley
21. Lyle Ross, Jr.
Coach: Lauro Mumar

Yco Red Painters
5. Elias Tolentino
6. Sixto Agbay
8. Valerio de los Santos
9. Edgardo Ocampo
11. Marte Samson
12. Renato Reyes
13. Arturo Valenzona
14. Freddie Webb
15. Benjamin Cleofas
16. Ricardo Cleofas
17. Edgardo Gomez
18. Rene Canent
19. Earl Seyfert
Charles Walker
Coach: Fely Fajardo

San Miguel Braves

4. Belmonte
5. Worley Cuevas
6. Rolando Marcelo
7. Wilfredo Velasco
8. Orlando Castelo
9. Richard Palou
10. Alejandrito Miego
13. Manuel Paner
14. Rosalio Martirez
15. David Regullano
18. Ernesto Estrada
19. Ernesto Morales
Coach: Ignacio "Ning" Ramos

Mariwasa Akai
4. Miguel Bilbao
6. Ricardo Pineda
7. Julian Lim
8. Narciso Bernardo
11. Mariano Figuracion
13. Billy Robinson
14. Lim Eng Beng
18. Augusto Pinat
21. Joaquin Roxas
Coach: Valentin "Tito" Eduque

Yutivo Opel

Rogelio Melencio
Oscar Tuason
Gregorio Dionisio
Rodolfo Segura
Tomasito Segura
Carl Jenkins
Lucio Lim
Coach: Nilo Varona

Concepcion Motorolas

7. Jesus Dungo
Rhoel Nadurata

Seven-Up

7. Arthur Herrera
8. Alfredo Enriquez
14. Cristino Reynoso
15. Cirilo Fabiosa

U-tex

Margarito Kong

More to follow in the days to come, as I remember them.

[Jay P. Mercado]

A lot of fans constantly ask the reason why Robert Jaworski and MERALCO teammate Alberto "Big Boy" Reynoso were suspended for life by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) back in 1971. This happened in the MICAA tournament sometime December that year.

After a return stint from the 1971 ABC tournament held in Tokyo, Japan where the Philippines placed second, the game featured arch rivals Meralco and Crispa. In that game, with the Redmanizers ahead 65-50 going into the last twelve minutes of the second half, Reynoso was assessed a dubious foul by referee Joe Obias. Reynoso went berserk and ran after the hapless Obias who got sideswiped by Jaworski near the Meralco bench. A mini-riot ensued and when the smoke cleared, both Jaworski and Reynoso got ejected from the game. The game wasn't completed and the Reddywatts eventually conceded the game the day after. The MICAA imposed a two-year suspension on the two while the BAP sanctioned Jaworski and Reynoso with a lifetime ban. Eventually, the Meralco team disbanded, allowing the Redmanizers to rule the MICAA without a solid opposition.

Jaworski and Reynoso eventually was reinstated through the intercession of then President Marcos assistant Gimo De Vera and found themselves a home with the Komatsu Comets - the pre-cursor of the Toyota Comets in the MICAA and the PBA. This franchise was also owned by the Silverios - who at that time, almost had a monopoly in the car-making industry as they ran Delta Motors Philippines, then the biggest car company in the country that distributes Toyota cars, MAN Diesel, and other heavy equipment. Silverio formed the lineup that included Francis Arnaiz, Fort Acuña and Orly Bauzon.

The Komatsu Comets eventually became the Toyota Comets in 1973 and in its maiden season in the MICAA, became the champions in the opening conference. The deep bench, plus the fact that they were able to get the best point guard (in Jaworski) and the best center (Reynoso) at that time made life miserable for their arch rivals Crispa, who by then, were also struggling and reeling from game-fixing charges by their key players like Rudy Kutch, Danny Florencio and Jun Papa.

Controversies likewise came out in the selection of the national team players back then. In 1970, there was almost a balance of Crispa and Meralco players in the lineup, totaling 9 all in all. In the 1971 ABC, there were 3 apiece. In the 1974 ABC and World Championship, 4 Toyota and 2 Crispa players were represented. But in the same year, in the Asian Games in Teheran, Iran, 6 Crispa players were chosen compared to 2 from Toyota. Robert Jaworski was a fixture in almost all of these national teams.

[Percival O. Flores]

Jay, some clarifications and comments...

1. Jimmy Taguines did not come from the Yco Painters. He was recruited by Tanduay from Manilabank. As we have have been discussing, Manilabank, being owned by the Puyats adamanatly refused to join the PBA. Thus their better players were recruited by the PBA teams.

Note that from 1976 to 1979, three of the four Rookie of the Year awardees came from Manilabank namely Virgilio Cortez (1976), Jaime Taguines (1977) and Arnulfo Tuadles (1979).

In that span of time, only 1977 Rookie of the Year Jimmy Manansala played for the Yco Painters in the MICAA.

2. Ther late Jimmy Javier did not come from ITM. As I mentioned to you, Javier played for the Crispa amateur team after graduating from the NCAA JRC Heavy Bombers.

3. Romy Mamaril when he was playing for Mapua was reputedly 6'7" in height that would make him one inch taller than Ed Carvajal. He was reputedly the tallest player in Philippine basketball until 6'8" Bonifacio de Jesus (aka Mong) played for Manilabank.

4. Willie Tanduyan was Gilbey's top local scorer in its maiden year in 1979. He was given up by Crispa in the expansion draft. But from what I recall though the team captain was Ernesto de Leon, not Tanduyan.

[Percival O. Flores]

A few more notes:

1. Big Boy Reynoso was called for a charging foul against Rudolf Kutch. The game was played at the Rizal Coliseum.

2. Aside from Reynoso and Jaworski, the Little Fox Lawrence Mumar also joined the fray, causing him to be suspended for the balance of the tournament. After Meralco disbanded he was taken by U-tex along with his father, Bay Mumar as coach, Francis Arnaiz and Jumbo Salvador.

3. The six Crispa players meted lifetime suspension for complicity in the game-fixing scandal that marred the Crispa-Mariwasa championship series were: Virgilio Abbarientos, Reynaldo Alcantara, Ernesto de Leon, Danilo Florencio, Rudolph Kutch, and Adriano Papa. They would all be reinstated by 1974. All played in the PBA later on.

4. The 1971 ABC team had three players from Meralco (Reynoso, Jaworski and Larry Mumar) and three players from Crispa (Florencio, Papa, and William Adornado).

The rest of the team were: Marte Samson and Freddie Webb (Yco), Jesse Sullano and Joaquin Rojas (Mariwasa), Manuel Paner and Rosalio Martirez (San Miguel). The coach was Ignacio "Ning" Ramos of San Miguel.

5. The 1972 Munich Olympic team had Ed Ocampo, Marte Samson, Ricardo Cleofas, and Freddie Webb (Yco); Narciso Bernardo (Mariwasa), Jaime Mariano, Rogelio Melencio (Concepcion); Danilo Florencio, Adriano Papa, William Adornado (Crispa); and Paner and Martirez (San Miguel). Ramos was once again the coach.

5. The 1973 ABC and 1974 World Basketball team had four coming from Toyota (Reynoso, Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz, and Ramon Fernandez) and two from Crispa (Adornado and Alberto Guidaben). The rest of team were Mariano and Melencio (Concepcion), Paner, Martirez, and David Regullano (San Miguel) and Cleofas (Yco). Team manager and coach were Dante Silverio and Nilo Varona of Toyota.

6. The 1974 Asian Games team had six Redmanizers - Fortunato Co, Jr., Rodolfo Soriano, Philip Cezar, Johnny Revilla, Adornado, and Guidaben; two from Toyota- Jaworski and Fernandez. The rest of the team were Danny Florencio (U-tex), Dave Regullano and Martirez (San Miguel), and Jaime Mariano (Concepcion). The caoch was Valentin "Tito" Eduque.

7. Strictly speaking, the Komatsu Komets did not win the first tournament it joined, the 1973 National Seniors, which San MIguel won featuring a young Ramon Fernandez.

Afterwards, they changed their name to the Toyota Comets, acquired Fernandez from San Miguel and the rest, as they say, is history.

8. Toyota's opponent in the 1973 MICAA Finals was Concepcion Motorolas. The Comets won the series 2-1. Crispa's line-up by then was decimated by the lifetime suspension of six key players. To fill the void it recruited young players like Dave Brodett, Boysie Henares, Horacio Moreno, and from Colegio de San Jose de Recoletos, a gangling Alberto Guidaben.

8. But by 1974 Crispa's youth laden line-up would jell and they will win the All-Filipino. Crispa's players were Co, Adornado, Soriano, Revilla, Guidaben, Cezar, a very young Bernard Fabiosa, Freddie Hubalde, Cesar Ijares, Rey Vallejo, Jess Sta. Maria and Rey Franco. Ed Carvajal played parts of the 1974 season also for Crispa before he met his accident.

9. With the developments in 1973 and 1974 MICAA seasons, the stage was set for the inevitable Crispa-Toyota rivalry in the PBA in 1975, which can be viewed as a continuation of the Crispa-Meralco rivalry that started in the MICAA.

[Percival O. Flores]

After the PBA was established in 1975, the MICAA continued as a sort of farm league of the PBA.

Seven of the nine PBA teams maintained teams in the MICAA:

1. Crispa
2. Toyota (Delta Motors/Frigidaire/MAN Diesel)
3. U-tex (U-tex later Solid Mills)
4. Tanduay (the Yco Painters)
5. Presto CFC
6. Seven-Up
7. Royal Tru Orange

Only Carrier and Noritake did not maintain teams.

Manilabank was the other team. ITM and A & W Records were guest teams.

In 1975 MICAA, during the inaugural game between ITM and Yco match, there was brawl that featured Freddie Webb and Mike Bilbao on one hand and Vic Sanchez and Israel Catacutan. Ironically all will be teammates with Tanduay in the 1978 PBA season.

[Jay P. Mercado]

Thanks for the super information Percy. Somehow, it makes me feel relieved with you around knowing there's a better person to actually report the MICAA the way it was. I only got around to be more involved with the league in the mid-70's to the early 80's, hence my recollection is far more distinct during this period.

While the PBA had its set of rivalries, starting with the Crispa-Toyota battles, the MICAA, as aptly pointed out by Percy, somehow set the stage for this. Aside from the Crispa-Meralco and Crispa-Toyota rivalry, in the 60's, the Yco-Ysmael rivalry was arguably the fiercest back then. These two teams were extremely dominant back then and it was no surprise that they shared most of the titles at stake back then. Then in the late 70's, the new rivalry saw Solid Mills tangling with MAN Diesel / Frigidaire featuring practically the best players in the MICAA.

Yup, I was able to get the info on the Komatsu Comets not winning the National Seniors in its debut as a team. The National Seniors, although not as prestigious as the MICAA, was equally competitive as it was participated in by more teams including guest schools. The MICAA and the National Seniors were the premium amateur tournaments back then. If I'm not mistaken, the leagues' schedules were designed so they won't have to be simultaneously staged together.

When the PBA was formed, the BAP was still able to form its national team through the best players of these two leagues. We're all familiar with the ABC, the SEA Games, the Asian Games and the like but there was one Asian international tournament that was equally prestigious back then - the Pesta Sukan. I'm not sure if this originated in Malaysia but I do remember we were lording it over our rivals back then. Aside from the Southeast Asian countries, there were other countries in Asia that likewise participated in the Pesta Sukan.