Caloocan Batang Kankaloo

Last updated
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo
Basketball current event.svg 2025 Caloocan Batang Kankaloo season
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo logo.png
League MPBL (2018–present)
PSL (2022–present)
Founded2017;8 years ago (2017)
HistoryCaloocan Supremos
2017–2021 (MPBL)
2023–present (PSL)
Caloocan Excellence
2021–2022
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo
2022–2023 (PSL)
2023–present (MPBL)
Arena Caloocan Sports Complex
Location Caloocan
Team colors   
Main sponsorYanyan International Philippines, Inc.
Head coachMichael Saguiguit
ChampionshipsPSL: 1 (2025)

The Caloocan Batang Kankaloo (currently competing as the Caloocan Supremos) are a Filipino professional basketball team based in Caloocan. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. The team plays its home games at Caloocan Sports Complex, located on the northern portion of the city.

Contents

The team began play in the 2018 MPBL season as one of the MPBL's charter teams. They also compete in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) and currently go by the Caloocan Supremos, the team's original name.

The Caloocan franchise is one of two teams based in the Northern Manila District of Metro Manila, the other being the Val City Magic. Since its founding, the team is owned by the City Government of Caloocan.

History

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

In 2017, the Caloocan Supremos joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League as one of the ten charter teams for its inaugural season. [1] The team played in the league's inaugural game against the Parañaque Patriots, but lost, 60–70. [2] The team only won one game in their inaugural season, giving them the worst record that season.

In the 2018–19 season, despite finishing with a losing record, Caloocan was tied with the Pampanga Lanterns for the final playoff spot, which Caloocan would clinch because of their victory in the teams' head-to-head matchup. The team was then swept in the First Round by the first-seeded Bataan Risers. In the 2019–20 season, even though the team finished with a winning record, they only finished ninth in the Northern Division.

For the 2021 Invitational, the team changed their name to the Caloocan Excellence. [3] In the following 2022 season, Caloocan would once again fall short, finishing ninth in the Northern Division.

In 2023, the veteran-led Caloocan squad managed to finish with the team's best record thus far, a 20–8 record, and clinched top four in its division for the first time. Despite a massive improvement from the previous season, none of its players were selected for that season's All-Star Game. In the First Round, the team had a tough matchup against Pasig City MCW Sports, but made it through in a close series that went to game 3. Unfortunately, they would go on to be swept by the Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the Division Semifinals.

Pilipinas Super League

In 2022, the team joined the Pilipinas Super League for the 2022–23 DUMPER Cup, and subsequently changed its name to the Batang Kankaloo. Batang Kankaloo would also be used as the name of its under-18 team. [4] The team tied for the fourth-best record alongside the Pampanga G Lanterns and Santa Rosa, but settled for the sixth-seed. In the playoffs, the Batang Kankaloo lost to the Pampanga Royce in the Quarterfinals.

During the 2023–24 MPBL off-season, the team returned to the PSL, this time going by its original name, the Caloocan Supremos.

Team identity

From 2018 until 2020, the Caloocan Supremos used an orange and blue color scheme. The logo showed a graphic of the Bonifacio Monument on top of a basketball. An outline of a Victory Liner bus, the team's sponsor at the time, is also shown.

In 2021, upon renaming to the Caloocan Excellence, blue was replaced with green, forming an orange and green color scheme. The logo was a simple text with the team name, but with the Bonifacio Monument replacing the "L" in Caloocan. The simple text logo would carry over with the name change to Batang Kankaloo in 2022.

In 2023, during the team's second PSL stint, the team returned to the original Supremos name, now with the orange and green color scheme.

Home venues

The only venue the Caloocan franchise played in was the Caloocan Sports Complex, located on the city's north side.

VenueLocation 2018 2018–19 2019–20 2022 2023 2024
Caloocan Sports Complex Caloocan Green check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg

Current roster

PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
F 22 Aldrin Ubalde 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) San Sebastian
G 4 Irven Palencia  (HG)5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) St. Clare
F/C 5 Ronnie Matias 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)180 lb (82 kg)1983–11–29 Manila
G/F 7 Jeramer Cabanag 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) San Beda
G/F 8 Jhygruz Vence Laude 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Lyceum
F/C 10 Jessie Sumoda 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Sebastian
G/F 11 Paul Sanga 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)1987–04–21 Far Eastern
12 Josh Flores
F 14 Nhomer Gonzales 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Letran
C 15 Alvin Baetiong San Sebastian
F 16 Antonio Bonsubre Jr. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)1993–10–26 San Beda
18 James Ingles
G 25 Kristoffer Torrado 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
F/C 26 Reil Cervantes 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)198 lb (90 kg)1986–08–16 Far Eastern
F/C 27 Gabby Espinas 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)208 lb (94 kg)1982–01–03 Philippine Christian
G 29 Joco Tayongtong 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Emilio Aguinaldo
G 30 Jeff Manday 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)177 lb (80 kg)1995–03–29 CSAV
G 31 Jayjay Manlangit 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) Centro Escolar
F 33 Paul Hendrix Casin  (HG)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
38 Francis Luakian
44 Rey Igot
G 72 Chris Bitoon 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) St. Clare
Head coach

Legend
  • (HG) Homegrown
  • (FF) Filipino-foreigner
  • (SGL) Special Guest Licensee
  • (RS) Reserve player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Updated as of: December 17, 2024

Head coaches

Caloocan Batang Kankaloo head coaches
#NameStartEndAchievementsRef.
1 John Kallos 2018 2020
2 Rene Baena 2021 2022
3 Ronnie Dojillo 2022 2023
4 Robert Sison 2023 2023
5 Alexander Angeles 2024 2024
6 Gabby Espinas 2025 2025
7 Michael Saguiguit 2025 current

Notable players

Individual award winners

All-Stars

PBA players

Season-by-season records

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024 MPBL season.

MPBL champions Division championsPlayoff berth
SeasonLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPlayoffs
FinishPlayedWinsLossesWin %GBRoundResults
Caloocan Supremos
2018 MPBL 10th918.1117Did not qualify
2018–19 MPBL North 8th251114.44012Division quarterfinalslost vs. Bataan, 0–2
2019–20 MPBL North 9th301614.53310Did not qualify
Caloocan Excellence
2022 MPBL North 9th21615.28615Did not qualify
Caloocan Batang Kankaloo
2023 MPBL North 4th28208.7146Division quarterfinals
Division semifinals
won vs. Pasig City, 2–1
lost vs. Pampanga, 0–2
2024 MPBL North 5th28199.6797Division quarterfinals
Division semifinals
won vs. Manila, 2–0
lost vs. San Juan, 0–2
2025 MPBL North Ongoing seasonCurrently in playoff contention
Regular season record1417368.5183 playoff appearances
Playoff record1147.3640 finals appearances
Cumulative record1527775.5070 championships

Pilipinas Super League

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024–25 Pilipinas Super League season.

PSL championsPSL runners-upPlayoff berth
SeasonLeagueRegular seasonPlayoffs
FinishPlayedWinsLossesWin %GBRoundResults
Batang Kankaloo Koolers
2022–23 PSL 6th15105.6675Quarterfinalslost vs. Pam. Royce, 77–91
Caloocan Supremos
2023–24 PSL 4th18144.7783First round
Quarterfinals
won vs. Indanan, 115–69
lost vs. Quezon, 0–2
2024–25 PSL 1st1091.900Semifinals
Finals
won vs. Pangasinan, 2–1
won vs. San Juan, 2–1
Regular season record433310.7673 playoff appearances
Playoff record1055.5001 finals appearance
Cumulative record533815.7171 championship

Combined

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2024–25 Pilipinas Super League season.

StatisticPlayedWinsLossesWin %
MPBL regular season record1417368.518
PSL regular season record433310.767
All-time regular season record18410678.576
MPBL playoff record1147.364
PSL playoff record1055.500
All-time playoff record21912.429
All-time cumulative record20511590.561

References

  1. Luarca, Roy (August 29, 2017). "Pacquiao's new basketball league gets off ground". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  2. Lagunzad, Jerome (January 26, 2018). "MPBL: Parañaque turns back Caloocan in inaugural match". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  3. Magallon, Reynald I. (November 26, 2021). "San Juan, Nueva Ecija set for early clash in MPBL Invitational". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  4. Ulanday, John Bryan (November 18, 2022). "Pilipinas Super League returns with 14 squads". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 31, 2023.