BIZ BUZZ: Defending ‘Champion’

Meanwhile, aside from their longtime Ninang Robina Gokongwei-Pe, who has sustained support—via the Gokongwei group’s multibrand retail group Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. and pet food brand Top Breed—the UP Fighting Maroons have secured funding from other big corporate groups.

This is especially crucial as they strive to defend the crown in the men’s basketball category this year.

The Maroons’ newest benefactor is Champion Detergent, manufactured by homegrown company Peerless Products Manufacturing Corp. (PPMC).

During the bonfire held at the UP Diliman campus to celebrate the Maroons’ victory last December, a fan gave Harold Alarcon, one of the premier state university’s popular players, a bag of Champion detergent soap.

Harold brought the bag and proudly displayed it onstage.

Photos of that scene must have reached PPMC, whose leaders realized that sponsoring the UP Fighting Maroons would be good promotion for their brand.

“More than the wins, what excites us at Champion is being part of the incredible story of this team and this community,” said PPMC marketing director Caloy Bacani, on behalf of company CEO and president Simeon Tiu.

“In recent years, UP Men’s Basketball Team has rightfully taken on the challenge of rising to become one of the very best—if not the best—teams in the UAAP. You’ve done so by embodying principles that deeply resonate with us at Peerless Products: a passion for excellence, a strong sense of ownership, and a deep commitment to people and community connection,” he added.

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NowheretogobutUP Foundation chair Jed Eva added: “Champion’s entry as a partner of the UP Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) is a big win not just for the team but also for the entire UP community. It shows how trusted Filipino brands continue to believe in our program and the values we stand for. Their support strengthens UPMBT’s program and motivates our players to push themselves even further.”

For the sixth straight year, the Maroons also renewed their partnership with PalawanPay and the Palawan Group of Companies. Tickets for this season will now be available through PalawanPay app.

Then, there’s Bank of the Philippine Islands, which pledged its support starting 2024.

For their OOTD, Puma is now the official outfitter of the Maroons.