BIZ BUZZ: Gokongwei Group renews support for UP-MBT

Season 87 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines opened in style last Saturday with no less than the Eraserheads—from host University of the Philippines—giving a spirited performance to rally the teams, universities and their supporters.

Among the most ardent of these supporters is Robinsons Retail Holdings of the Gokongwei Group, which last week renewed its 15-year sponsorship of the UP Men’s Basketball Team (MBT), a sign of its “commitment to fostering athletic excellence and community spirit.”

Robinsons Retail’s journey with the UP-MBT began in 2010, when the team was the butt of jokes because of its zero wins and 14 losses. The woeful team repeated that unenviable feat in 2013, when it posted another 0-14 season.

But how the tables have turned, and Robinsons Retail is now reaping invaluable goodwill from standing by UP, no thanks to the steadfast support of UP-MBT mother hen Robina Gokonwei-Pe.

As Robinsons Retial said, it did not give up as it “understood that great comebacks start with tough beginnings.”

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“We stood by the UP-MBT through every loss, believing that brighter days were ahead. Over the past 15 years, the sponsorship has been able to provide needed support toward helping enhance the team’s training and overall performance,” it said.

Present at the launch of the sponsorship renewal last week were UP president Angelo Jimenez, nowheretogobutUP (ntgbUP) founders Renan Dalisay and Agaton Uvero, ntgbUP chair Jed Eva, UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol, UP-MBT Coach Goldwin Monteverde, Robinsons Retail COO Stanley Co, and Gokongwei-Pe, who hopes that the UP-MBT will be champions again this year.