The team from Barangay Sto. Cristo of Tarlac City was recently crowned champion of the RC Cola Liga ng Bayan after beating rivals from Malolos, 20-18, during the grand finals of the Luzon-wide 3×3 basketball tournament organized by ARC Refreshments Corp., maker of RC Cola products in the Philippines.
Sto. Cristo’s Wency Sagun was also named Most Valuable Player in the largest 3×3 basketball tournament ever organized in the country that saw some 3,000 students aged 12 to 16 from different barangays in Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Tarlac compete for the RC Cola Liga ng Bayan title and cash prize from March 23 to May 26.
“We are so thankful to RC Cola for giving us this opportunity,” added Sagun, who, together with his teammates — Francis Kurt dela Cruz, Luis Gabriel Flores and Nhil Angelo Mangoba — received P50,000 cash prize from ARC Refreshments Corp. plus incentives for their barangay.
“One of the reasons why RC Cola is doing this tournament is to teach kids important values such as hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship. We at RC Cola adhere to the same values,” added James Loverio, Head of Marketing of ARC Refreshments Corporation.
The conclusion of the RC Cola Liga ng Bayan also marked a successful effort by ARC Refreshments Corp. in contributing to the development of basketball talents from the grassroots level.
Loverio said the tournament was actually inspired by the popularity of RC Cola as a wager in basketball games in the countryside.
“RC Cola is not just a popular drink for those playing basketball in provinces. Whenever kids play the game, they also wager an RC Mega. So, it has been the custom that the losing team will buy an RC Mega for the winning team,” said Loverio.
Banking on this practice, ARC Refreshments Corp. came up with the RC Liga ng Bayan. “We are looking at continuing this tournament given its success. Rest assured that RC Cola won’t stop here and that a lot more will be in store for RC ng Bayan,” he added.