RECOGNIZING his invaluable contribution to the growth of Philippine basketball in the last 40 years, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) joined the local hoops community in paying tribute to Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr., who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85.
“Philippine basketball lost a titan,” said the local basketball federation in a statement just as it underscored how Mr. Cojuangco was a “passionate sportsman” apart from being a brilliant businessman, who turned San Miguel Corporation into the biggest food and beverage conglomerate in the Philippines.
Mr. Cojuangco was a strong advocate of sports, particularly basketball.
In the 1980s, he helped form the Northern Consolidated Cement (NCC) basketball team which had a lot of success in tournaments it competed in, bringing sporting pride to the country.
A mix of amateur and naturalized players and coached by the late Ron Jacobs, the NCC squad, playing as the national team, won the Southeast Asian Games in 1981 and 1985, the 1982 ABC Juniors Championship, the 1984 Asian Interclub Championship and 1985 ABC championship. It also won the William Jones Cup in 1981 and 1985.
Among its notable players were Hector Calma, Franz Pumaren, Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Alfie Almario, Chip Engelland, Jeff Moore and Dennis Still.
NCC chalked up a Philippine Basketball Association title (1985 PBA Reinforced Conference) as well when it participated as a guest team in Asia’s first play-for-pay league from 1884 to 1985.
The team disbanded in 1986.
Under the leadership of Mr. Cojuangco, the San Miguel group also had a lot of success in the PBA, highlighted by a league grand slam in 1989 by the Beermen and the emergence of crowd favorite Ginebra, led by league legend Robert Jaworski, in the late ‘80s.
The group had further success when it added the Purefoods franchise in its fold later on.
All three teams are still active and a force to contend with in the PBA.
In the last decade, Mr. Cojuangco was once again an active supporter of basketball, this time in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, backing his alma mater, De La Salle University.
With his support, the Taft-based Green Archers won the UAAP title in 2013 and 2016.
Mr. Cojuangco’s involvement in basketball “led to the enrichment of the lives of so many players, coaches, and staff who have nothing but great words to say about ‘ECJ’,” noted the SBP.
“We, at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, mourn with the entire nation and extend our deepest condolences to the Cojuangco family.”
Mr. Cojuangco died after battling a lingering illness. He is survived by his wife Soledad “Gretchen” Oppen-Cojuangco with whom he had four children, and domestic partner Aileen Damiles with whom he had two children. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
