Rings, nets, and seizing chances: NU's Peng Taguibolos and his move from basketball to volleyball

GMA Network

19-05-2025

A famous line from the movie Forrest Gump says "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
As cliche as it sounds, it is what happened to National University middle blocker Peng Taguibolos.
Now a two-time champion with the Bulldogs, Taguibolos apparently played basketball before shifting his focus on volleyball.
"'[N]ung first year college ko, basketball team ako sa Arellano University," Taguibolos told GMA News Online after the Bulldogs won their fifth straight title in UAAP men's volleyball last Saturday.
Taguibolos said he was under head coach Cholo Martin and playing as a center. He was also playing volleyball back in his senior high school days before as a dual sport student-athlete.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic then gave the 6-foot-5 Taguibolos the chance to turn his full attention to volleyball.
"Kinausap ako ni Coach Dante [Alinsunurin], pandemic kasi 'yun, so parang naplanuhan na volleyball ang unang nag-open kasi non-contact [sport] 'yun so pinush ko 'yun, hanggang sa gumanda ang skills ko, feel ko dito ako mas aangat or mas komportable kaya tinuloy ko na," said the middle blocker.
"Hindi ko rin in-expect eh kasi nga nung high school ako, wala akong pinapanood sa men's [volleyball]. Kinausap ako ni Coach Dante then parang siyempre, hindi mo naman mararamdaman, hindi mo mae-expect ang mangyayari. Basta nandito na ko, gagawin ko ang best ko, [ngayon] 5-peat champion na."
[I had a talk with Coach Dante, it was the pandemic and it was planned that volleyball would open first because it's non-contact, so I pushed for that, until my skills got better and I felt this is where I would get improve and would be more comfortable so I continued on with it... I didn't expect it because when I was in high school, I wasn't watching men's. Coach Dante spoke to me but of course, I didn't feel it, didn't expect it to happen. But now that I'm here, I'll do my best, now 5-peat champion.]
From playing with two different kinds of nets, Taguibolos now has two championship rings -- all from volleyball -- in his own hands.
Asked if he will return to basketball, Taguibolos laughingly said, "Hindi na."
"Maganda na career ko. Nasa national team na ko, tuloy-tuloy na 'yan."
[Not anymore... My career is good. I'm in the national team. This will continue on.]
Taking chances
Taguibolos' career growth in volleyball, however, can be traced back to the time he moved to Manila, thanks to his maternal grandfather Tatay Ambo.
The NU middle blocker said it was his Tatay Ambo who encouraged him to take the risk and bring his talents to Manila.
"Nag-start ako mag-Manila is dahil kay Tatay Ambo," he said. "Si Tatay Ambo ang lolo ko na nagpalaki sakin."
"Hinayaan niya lang ako, [sabi niya] try mo, wala namang masama 'pag 'di ka mag-try. 'Pag nahirapan ka, balik ka samin, may babalikan ka rito," Taguibolos recalled.
"Siya ang susi sa lahat. kung wala siya, [kung] hindi siya pumayag, siguro wala ako rito sa tinutuntungan ko."
I got my start in Manila because of Tatay Ambo. Tatay Ambo is my grandfather who raised me... He just let me be. He said, try it, there's nothing wrong if you don't try. If it's too hard, come back to us, you have something to go back to... He's the key to everything. Without him, if he didn't agree to it, I probably would not be here where I am.]
Taguibolos' Tatay Ambo passed exactly a year before NU won its fifth straight title.
"Sakto birthday niya ngayon so lahat ng ginawa ko sa court, para sa kanya."
[It's his birthday today so everything I do on the court, is for him.]
—JMB, GMA Integrated News