Latest news with #ML:BB
GMA Network
a day ago
- Automotive
- GMA Network
Once living in a library and jeepney, Coach Ar Sy brings MSC crown home
Long before leading Team Liquid Philippines to the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid-Season Cup throne, coach Rodel "Ar Sy" Cruz knew the struggles of having no home to call his own. As a teenager, he sought refuge in the library of Lagro High School in Quezon City after his family's home was demolished. He later received P5,000 from the local government, which he used to start a small business selling various goods to make ends meet. Ar Sy eventually completed high school using the earnings from his venture, before earning a scholarship at the University of the Philippines, where he pursued a degree in Industrial Engineering. But even as a UP scholar, he still had no home and was forced to live inside an abandoned jeepney near the campus. "Nu'ng nasa UP ako, sa jeep na ako nakatira. 'Yung bago pumasok ng UP, 'yung tapat ng [fast food chain], doon ako nakatira. May jeep doon. Gasera, katol, tapos manila paper 'yung tinatapal ko sa jeep para lang may kurtina ako," Ar Sy shared with GMA News Online. "Nakatambak lang 'yung jeep doon tapos naliligo ako sa CR ng [gas station]. 50 percent lang 'yung scholarship, pero may tumutulong sa akin na dati ko rin na teacher." Ar Sy, however, was only able to complete two years of college before working as a call center agent—where he discovered and honed his love for ML:BB. Though a club once recruited him, Ar Sy left the scene when esports failed to provide a steady income. He turned to selling street food where he met a Filipino-American chef who opened the door for him to rise as a head chef in a hotel restaurant. However, his stint there didn't last long, as Ar Sy soon moved to a smaller restaurant in Cavite. It was during this time that Joshua Alfaro, a well-known Mobile Legends coach, reached out and encouraged him to apply as a coach for Falcon Esports in Myanmar. From there, his esports journey took off—leading Falcon Esports to several titles and a spot at the M6 World Championship in Malaysia, before coming full circle with his return to the Philippines to coach Team Liquid. "Si mama po kasi nag-abroad and broken family po kami. Mas gusto ko po kasing mabuhay mag-isa," Ar Sy, who's now a one-time MPL champion and MSC titleholder, recalled. "Nagkaron din ako ng sama ng loob pero ginawa ko lang siya na motivation para sa sarili na kahit wala 'yung parents ko, magagawa ko pa rin 'yung mga bagay." From his humble beginnings, Ar Sy's path has been anything but ordinary. But even in victory, he carries his past with him, honoring the people who helped him when he had little to hold on to. In fact, one of the first things he did after flying back to Manila from their MSC run was to visit his former teacher, Marlyn Tacud—whom he also considers his second mother. "Siguro sobrang sarap [sa pakiramdam na panalo kami] pero ando'n ako sa point na ayokong makalimot sa dating ako. Gusto ko pa rin balik-balikan kung saan ako nanggaling," Ar Sy said. "Nando'n pa rin 'yung dating Ar Sy. Tinutulungan ko 'yung mga taong tumulong sa akin dati." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
16-06-2025
- Sport
- GMA Network
NCAA to stage Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament
By BEA MICALLER,GMA Integrated News The NCAA is set to launch a special event that features Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, one of the most popular esports in the country, before formally closing out Season 100. NCAA management committee chairman Hercules Callanta of Lyceum of the Philippines University shared that the ML:BB tournament will fire off on June 28 with the first round robin happening until the 29th. The second round robin will be held from July 12 to 13 before the offline finals round take place from July 25 to 27 in the Philippine Game Development Expo (PGDX) at the SMX Convention Center. Callanta, though, emphasized that the ML:BB competition is not part of the regular calendar of events, but stressed the NCAA is open to the idea of including it for good in the future. "It's a special event. The aim is to highlight 'yung mga popular games in the Philippines that are not part of the calendar of events ng NCAA pero they're very popular," Callanta told GMA News Online on Monday. "And to see the sport and how it will be received by the member schools and possibly look at the logistical needs and the possibility of including it sa regular sports." This will not be the first time that NCAA schools are taking part in esports events. In 2021, the Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE) staged an ML:BB contest that featured participation from all 10 member schools. The event drew added interest as several squads were led by prominent collegiate basketball players, including Fran Yu, King Caralipio, Damie Cuntapay, Yukien Andrada, Warren Bonifacio, and Jasper Cuevas. LPU emerged as the inaugural champion of that tournament with Yancy Remulla taking home the MVP honors. Callanta said the league's past experiences in hosting or participating in esports tournaments paved the way for the introduction of ML:BB this year while also sharing that Valorant will be staged next year. "Actually, through the efforts of Esports Philippines, for the past two or three years already, they conducted competitions in esports among the member schools of the NCAA so sanay na 'yung NCAA sa mga esports competitions kaya lang limited lang." —JKC, GMA Integrated News
