A FORMER Most Valuable Player and one of the league’s 25 greatest players who successfully transitioned to public service are the special guests of honor during the 2022 Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps Awards Night on Monday at Novotel Manila Araneta Center.
Re-elected Bulakan (Bulacan) mayor Vergel Meneses graces the event as he reacquaints with his PBA family.
The 53-year-old Meneses will also receive the President’s Award from the group regularly covering the PBA beat. The award is given to Meneses on the 25th year anniversary of his MVP award.
The 6-foot-2 Meneses, a product of Jose Rizal University, was a three-time champion, two of which he won in 1995 during his MVP season while playing for the RFM franchise.
He was a three-time Best Player of the Conference awardee, two-time Mythical First Team, a four-time All-Star MVP and 11-time All Star, a two-time slam dunk champion,and was the Most Improved Player in 1993.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft, the man they called “Aerial Voyager” was voted part of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players in 2000 when the league celebrated its silver anniversary.
Meneses suited up for Presto, Sta. Lucia, Swift, Pop Cola, Barangay Ginebra, FedEx, Barako Bull and Talk ‘N Text in a 14-year pro career.
A many-time national team player, he later went into coaching and called the shots for his alma matter for almost a decade.
The Bulakan mayor will join the two-hour celebration honoring the top performers of Season 46, including the recipient of the prestigious Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year and the Danny Floro Executive of the Year.
Among the awardees are Arwind Santos (Defensive Player of the Year), June Mar Fajardo (Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year), Allein Maliksi (Mr. Quality Minutes), Mikey Williams (Scoring Champion), and the San Miguel-NorthPort PH Cup quarterfinals match (Game of the Season).
Williams, Jamie Malonzo, Santi Santillan, Calvin Oftana, and Joshua Munzon will be feted as part of the All-Rookie team, while Order of Merit will be given to Robert Bolick, Ian Sangalang, Matthew Wright, and Williams.