If we’re being honest, the NorthPort Batang Pier’s 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup campaign ended the moment Arvin Tolentino sat out. With Tolentino out, the Batang Pier lost their next seven games, with six of those being double-digit losses. Once the Batang Pier traded away William Navarro, it was a full on rebuild just a few months after NorthPort was the top seed in the 2024-2025 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
It’s an unfortunate fall for a franchise that looked to be taking a step into contender status.With a young core, it seemed like they could be a challenger in the years to come. Sadly, the only constant within the Batang Pier has been change. But then, there may be some signs of life.
Early on, it looked like NorthPort was on their way to another loss, but in the second half, the Batang Pier were playing with something to prove. The NLEX Road Warriors were clearly a team thriving thanks to their ball movement and general offensive rhythm, and so rather than trying to match that, NorthPort pursued a reactive approach. Fran Yu’s 3-pointer to end the first half set the tone, and it helped open the interior for his Batang Pier teammates. The relentless effort resulted in multiple trips to the free throw line, and while NorthPort did not convert some of them, they made enough to take the slim victory.
Winning over a team like the Road Warriors is certainly a feather in the caps of the Batang Pier and it should give them some confidence in their roster going forward. Yes, a portion of their squad did not have the benefit of time to assimilate themselves into NorthPort’s system, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have the fight in them.
NorthPort was not completely sapped of talent, as the likes of Yu, Joshua Munzon, and Cade Flores have shown they can contribute when given opportunities. Veterans Calvin Abueva and Jio Jalalon can still figure into the Batang Pier’s plans because of how they can find ways to contribute. If NorthPort does hold onto their first-round pick in this year’s PBA Draft, that could very well raise their chances of returning to the postseason.
The NorthPort Batang Pier can easily complete their rebuild but given how life in the PBA is, there may not be certainty in that as well. The Batang Pier have figured in some rumors of team sales and that can certainly provide a cloud of uncertainty for the players and the staff. Unlike the Terrafirma Dyip and the Blackwater Bossing, though, NorthPort has some foundational pieces to build on and when given the chance, can hang with the best. Holding on to win, however, is another question entirely.
