Boy Cabahug would have been a part of 1988 Purefoods’ star-studded team

Boy Cabahug’s pathway to Purefoods came via a one-on-one trade with Jojo Lastimosa, who was shipped to Alaska Milk prior to the start of the 1991 season, but the former would have been one of the pioneering members of the squad in 1988.

“Supposedly, 1988 papasok na ako sa PBA sa Purefoods. Kinukuha na ako ni Pareng Chot Reyes. It so happened lang, wala nang maiiwan na players for the national team para sa 1989 kung papasok ako ng 1988,” Cabahug told The Link Podcast.

Reyes, who coached Purefoods from 1993 to 1996 and won two championships with the squad, was then working as an executive of the company under the Ayala Corporation, then being headed by its president Rene Buhain.

Cabahug would have been one of those elevated directly coming from the amateur ranks, a concession given to Purefoods when it acquired the old Tanduay franchise. When the Hotdogs entered in 1988, the team was able to get the nucleus of Tanduay, then headed by Mon Fernandez, a three-time MVP winner at that time, who was named playing coach, former MVP Freddie Hubalde, Padim Israel, JB Yango, Willie Generelao and Onchie dela Cruz.

But the sweetest deal the Hotdogs were able to enjoy was the approval to get the top players from the amateur ranks. Purefoods elevated Jojo Lastimosa, Jerry Codiñera, Glenn Capacio and later on, Alvin Patrimonio, who joined the squad in the second conference as he had to fulfill his commitments with RFM in the PABL.

Purefoods could have used that privilege of either elevating Cabahug or select him as as the top overall pick in the 1988 PBA Rookie Draft. Without Cabahug, the team drafted Jack Tanuan as the №1 pick.

Instead of joining Purefoods on its PBA entry plans, Cabahug stayed on in the amateur ranks, playing for RFM, which also bankrolls the national team program.

“Nakiusap si Mr. (Elmer) Yanga na huwag muna kaming pumasok kasi wala ng matitira para sa national team. RFM yung sponsor noong 1988, naglaro kami noon sa PBA as guest team. So yun ang nangyari. Malaki talaga ang utang na loob ko kay Mr. Yanga and Joey Concepcion because after Mama’s Love, sila talaga ang kumuha sa akin sa RFM Swift,” added Cabahug.

Cabahug was also persuaded as RFM also had plans of moving up to the PBA in 1989, but it was delayed for another year, thus the Visayan sweet-shooting guard ended up with Alaska, which selected him in the second round of the deepest draft cast ever in the history of Asia’s pioneering pro league.

“Ikakasal ako noong 1988. Kinausap ako ni Mr. Yanga rin kung puwede pumasok ako sa PBA 1989 na kasi nga may plano silang pumasok sa PBA. Ang nangyari naman noon, hindi sila natuloy pumasok noong 1989, kaya Alaska naman ang kumuha sa akin. Ninong ko kasi si Mr. Douglas Uytengs, kapatid nung father ni Fred Uytengsu. Yung Papa ko kasi dati naglaro para sa General Milling (mother company of Alaska) in Cebu. Kinuha ako ni Sir Douglas thru his daughter, Christine, siya talaga ang lumapit sa akin,” said Cabahug.

After playing two seasons for Alaska, Cabahug’s contract with the team expired, yet the Milkmen showed intention of keeping his services. Right over at Purefoods, Lastimosa had expressed his intentions to be traded as he wanted to have more playing time and he was offered by the Hotdogs to the Milkmen.

“Noong 1990, Alaska was willing to keep me and it so happened naman si Jolas gustong umalis sa Purefoods. Kasi ang role niya sa Purefoods behind lang siya kina Alvin (Patrimonio) and Jerry (Codiñera) noon. Noong gusto ng umalis ni Jolas, ako naman ang gusto ng Purefoods. Si Wilfred (Uytengsu) atsaka si (Coach) Tim Cone, ayaw talaga nilang lumipat ako. Kasi ang bonding namin sa Alaska talagang family. Yung asaa namin, anak namin, Alaska management really took care of them. Maganda ang trato nila,” added Cabahug. “Maski ngayon, maganda ang hawak nila sa team.”

In a previous interview with The Link, Cone disclosed he had reservations letting go of Cabahug.

“I wasn’t responsible for that trade. That was between Mr. Uytengsu and Rene Buhain. They were the ones who spoke and talked about it and arranged the trade. Mr. Uytengsu was calling and asked me ‘do you like Jojo or do you want Jojo’? So I was telling him ‘no-brainer.’ He would bring so much, not just because of his skill level. We didn’t really know about his leadership at that point, but also at a fan standpoint. He was sexy Jojo with his sexy legs. All the girl fans loved him. So we knew it would big for us on a marketing standpoint,” said Cone. “But I love Boy Cabahug. He’s one guy that I truly love and it just so happened that there are things beyond our control.”

Cabahug and Lastimosa had been rivals as early as the collegiate days.

“Pareho kaming Cebuano ni Jolas,” added Cabahug. “University of San Jose-Recolletos siya, ako naman University of Visayas. Parati kaming nagkukumpitensya. After naming mag-champion sa inter-collegiate, sila naman ang pumalit, sila nina Dondon Ampalayo, Zaldy Realubit.”

For awhile, Cabahug and Lastimosa, became teammates, too.

They were vital cogs of the Mama’s Love team in the PABL. That team was based in Cebu, but enjoyed the comfort playing at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum as if it was its home court as the squad was well-loved by fans.

At RFM, they also had a brief moment sharing the spotlight together when Lastimosa moved on to play as guest player.

When the two players became the centerpieces of the trade prior to the start of the 1991 season, it was a good way of redefining their PBA careers, and somehow, it proved to be beneficial for both camps.

“Maganda naman ang naging resulta eh,” added Cabahug. “Purefoods dominated the league, but couldn’t win an All-Filipino. Paglipat ko naman, first time sila nanalo ng All-Filipino.”

Cabahug won not just once, but twice.

In the 1993 All-Filipino, he helped the team, then Coney Island, to another title, defeating San Miguel Beer, a many-time tormentor of the squad.

Those two championships — both coming in the All-Filipino — were the only championships won by Cabahug throughout his PBA career as he would be shipped to Pepsi in 1994 for the first round draft rights, which turned out to be Ritchie Ticzon.

Cabahug played for Pepsi for three years, then he would end up with Sta. Lucia Realty and played there for two years before deciding to leave the PBA to assume the role as Councilor in Mandaue City.

Reflecting on his PBA career, Cabahug believes the old Purefoods management would have done better. He thinks the team should have kept the core of the squad and the Hotdogs would have been a dynasty in the pro league.

“Kung na-keep niya yung core niya, I think magdo-dominate ang Purefoods. Dynasty sana yun,” added Cabahug. “Ang maganda lang kasi sa Alaska, mayroon rin talaga silang (magandang) plano nung kinuha na nila sina Jolas, sina (Bong) Hawkins, sina Johnny Abarrientos, hinawakan talaga nila yung core through the years and eventually, nanalo sila ng grand slam.”

“Maaring nauna pa kami sa Alaska. Kasi nung pumasok yun Purefoods, andun lahat eh. Imagne andun si Alvin, Jerry, Jolas, Dindo (Pumaren), Nelson Asaytono, solid na talaga. Imagne mo kung madagdag pa kami doon?.”