Jr.NBA and Jr.WNBA Presented by Alaska search for best basketball players’ starts in Baguio

The Jr.NBA and Jr.WNBA Presented by Alaska starts its search for the best basketball players in the country when it holds its first Regional Selection Camp at the Benguet State University, Baguio on Feb. 20 and 21. Boys and girls may join the search for the ten best boy and five best girl basketball players who will become members of the Jr.NBA and Jr.WNBA All-Star team. There is also a search for the boys and girls coaches who will handle the two teams.

The All-Star Team will travel on an overseas for their NBA experience trip together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. The 2015 Jr. NBA All-Stars traveled to China to watch the NBA Global Games in Shenzhen featuring the Charlotte Hornets and the L.A. Clippers.

The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Presented by Alaska is free and open to boys and girls ages 10 to 14 years old (born 2002 to 2006). Interested parties may register at the venue in Benguet State University in Baguio or online through www.jrnba.asia/philippines. 

The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Presented by Alaska is one of Alaska Milk’s programs that shape, train, challenge and inspire children to achieve their dreams and aspirations in life.

“These holistic programs train children to be confident, disciplined and hardworking because Alaska Milk Corporation aims to prepare them to be winners in life in the future. This year’s program includes new locations such as Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite to reach more children and coaches and discover the best basketball players across the country,” said Blen Fernando, Marketing Director.

The 2011 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) revealed that three out of ten children aged 5-10 years were underweight while eight out of one hundred children of the same age were overweight, making malnutrition and obesity two of the most pressing nutritional problems in the Philippines today.

The Jr.NBA and Jr.WNBA presented by Alaska is under Alaska Milk’s Nutrition.Action.Champion program. It helps address the issue of overweight and undernourished Filipino children with the promotion of proper nutrition and active lifestyle through sports and outdoor play.

This year’s program started with the tip-off at Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati last Jan. 23. School clinics, that teach the fundamentals of basketball, will run in April with stops in Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa. New locations include Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite.

Other than Baguio there will also be Regional Selection Camps in Davao (Feb. 27-28),
Cebu (March 5-6) and Metro Manila (April 9-10).  The top 50 boys and 24 girls from the


*This is Press Release

Alaska JrNBA/ JrWNBA Baguio Selection

Baguio City – Young players from Benguet Province and nearby Pangasinan distinguished themselves at the Regional Selection Camp of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2015 presented by Alaska held at the St. Louis University Laboratory High School in this city, March 15, 2015.

Seven young players from these provinces – four boys and three girls -- had statistics and basketball savvy that impressed Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches and judged them worthy of inclusion in the National Training Camp, the high point of the NBA’s global youth development program, come April.

Jan Zyrus De Ayre, 13, of Berkeley School, Baguio; Magnus Gabriel Ines, 13, of St. Louis University Laboratory High School, Baguio; Christian Allen Magno, 14, of St. Albert the Great School, Dagupan and Manuel Andrey Ober, 13, of Dagupan City National High School are the region’s Jr. NBA representatives to the National Training Camp.

Christine Angela Venterez, 13, of Baguio National High School; Christine Cayabyab, 14, of Judge Jose De Venecia Sr. Memorial National High School, Dagupan City and Rose Marie de los Santos, 13, of St. Albert the Great School, Dagupan City will be the Jr. WNBA representatives for North Luzon in the National Training Camp.

Christine Cayabyab, who made it as far as the NTC last year, said she hopes to represent North Luzon proudly in Manila this year. “Many of us from Dagupan traveled to Baguio just so we could have another shot at our basketball dreams. Joining the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA brings us closer to fulfilling them.”

The next Regional Selection Camps will be held in Bacolod City at St. John Institute on March 21 and 22, Davao City at the University of the Immaculate Conception on March 28 and 29 and Manila at the PICC Forum on April 11 and 12. Qualified boys and girls who wish to join the selection camps may still register at www.jrnba.asia/philippines.

The program is absolutely free. At the National Training Camp ten Jr. NBA and five Jr. WNBA All-Stars will be selected and will embark on a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia. The Coach of the Year presented by Alaska will also be announced at the National Training Camp that will be attended by NBA talents.

Full program terms and conditions can be found in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA event website. Fans can also follow Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. For all things NBA, fans may visit www.nba.com, and follow the NBA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).