RFM-Swift Hotdogs explained

Color1:white
Color2:blue
RFM-Swift's
Leagues:PABL/PBL (1983-1996)
Founded:1983
Location:Philippines
Colors:Red, blue and white
Coach:Jun Noel
Virgil Villavicencio
Yeng Guiao
Boy Afable
Arturo Valenzona
Roehl Nadurata
Alfredo Amador
Championships:PABL (3):
*1987 International Invitational Cup
*1988 International Invitational Cup
*1989 Freedom Cup

RFM-Swift Hotdogs is a former basketball team of the now defunct Philippine Basketball League in which the ballclub played in the league's inaugural season in 1983 until the disbandment of the franchise in 1996. The company, Republic Flour Mills (RFM), through owner and then PABL chairman Joey Concepcion III, is known to be supportive of amateur basketball and sponsoring the national team during the late-1980s.[1]

RFM won three PABL championships from 1987 to 1989, first with coach Yeng Guiao and with borrowed players Jojo Lastimosa and Peter Aguilar from Converse-Lhuillier and Nelson Asaytono from Magnolia, reinforcing the squad. The team won their first championship in the 1987 First Conference.[2] The Hotdogs retain the crown the following season, this time under coach Arturo Valenzona and with Alvin Patrimonio as their franchise player, winning his last amateur title. RFM-Swift's has also won the National Open title in March of that year.[3]

In the 1989 PABL Second Conference called Freedom Cup, RFM known as Swift Squeeze Juice Drinks with coach Yeng Guiao returning from the bench, won their third title behind the likes of Eugene Quilban, Vergel Meneses, Andy De Guzman and Bong Ravena.

Most of the PBA stars have played for RFM-Swift's in the PABL, including PBA greats Alvin Patrimonio, Ato Agustin and Vergel Meneses. When the company decided to make its entry into the pro league as one of the expansion franchise in 1990. The amateur team was retained but the once powerhouse and glamour ballclub somewhat lost its luster in the 1990s era. They used team names such as Sarsi, Pop Cola, New Pop Cola, Rica Hotdogs and Carol-Anns and didn't figure in a championship berth.

Players who won a title with Swift

Players1987 International Invitational 1988 International Invitational1989 Freedom Cup
Peter Aguilar
Renato Agustin
Demetrio Antonio
Nelson Asaytono
Junel Baculi
Richard Bognot
Elmer Cabahug
Jerome Cueto
Alejandro de Guzman
Menardo Jubinal
Jojo Lastimosa
Romeo Lopez
Loreto Manaog
Ricardo Marata
Richard Mendoza
Vergel Meneses
Cadel Mosqueda
Victor Pablo
Alvin Patrimonio
Joseph Pelaez
Eugene Quilban
Bong Ravena
Zaldy Realubit
Alex Regis
Django Rivera
Melchor Teves
Teofano Tiu
Ariel Tizon
Ferdinand Santos
Reynaldo Yncierto

External links

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: PABL's endless worry. Manila Standard.
  2. News: Elevation for RFM's Guiao. Manila Standard.
  3. News: RFM is new National Champ. Manila Standard.