Former Hua Siong Iloilo star to beef up Gilas Men for SEA Games

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Former Hua Siong College of Iloilo Red Phoenix superstar center Cedrick Manzano will have something to look forward to despite an early exit in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

On Dec. 4, 2025, the graduating stalwart of the Adamson University Soaring Falcons was named as an official member of the Gilas Pilipinas men’s national basketball team that will represent the PHL in the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian Games to be held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Alongside his co-collegiate gunners and former Gilas Pilipinas veterans, Manzano and the rest of the national squad will aim for back-to-back SEA Games men’s hoops glory.

The crafty front-court operator is fresh off a full-eligibility UAAP stint with the Soaring Falcons. With the recent Season 88 results, when Adamson failed to salvage a spot in the Final Four, Manzano is expected to transition to playing professional basketball.

Manzano first turned heads in 2019 when he was recruited by Hua Siong and quickly impressed when he led the school to the ILOPRISAA championship title.

Too dominant inside, Manzano schooled the entire Sta. Clarita Primes in the grand finals, steering Hua Siong to an 89-76 victory for the gold medal recognition.

Manzano’s brilliance didn’t end at the local level as he replicated his steady two-way outing during the Western Visayas Private Schools Athletic Association championship title (WVPRISAA), helping Hua Siong trounce the Colegio de Sta. Ana Victorias squad from Negros Occidental, 97-78, for the title.

Due to his all-around excellence, several schools from the UAAP recruited the lefty big man, paving the way for his arrival at Adamson.

Despite lacking the ability to shoot from the three-point line, Manzano proved that traditional big men can still be effective in the UAAP.

In his final two seasons at Adamson, Manzano blossomed as one of the team’s top scoring options, especially during the post-Jerom Lastimosa era.

Manzano will have the opportunity to team up with Thirdy Ravena, Matthew Wright, Robert Bolick Jr., and Bobby Ray Parks Jr., the four national team veterans who are expected to lead Gilas in Thailand.

Completing the Gilas roster are Dalph Panopio, Justin Chua, Von Pessumal, Abu Tratter, Allen Liwag, Jamie Malonzo, and Veejay Pre.