JB ABL Set for Highly-Anticipated Return With Developmental League

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

After nearly six months of hiatus, the most consistent and grandest basketball league in Iloilo City will return with a bang.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ilonggo hoops enthusiasts, make way, because the JB Amateur Basketball League (JB ABL) is back to deliver on its promise of bringing exciting hoops games to the City of Love.

Six months after staging the crowd-favorite conference, the JB ABL Battle of the Seven Districts II, commissioner and founder Jayphet Balbacal thought it was the perfect time to give back, especially to their top supporters who wondered why the league took a pause at the beginning of 2025.

“We heard you all, and yes, mabalik na kami. Finally, pagkatapos sang pila ka bulan nga pahuway, we think this is a good timing for a comeback sang isa sa mga lapit nga conferences sa aton,” Balbacal said in an exclusive interview with the Daily Guardian.

To kick off JB ABL’s highly-anticipated return to the Iloilo City basketball landscape, Balbacal unveiled the tip-off schedule of the first conference of the year, the JB ABL Developmental League III.

Three categories will be catered by the JB ABL committee, the Under-12, U-15, and the U-17, the three staple divisions of the league’s Developmental conference.

Hours after JB ABL’s social media post, several youth basketball programs and schools already stormed to the league’s inbox as they showed interest in joining the conference’s third season.

Returning teams that will aim to vie for the title are Hunters, Ateneo de Iloilo, Leganes, Team Phenom, ST ACTS, INHS, ICNHS, Sleepers, and Doane Baptist.

Aside from these usual names, there are also teams from outside Iloilo City that showed interest in gracing the conference, Dumangas Fly High Basketball, Anilao Ballers, and the Aganan Pavia Ball club.

Completing the list of the competing teams are the future stars from Tiong San, team Bel-is Cove, and Team BMP.

“The Developmental conference will always be close sa aton, since our main aim is to help programs expose their players more, and help in their rebuilding/revamping stage kung may ara man. Every star player starts in this stage. Sa diri, tanan nga kabataan nga may puturo kag kasanag sa sport nga palangga ta, makit-an ang abilidad,” Balbacal added.

The opening ceremony will start this coming May 30, 2025, to be held at the Burgos Basketball Gym located in front of the ISAT-U Lapaz campus.