Bacolod Masskara

Bacolod Masskara
2026 Bacolod Masskara season
LeagueMPBL (2019–present)
FilBasket (2022)
Founded2019; 7 years ago (2019)
HistoryBacolod Master Sardines
2019–2020
All-Star Bacolod Ballers
2021–2022
Bacolod Bingo Plus
2022
Bacolod City of Smiles
2023–2024
Bacolod Tubo Slashers
2025
Bacolod Masskara
2026–present
ArenaLa Salle Coliseum
(last used in 2022)
LocationBacolod
Team colors     
Head coachLency Aransazo

The Bacolod Masskara are a Filipino professional basketball team based in Bacolod. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. The team most recently played its home games at La Salle Coliseum.

The team was founded as the Bacolod Master Sardines when it began play in the 2019–20 season and has since undergone multiple monikers. They also took part in FilBasket during the 2022 Summer Championship.

The Bacolod franchise is one of four teams based in Visayas, the other being the Cebu Greats and Iloilo United Royals, and were one of the two MPBL teams representing the Negros Island Region along with the Negros Hacienderos.

History

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

The Bacolod Master Sardines joined the MPBL as an expansion team for the 2019–20 season, becoming one of the first two teams from Western Visayas alongside fellow expansion side Iloilo United Royals. In its inaugural season, Bacolod finished 11–19, 11th in the South Division.

In the 2021 MPBL Invitational, the team entered as the All-Star Bacolod Ballers and was drawn into Group A alongside future expansion team Negros Muscovados. In the group stage, the All-Star Ballers finished 3–2, finishing third in the group, failing to make the playoffs.

In the 2022 season, reigning Finals MVP Mark Yee joined Bacolod. Yee helped bring the team to its first playoff appearance, finished 5th in the South Division with a 14–7 record. Yee went on to win Defensive Player of the Year honors. The team beat fourth-seeded GenSan in the First Round, and forced a Game 3 against first-seeded Zamboanga in the Division Semifinals but ended up losing that game. Before the 2023 season, some of its players, including Yee and Jhan Nermal left the team to join the Bacoor City Strikers. Bacolod dropped to 9th, one game behind 8th-seeded Iloilo to once again miss the playoffs with an 11–17 record.

In 2024, nine-time PBA champion Alex Cabagnot joined as head coach of the team, but ended up not playing for the team and left for the Converge FiberXers mid-season.

On January 3, 2025, amid reports of tryouts happening for a new Bacolod team for the upcoming 2025 season, the league clarified that it does not recognize such team for next season. The Bacolod franchise would continue competing for the 2025 season.

For the 2026 season, the team changed their name to Bacolod Masskara. On July 30, the MPBL suspended the team's franchise for the rest of the season following allegations of game manipulation during a July 28 game against the Bulacan Kuyas. It also issued a permanent ban on Bacolod Masskara players and coaches involved in the incident.

FilBasket

The team was invited to FilBasket for its 2022 Summer Championship before beginning its 2022 MPBL campaign. Bacolod finished third in the elimination round with seven wins and made the semifinals before losing to the Nueva Ecija Capitals in two games.

Team identity

The team's current identity derives from Bacolod's moniker as the "City of Smiles" in the country. The alternate name, Maskaras, alludes to the MassKara Festival which is held in Bacolod city.

Roster

Bacolod Masskara roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 1 John Edward Veloso (HG) 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) 2000–02–12 Philippine Christian
G 2 Emman Galman 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 2002-03-20 UST
G 5 Marjun Wahing 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 1999–04–20 PATTS
G 7 Kobe Dalisay (HG) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Mapúa
F 9 Kurt Lactaotao 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 2002-09-12 Guang Ming
F 10 Miguel Villarete (HG) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Centro Escolar
F/C 11 Harley Ching (FF) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Grace Christian
G 12 Cade Ronzone (FF) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 2001–01–09 Adamson
F 13 Jeremy Monton 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Lyceum
F 15 Ram Mesqueriola 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 2002–09–18 Philippine Christian
G 16 Vong Dangiwan 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) USLS
F 17 Adrian Lopez (HG) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Centro Escolar
G 22 Joshua Bongon 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) UE
G 23 Desmond Price (FF) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 1998–11–10 Illinois Tech
G/F 24 Miguel Laban (HG) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) USLS
F/C 26 Khenth Guiab 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 1998-09-14 Calayan Educational Foundation
F 27 Hance Lleva 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Philippine Christian
G 28 Joshua Jamias 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 2003-08-30 Guang Ming College
G 29 Louis Lim (HG) 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) USLS
G 32 Austin Ronzone (FF) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 2001–01–09 Adamson
F/C 33 Jethro Ting (HG) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) USLS
C 35 Lex Teruel 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) San Beda
F 55 Rafael Go 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Letran
G 66 Christopher Paul Rivas 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Trace
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager
Legend
  • (HG) Homegrown
  • (FF) Filipino-foreigner
  • (EA) EASL player
  • (RS) Reserve player
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured
Updated as of: June 22, 2026

Head coaches

Bacolod Masskara head coaches
Name Start End Achievements Ref.
1Vic Ycasiano2019–202019–20 —
2Alexander Angeles20212022 —
3Monel Kallos20232023 —
4Vincent Salvador20232023 —
5Alex Cabagnot2024 2024 —
6RJ Argamino2024 2024 —
7Paolo Javelona2025 2025 —
8Lency Aransazo2026 current —

Notable players

Individual award winners

MPBL All-Star Day

PBA players

Season-by-season records

MPBL

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2026 MPBL season.

MPBL champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Regular season Playoffs
Finish Played Wins Losses Win % GB Round Results
Bacolod Master Sardines
2019–20 MPBLSouth 11th301119.36715 Did not qualify
Bacolod Bingo Plus
2022 MPBLSouth 5th21147.6674 Division quarterfinals
Division semifinals		 won vs. General Santos, 2–1
lost vs. Zamboanga, 1–2
Bacolod City of Smiles
2023 MPBLSouth 9th281117.39312 Did not qualify
2024 MPBLSouth 15th28127.03620 Did not qualify
Bacolod Tubo Slashers
2025 MPBLSouth 14th29425.13821 Did not qualify
Bacolod Masskara
2026 MPBLSouth BannedDid not qualify
Regular season record 1364195.301 1 playoff appearance
Playoff record 633.500 0 finals appearances
Cumulative record 1424498.310 0 championships

References

  1. ↑ "Tallo leads Bacolod team in Maharlika basketball". Panay News. June 13, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  2. ↑ Panerio, Jonas (October 23, 2019). "Coach drops Tallo 5 days after Bacolod loses to Cebu". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  3. ↑ "MPBL: GenSan stays alive vs Bacolod; Zamboanga enters semis". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ Co, Adrian Stewart (November 17, 2022). "Bacolod exits 2022 MPBL tournament". Panay News. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Vintage Mark Yee steers Bacoor to winning start in MPBL". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ Co, Adrian Stewart (January 6, 2025). "New Bacolod squad not recognized by MPBL". Panay News. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  7. ↑ "MPBL bans Bacolod players, coaches; suspends franchise for season". Cebu Daily News. July 30, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  8. ↑ "San Juan, Nueva Ecija sweep rivals to arrange clash for Filbasket crown". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 19, 2023.