MASAM SPORTS 36: PHLPOST HONORS "EL PRESIDENTE" RAMON FERNANDEZ WITH COMMEMORATIVE STAMP
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Feb 2022
The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) honors Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner and Philippine basketball icon Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez with a commemorative stamp during the celebration of its 75th anniversary.
PHLPost Postmaster general and CEO Norman Fulgencio sent a letter to Fernandez dated February 7, saying that they are honoring the former professional basketball player on their “Outstanding Filipino” commemorative stamp series, mainly due to his great contribution and influence in the Philippine sports scene.
Fernandez is the second Filipino basketball player to receive such an honor after Robert Jaworski, Fernandez’s former Toyota teammate and archrival during their prime in the PBA.
“I am humbled and honored by this recognition, happy and fulfilled that whatever contribution I have for sports is acclaimed,” said Fernandez as quoted by CDN. PHLPost will have the formal launching and stamp presentation on February 26 at the Manila Central Post Office.
Fernandez is truly deserving of such an accolade with so many achievements in the PBA. He is a 19-time PBA champion, four-time PBA MVP (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988), and 13-time PBA Mythical First Team Member (1976–1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992).
He scored 18,996 points to end his career as the PBA's all-time scoring leader. He is also the PBA's all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, free throws made, playing minutes and second all-time in assists, games played and steals.
Fernandez is also a six-time PBA All-Star (1989–1994), three-time PBA Mythical Second Team Member (1985, 1987, 1990) and a PBA Grand Slam champion (1989) and selected to the PBA's 25 Greatest Players and PBA's 40 Greatest Players.
Currently, Fernandez is an active PSC commissioner for the Visayas, at the forefront of various grassroots development training programs especially for the youth. In 1998, he became the first commissioner of the defunct professional league, Metropolitan Basketball Association. He also became the Commissioner of the United Regional Basketball League during its only tournament in 2004.
He was recently appointed by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) as the chef de mission for the Philippine delegation to the 31st Southeast Asian Games in May in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Fernandez played for five teams in his entire PBA career with Toyota, Manila Beer, Tanduay, Purefoods and San Miguel. Fernandez was many times a member of the Philippine basketball team to different international tournaments. He is often regarded by expert analysts as the greatest player to ever play in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Born in Maasin, Southern Leyte, Fernandez graduated from University of San Carlos in Cebu. In 1972, he joined the San Miguel Braves in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA). The following year, he was acquired by the newly formed Komatsu Komets, later renamed the Toyota Comets.
He was a member of several national teams, including the teams for the 1972 ABC Under-18 Championship, the 1973 ABC Championship, the 1974 FIBA World Championship, the 1974 Asian Games and the 1990 Asian Games.
Fernandez moved to the Philippine Basketball Association in 1975, when the Toyota Comets entered as one of the nine pioneer teams of the professional league. With teammates Robert Jaworski, Francis Arnáiz, Arnie Tuadles, Danny Florencio, and Abe King, Toyota won nine championships from 1975-1983. Fernandez was the 1982 PBA Most Valuable Player, while playing with the popular Toyota team.
After Toyota's disbandment in 1984, Fernandez and other former Toyota teammates were taken by Beer Hausen. With Toyota's disappearance, the feud between Fernandez and Jaworski became obvious. Fernandez won the 1984 MVP award, his second of such highest award, during his first season with the Lucio Tan franchise, but failed to lead the team to the title. He was traded in the middle of the 1985 season to Tanduay for Abet Guidaben.
From 1986-1987, Fernandez together with Freddie Hubalde, Padim Israel, J.B. Yango, Willie Generalao, and Onchie dela Cruz led the Rhum Masters to three PBA titles. Fernandez won his third MVP award in 1986.
Tanduay then disbanded and for the 1988 season, the franchise was bought by the Purefoods. Fernandez became the playing coach of a young team composed of Jerry Codiñera, Jojo Lastimosa, Al Solís, Glenn Capacio and later Alvin Patrimonio.
In the 1988 Open Conference, Fernandez led his new team to a second place finish to San Miguel Beer. But in the middle of the All-Filipino Conference, he turned over his mentoring duties to his assistant coach Cris Calilan to concentrate on playing.
But in a questionable action, Fernandez was benched during the Finals against Añejo Rhum. The move resulted in his trade to San Miguel Beer in exchange for Abet Guidaben for the second time.
Fernandez led the Beermen to the 1988 Reinforced Conference Championship and won his fourth MVP Award, becoming the first and the only player in the PBA to win four MVP awards with four different teams.
Fernandez was a key factor in San Miguel's historic PBA grandslam in 1989. He reconciled with adversary Jaworski during the All-Star Game that season, when El Presidente scored an undergoal stab from a Jaworski inbound pass at halfcourt, to surge the Veterans to a 132-130 victory over the Rookie-Sophomores team in the dying seconds of the game.
Famed coach Baby Dalupan, who coached the Veterans, called the two rivalling superstars to a historic handshake at centercourt marking the end of their squabble.
However, despite leading his team to a rare Grand Slam that season, Fernandez closely lost to rookie Benjie Paras in the MVP voting, and the then 36-year old veteran was denied of a record fifth MVP award.
In 1990, Fernandez was a member of the Philippine basketball team that won the silver medal in the Beijing Asian Games. He was selected to the national team in the 1994 Asian Games, but backed off due to his injury. That year saw the final season of Fernandez's PBA career when he bid goodbye to active basketball.
In 1984, Fernandez was five assists short of averaging in triple-double for the whole season. He ended his PBA career with averages of 17.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 1.7 blocks per game in 1,074 games.
"El Presidente" Mon Fernandez deserved to be immortalized in the annals of Philippine sports. Thanks to PHLPost for recognizing our kababayan's exploits.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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