BAYUGAN City, which is known as the “cut-flower capital” of Agusan del Sur due to its thriving cut-flower industry, will host anew exciting basketball competition among the country’s top collegiate teams.
This, as the four-day 2025 Mayor Kirk Asis Open basketball tournament is set to kick off on Thursday (June 26), featuring defending champion ARQ Builders- Adamson University, fellow UAAP powers Far Eastern University, and the University of Santo Tomas, as well as NCAA stalwarts Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Jose Rizal University.
They will fight it out until June 29 at the Lope Asis Memorial Gymnasium in Bayugan, as a major sports highlight of the city’s 18th Charter Day and 3rd Bayug Festival celebrations.
“Bayugan City particularly its highland barangays where the climate is perfect for producing high-yield cut flowers is also a major agricultural producer for the province, contributing significantly to rice and vegetable production. Through sports and tourism mas the more ma promote iyang potential agri-wise,” said former Tagoloan sports reliable Van Halen Parmis, who thanks Bayugan City Mayor Kirk A. Asis, Vice Mayor Kim ‘Tata’ Asis, City Councilor Kim Lope A. Asis and his son, sports organizer Kim Lope A. Asis II for “organizing the annually-held hoop fest and for bringing our technical staff here to help in running the show.”
Cagayan de Oro-based journalist Leonides ‘Jack’ Biantan expressed amazement after learning that all featured teams from Manila, but with many of their players coming from the Visayas and Mindanao, were all championship caliber, thus ensuring a sure-fire hit from the crowd.
“Dili kini basta-basta nga linyada. Mas malingaw ko ini nga level kay sa PBA,” Biantan told Gold Star Daily.
The keenly-awaited tourney will also serve as a warm-up cum solid preparations for the competing teams in the upcoming UAAP and NCAA seasons.
As usual, the visiting collegiate squads will be supported by local sponsors with the ARQ Builders returning as the main backer of the reigning titlist Adamson University Soaring Falcons of coach Nash Racela.
Same with the Growling Tigers/Wengburs Apartelle of coach Pido Jarencio, the Tamaraws/MAIR Construction General Merchandise of coach Sean Chambers, the Knights/Bustamante Construction of coach Allen Ricardo, and the Heavy Bombers/Vincare Pharma of coach Nani Epondulan.
