THE Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) basketball team was crowned champion of the 5th Governor Susan A. Yap inter-department basket tournament after defeating the team of the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO) 2-0 in their best-of-three championship match at the Tarlac State University Gymnasium, September 27 and 28.

The PGO team, coached by Mike Dimarucut, went undefeated in the tournament with a 9-0 card topped Bracket B in the elimination round 4-0 defeating the teams from Provincial Task Composite Force (Task Force), PIO-CSU (Provincial Information Office-Civil Security Unit), PEPO (Provincial Equipment Pool Office) and PA Office (Provincial Administrator’s Office) then proceeded to defeat PEO (Provincial Engineer’s Office) in the cross-over quarter finals. In the best-of-three semi-final round, PGO defeated the Vice Governor’s Office 2-0.
PGSO on the other hand, likewise went 4-0 to top Bracket A. They defeated the Veterinary Office, PEO, Tarlac Provincial Jail and the VG (Vice Governor’s Office) before winning against Task Force in the cross-over quarter finals. Before meeting the PGO in the finals, they crushed the PIO-CSU team 2-0 in the semi-finals.
Kendelle Melendez, a point guard for the PGO team won the Most Valuable Player of the tournament honors and was joined in the mythical team by Vice Governor’s Office shooting guard Christian Datang, PIO-CSU’s power forward Erickson Mamaril, PGO’s shooting forward Markus Ryan Ramos and PGSO’s point guard Beloy Bagtas.
PGO likewise won the best uniform award while the muse of the PEPO was named best muse.
In the first game of the championship, PGO edged PGSO by one point, 78 to 77 while in the second game, PGO scored 62 to PGSO’s 59.
In the one-game battle for third place on September 27, PIO-CSU won over the VG to the tune of 67-56. PIO-CSU team finished the tourney with a 5-3 card and VG totted a 4-4 card.
PIO and concurrent CSU head and the coach of the team Arvin Cabalu thanked all the participating teams. He likewise thanked those who sponsored his team in the tournament.
“My heartfelt thanks to all our sponsored in this tournament—Converge FiberXers, Katingko Oil and Ointment, Northern Builders, Balingit Home Furnishing, New Tarlac Northern Marketing, businessman Tyrone Rigor and Ato and Igno Chua of Cindy’s,” Cabalu said who is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Tarlac Standard.
The basketball tournament, handled by Provincial Assessor’s staff Mike Tañedo is part of the provincial government’s participation in the 122nd anniversary celebration of the Civil Service Commission. The tournament started on August 29.
Formal awarding of the team and individual winners will be set on a later date with no less than Governor Susan Yap at the helm.