When one door closes, another opens — and for JM Ronquillo, that door led straight to Alpha Insurance.
Ronquillo admitted he was devastated when defending champion Cignal took a leave of absence for this conference, especially since the team had given him a chance after his collegiate career at De La Salle University in the UAAP.
But he knew this was part of the game and that he needed to move forward, seeing it as an opportunity to continue growing and make his mark elsewhere.
“Actually, nung nangyari talaga ‘yun devastated kaming lahat,” said the two-time Spikers’ Turf champion.
“’Di kami makapaniwala na mangyayari pala sa amin ‘yun, but as time goes by naman, nakapag-adjust naman na lahat at natanggap na rin namin,” he added.
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He channeled the setback into motivation, making an immediate impact in his debut with the Protectors on Wednesday.
Ronquillo led Alpha Insurance to a 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 victory over new squad AEP-Cabstars, delivering a game-high 12 points off the bench built on 11 attacks and one ace.
“Ginawa na lang namin motivation na kapag may nagsaradong pinto, may bubukas sa’yo si Lord na bago — at ito ‘yung binuksan ni Lord para sa’min,” said the former La Salle star.
The high-flying opposite spiker said he has been adjusting well to his new team, especially with former Super Spikers teammates Jau Umandal and Cian Silang alongside him.
He added he’s eager to contribute to the Protectors’ campaign and share the knowledge and experience he gained during his time with Cignal.
“Okay naman ‘yung experience ko sa Alpha. Kahit ‘yung mga training, maganda naman ‘yung pag-adapt, ‘yung pag-welcome nila sa amin. Family ‘yung turingan kahit ‘yung management,” Ronquillo said.
“Knowing na tatlo kaming pumasok na bago, dahil magkaka-teammates na rin kami ng matagal, talagang ‘di ganun kahirap ‘yung adjustment na kailangan.”
#WATCH: PAG MAY NAGSARA NA PINTO, MAGBUBUKAS SI LORD NG BAGO 🏐
JM Ronquillo looks back on the disbandment of Cignal and how it motivated him to move forward#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/rpxTIukVch
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— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 25, 2026
