Cholo Villanueva has long worn many hats in Philippine basketball—player, champion, and a coach across multiple leagues—but his latest role may be his most personal yet, as he steps into the world of facility ownership with a project built not just for athletes, but also as a heartfelt gift for his wife, Agnes, ahead of her May 25 birthday.
That vision took physical form with the recent blessing of Hoops Haven, a professionally designed basketball court located along P. Burgos Street in Pasay City.
Officially inaugurated last April 10, the facility is Villanueva’s newest venture with partners, marking another milestone in a career defined by evolution within the sport he has long served.
“As my passion and love for the game, this is the fruit of my hard work, developing a new, professional sports facility for the next generation of basketball players,” Villanueva said.
Still very much active on the sidelines as head coach in the MPBL with Batangas Tanduay, in the WMPBL with Batangas-New Zealand Bluefire, and in the UAAP with De La Salle University, Villanueva said Hoops Haven was born out of years of experience bouncing from one rented court to another—eventually fueling his desire to build one of his own.
(C) Hoops Haven
“This is really a professionally-made basketball court,” he said.
“I’ve been renting basketball courts for so many years now. I really wanted a court that would fit the team’s needs.”
Beyond its polished hardwood, Hoops Haven was designed with performance and player safety in mind, featuring advanced flooring technology aimed at reducing impact on the body—especially in high-intensity movements like landing, jumping, and sprinting.
“Itong flooring namin, may dual shock technology especially in the paint. Marami siyang shocks doon. From the landings, jumping, running, sprinting, kailangan very good sa knees para ma-prolong yung career ng professional basketball players, UAAP, or amateur players, and also yung mga weekend warriors. This was really made for them – a facility that will cater to all levels of basketball,” he explained.
The formal blessing last April 10 was attended by Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, along with city and barangay officials.
