CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Joshua Magalaman arrived at the 2026 SEA V Cup at the Candon City Arena as a national team rookie looking to learn. He will leave as one of the tournament’s biggest revelations.
Magalaman emerged as the breakout star for Alas Pilipinas Men, quickly winning over fans and making a lasting impression despite representing the national team for the first time.
The 6-foot-5 middle blocker scored in double figures in all three of the Philippines’ matches in the first leg of the SEA V Cup, hosted by Candon City Mayor Eric Singson and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. He capped off his stellar campaign with 12 points in the Philippines’ 25-21, 28-26, 25-22 sweep of Myanmar on Saturday to salvage fifth place.
His strong performances also made him a fan favorite. After the match, Magalaman spent more than 15 minutes signing autographs and posing for photos with supporters.
“Sobrang thankful po ako sa mga tao dito kasi ngayon ko lang po naranasan yung ganitong treatment sa akin. Ngayon lang po ako naging ganito, so sobrang happy po ako. Thank you po sa support,” said Magalaman.
The 23-year-old De La Salle University middle blocker had already turned heads in the Philippines’ two pool-play losses, tallying 21 points against Cambodia and 13 against Indonesia.
Alas Pilipinas head coach Angiolino Frigoni singled out Magalaman as one of the team’s brightest performers in the opening leg, revealing that he had wanted to bring the Green Spiker into the national team for the past two years.
“I saw Magalaman two years ago, and I wanted him for the national team. But there were some problems… so I couldn’t get him. As soon as I could, I got him,” said Frigoni.
“Kanina nga po, after ng game, niyakap ko po siya kasi sobrang thankful po ako sa kanya. Kasi noong hindi ako nagamit last season, tapos hindi pa ako na-line up noong last-last season, so parang inantay niya po talaga ako. Grabe yung trust ni Coach Frigoni sa akin, so sobrang thankful po ako sa kanya,” shared Magalaman.
From being an unheralded prospect to becoming one of the tournament’s most recognizable faces, Magalaman has exceeded expectations in his first stint with Alas Pilipinas.
But he believes this is only the beginning. With the second leg of the SEA V Cup set for July 22 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Magalaman hopes to build on the confidence the team gained in Candon.
“Napakalaking confidence para sa team kasi alam namin yung kaya naming gawin. Alam namin yung dapat na naming gawin sa next tournament po,” he said.
