For more than a decade, June Mar Fajardo has been one of the few constants in a Gilas Pilipinas program that has undergone a remarkable transformation.
From the Puso era to the present-day national team, Fajardo has remained a fixture, becoming one of only two players alongside Japeth Aguilar to suit up for the Philippines in its last three FIBA World Cup appearances. With Aguilar having stepped away from the national team last December, Fajardo now stands as the last active link to that generation.
And if the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers fourth window does mark the end of his Gilas career, it will close a chapter that has spanned more than a decade and nearly 70 games.
Fajardo made his national team debut at the 2013 FIBA Asia Cup and has since played 68 FIBA games for the Philippines. Should he take the floor in both games of Window 4, he will reach 70 appearances. He has also represented the country in three FIBA World Cups, further cementing his place among the most enduring figures in Philippine basketball.
Fajardo has yet to definitively confirm that these next two games will be his final appearances in a Gilas jersey, but the atmosphere surrounding the upcoming window has unmistakably taken on the feel of a farewell for the nine-time PBA Most Valuable Player.
Head coach Tim Cone revealed that Fajardo had already told the team of his intentions last month.
“After the last window, after the Australia game, he gave a long speech in the locker room about how he was going to retire from Gilas similar to what Japeth did previously the year before,” Cone said.
But while Fajardo may be ready to finally pass the torch to the next generation, Cone is not quite ready to let go of his veteran big man.
“I was happy for him, and players were slapping him on the shoulders, thanking him, and everything. But I was thinking at the same time, he ain’t retiring; I’m not gonna let him retire,” Cone added.
The Gilas tactician stressed that Fajardo could still be particularly valuable in this window, especially with the Philippines set to face “true Asian teams,” where his size and physicality can be utilized more effectively than against Oceania opponents.
Cone also revealed that team manager Alfrancis Chua personally pleaded with Fajardo to return to the national team.
For Fajardo’s teammates, however, whether he is truly saying goodbye or simply taking a break, the opportunity to honor one of Gilas’ longest-serving players is not lost on them.
“Actually, nagulat nga ako na gusto niyang mag-retire eh. Akala ko mag-dalawang World Cup pa ‘yun eh,” quipped CJ Perez, who played alongside Fajardo at both the 2019 and 2023 FIBA World Cups.
Behind the joke was genuine admiration from Perez, who has also been his teammate in San Miguel for years.
“I’m so proud of him. Ang daming napagdaanan ni Kuya June na injuries, at ups and downs. He’s been here, nag-sacrifice siya para sa bayan, and I’m happy for him,” he added.
For many of the younger players on the current squad, Fajardo represents one of the last remaining pieces of the 2010s Gilas program they grew up watching and idolizing.
“Sobrang laking factor ni Kuya June Mar sa career ko talaga kasi ever since, sila yung naabutan ko noong bata pa ako na naglalaro sa Gilas. Sobrang nilo-look up ko talaga sila,” said Justin Arana, who is being called up to the national team pool for the first time.
Now, those players are preparing to take on the responsibility that Fajardo and his generation carried for so long.
“I really look up to June Mar, and also Japeth, just for the amount of years that they were able to play for Gilas, it’s just really something special. For us young guys, it’s coming to a time where it’s our turn to take the torch that they’ve been carrying for so long. We’re trying to follow the footsteps that they led for us,” Dwight Ramos shared.
“They for sure paved the way for us young guys, and I think for us, paano namin ipagpatuloy yung napakita nila for yung buong bansa. So, how we’re gonna continue the tradition they brought for us,” Juan Gomez De Liaño added.
Fajardo has helped set the standard for what Gilas Pilipinas has become, and his impact goes beyond the numbers, titles, and international appearances. For the teammates who have watched him repeatedly answer the call despite the wear and tear of a long professional career, his commitment to the national team is perhaps his most lasting legacy.
And no one may appreciate that commitment more than Cone himself.
“We’re really appreciative of him continuing to make that extra effort, and he’s been playing a long time. He’s playing extra minutes at San Miguel, he’s been beat up, but he’s still coming in and joining us and giving us his best. No one appreciates June Mar more than me; I really love the guy and love that he sacrifices to keep coming here and playing,” Cone concluded.
Whether Fajardo walks away after Window 4 or answers the call for another campaign, his place in Gilas history is already secure.
From his debut in 2013 to three World Cups and potentially 70 FIBA games, few players have embodied the continuity of the Philippine national team quite like the 6-foot-10 Cebuano star.
And if this is indeed the end, Gilas will be saying goodbye not just to a dominant center, but to its last active bridge to an era that helped shape the national program into what it is today.
