By: Domique Adrian Veloso
After a decorated career with Far Eastern University, Mac Belo entered the 2016 PBA Draft as one of the most highly anticipated rookies of his class, coming off a successful Season 78 Men’s Basketball Tournament championship run where he earned Finals MVP honors.
He was selected by Blackwater in the Special Gilas round of the 2016 PBA Draft, eventually becoming a three-time All-Star from 2017 to 2019 despite dealing with a torn meniscus, knee injuries, and back spasms along the way.
Traded from Blackwater to Meralco in 2021, Belo then saw less playing time due to the depth at his position. He moved around before an eventual release by Rain or Shine in 2024, as the team leaned toward a younger core.
While a return to professional basketball grew more uncertain by the day, Belo eventually found his way back onto the court — this time, for the program that first believed in his abilities after recruiting him out of Midsayap, Cotabato.
The 33-year-old forward joined FEU’s coaching staff, first seen on the sidelines with the school’s men’s program during the 2026 FilOil tournament before joining head coach Muriel Garcia’s staff for the UAAP Season 89 16-and-under basketball tournament.
“Well, doon naman kasi, dream ko rin talaga na makapagturo kasi isa rin ‘yon sa pinangarap ko. Napaaga lang, pero thankful ako sa FEU kasi binigyan nila ako ng job na ganito. For my part, FEU talaga, dugong Tamaraw pa rin talaga,” Belo said of his homecoming.
“Masaya ako na nakabalik ulit ako sa FEU after ng ilang years. Thankful kasi sa ngayon, mas nakakatulong ako sa mga bata na ma-share ko rin yung experience ko at yung natutunan ko during my college days at sa pro na rin,” he added.
His debut as a UAAP coach also brought back fond memories, as his first game with the Baby Tamaraws — a dominant 84-60 win over Adamson University — took place at the FEU-Diliman Gym in Quezon City.
The gym holds a special place in Belo’s heart. He recalled that his batch of Tamaraws, alongside teammates Mike Tolomia, Russel Escoto, and RR Pogoy, was the first men’s basketball team to transition from the Morayta campus to FEU-Diliman.
The program’s gamble to transfer the team to its Diliman campus eventually paid dividends. FEU secured a silver-medal finish in Season 77 before ruling Season 78 by outlasting the University of Santo Tomas in a three-game series.
“Marami ‘eh, actually kami nauna rito ‘eh. Kasi itong batch namin yung 2014, ‘yon yung una na dinala dito from R. Papa. So kumbaga, kami yung unang nagbinyag dito sa men’s. Mas okay dito kasi mas nakaka-focus yung mga players, nakakapag-aral ng mabuti, at nakakaensayo ng maayos,” Belo explained.
As he now imparts his knowledge to the next generation of Tamaraws, Belo is drawing from the wealth of experience he gained while playing under various tacticians throughout his amateur and professional career.
He played for the likes of Bert Flores, Nash Racela, Norman Black, and Yeng Guiao, and was also handled by former national team mentors Tab Baldwin and Chot Reyes during his time in the Gilas Pilipinas pool and as a Gilas cadet.
“Maraming coaches na magagaling, iba-iba sila ng pananaw, wala naman. Lahat ng mga coach na dumaan sa akin, learning experience ‘yon. Yung mga natutunan ko sa kanila, ma-share ko rin sa mga bata,” he concluded.
