Meralco will once again represent the country in the East Asia Super League as the PBA’s lone representative for the upcoming 2025–26 season, the league confirmed Monday.
With perennial contenders TNT and San Miguel opting out of the regional tilt following their respective championship runs in PBA Season 49, the Bolts have been tapped to carry the Philippine banner in the regional tournament that tips off on October 8.
“We are again honored to be chosen for a third straight year to play in the EASL with the best teams around Asia,” said Bolts head coach Luigi Trillo in an interview with PBA.ph.
“It shows that our organization was voted into taking part, and that gives recognition to our ball club’s caliber.”
Meralco returns to the EASL group stage for a third consecutive season following modest campaigns in previous years. The Bolts went 1-6 in their debut outing in 2023–24, before showing improvement last season with a 2-4 slate — falling just one win shy of a Final Four berth in their five-team bracket.
This time around, the road won’t get any easier.
Slotted in Group B, Meralco will square off against top-tier competition in Taiwan’s reigning P. League+ champion Taoyuan, Japan B.League runner-up Ryukyu, and Macau.
The challenge is even more daunting considering the Bolts will begin their campaign in the import-less PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup before transitioning into the import-laden EASL schedule.
“Finding imports will be a challenge because all the other EASL teams play year-round with their respective imports and give yearly contracts. We can only really offer a couple of months,” Trillo admitted.
Still, Meralco remains motivated by the responsibility that comes with international representation.
“We want to do well because we are not just carrying Meralco’s name but that of the PBA and Philippine basketball,” Trillo emphasized.
