MAPPED | RAIN OR SHINE'S ANTI-SUPER TEAM

As of this writing, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are off to a blazing 5–0 start in the 2025–26 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Sure, a big part of that success comes from Yeng Guiao’s system and the impact of import Jaylen Johnson.

That said, what really caught my attention is their roster makeup. Aside from Beau Belga and Stanley Pringle, most of their core haven’t even reached five seasons in the PBA yet.

Just hours before securing that 5–0 record with a win over Converge, the team also retired the jersey of Gabe Norwood, who suited up in the Philippine Cup before officially calling it a career at the end of the conference. And even before the Commissioner’s Cup began, the Elasto Painters had already released Kris Porter.

So it’s kind of wild to think that after Belga and Pringle, the team’s most experienced players are now Santi Santillan, Andrei Caracut, and Anton Asistio.

This is a ridiculously young squad—honestly, it looks more like a college all-star lineup, with most of the roster in their 20s or just entering their early 30s, aside from Caelan Tiongson, who rose to prominence as an ABL mainstay. And of course, that youth showed when championship pressure hit, especially in their playoff loss to TNT Tropang 5G.

Still, there’s a different vibe with this group—it feels like they’re on a mission. And it got me thinking: how exactly did Rain or Shine build a team like this? So I decided to retrace the steps the Elasto Painters took to put this roster together.

PLAYER	DRAFT	ACQ	WHAT ROS GAVE UP
BEAU BELGA	2008 | 7	TRADE (2011)	S MERCADO | MER JAY-R REYES | A21   P. BUGIA | MER
STANLEY PRINGLE	2009 | 1	F/A	NONE
SANTI SANTILLAN	2021 | 5	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
ANTON ASISTIO	2021 | 22	DRAFT	J CHAN | PHX
ANDREI CARACUT	2021 | 23	DRAFT	E DAQUIOAG | TNT
GIAN MAMUYAC	2022 | 5	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
SHAUN ILDEFONSO	2022 | 10	DRAFT	R ALMAZAN | MER
JHONARD CLARITO	2022 | 17	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
LUIS VILLEGAS	2023 | 3	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
KEITH DATU	2023 | 4	DRAFT	J MOCON | PHX
ADRIAN NOCUM	2023 | 24	DRAFT	E DAQUIOAG | TNT
CAELAN TIONGSON	2024 | 7	DRAFT	R NAMBATAC | TNT (VIA BLA)
FELIX LEMETTI	2024 | 8	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
MIKE MALONZO	2024 | 16	DRAFT	J MOCON | PHX
CHRISTIAN MANAYTAY	2025 | 10	DRAFT	NONE | OWN PICK
JUN ROQUE	2025 | 12	DRAFT	H GALINATO | TNT
DEO CUAJAO	2025 | 22	DRAFT	NONE

The first thing that stands out here is how the arrival of Beau Belga essentially marked the beginning of Rain or Shine’s no-superstar system. This also happened around the time Yeng Guiao transitioned from coaching the Burger King Whoppers/Air21 Express—where Belga was already on his roster—and eventually landed with the Meralco Bolts.

And yeah, it’s wild when you think about it—Belga was part of the deal that completed the Rain or Shine core of Gabe Norwood, Solomon Mercado, and Jay-R Reyes. But in hindsight, fans probably won’t complain much, because that Meralco–Rain or Shine–Air21 deal brought in Belga, Ronjay Buenafe, and Ronnie Matias, along with two crucial first-round picks.

Those picks turned out to be massive. Rain or Shine used them to draft Paul Lee in 2011 and Raymond Almazan in 2013. Even in a hypothetical one-for-one scenario, it’s hard to pass up prime Lee or Almazan over Mercado or Reyes, especially considering how comparable their careers have been—or even leaning in favor of “Angas ng Tondo” and “Rakenrol” when you factor in achievements and championships.

Another interesting name in this whole web is Ed Daquioag. The former UST Growling Tiger was initially a special round pick by Meralco in 2016 before being dealt to Rain or Shine for Mike Tolomia. After a couple of seasons, he was moved to the TNT Tropang 5G for a package of picks. And if you’re wondering—yes, he never actually suited up for TNT. He was quickly flipped to Blackwater Bossing as part of a three-team deal with the NLEX Road Warriors that netted TNT JP Erram.

Now here’s where it gets very “Yeng Guiao.” Second-round picks are usually throwaways for big teams—but not for him. Those selections eventually turned into key rotation players like Andrei Caracut and Adrian Nocum.

Rain or Shine also maximized its place within the MVP trading ecosystem, working deals with teams like Blackwater and Phoenix. That pipeline helped them bring in players such as Caelan Tiongson, Shaun Ildefonso, Mike Malonzo, and Jun Roque.

Of course, it wasn’t without losses. The Elasto Painters had to part ways with names like Raymond Almazan, Jeff Chan, Javee Mocon, and Rey Nambatac. But with how they’re playing right now, it’s hard to argue against the results.

At the end of the day, Rain or Shine proves that while superstar trades—or even “harvesting” from farm teams—can matter, success still comes down to building something out of what you have. And right now, that philosophy is exactly what’s fueling their rise.