THOUGHTS | PAENG ARE OUT OF SAN SEBASTIAN

SPIN.PH / NCAA PHILIPPINES

The San Sebastian Golden Stags have officially moved former top scorer Rafael “Paeng” Are to their alumni section after he decided to take his talents to the MPBL’s Zamboanga Sikat. Interestingly, this team is coached by former San Sebastian mentor Egay Macaraya and features several ex-Stags such as Alvin Capobres, James Una, Reggz Gabat, and Paeng’s brother, Michael Are.

The MPBL playoffs are heating up, with Zamboanga expected to go head-to-head with the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters for a spot in the South Division Finals.

Back in NCAA Season 100, Are was the league’s top scorer with averages of 17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Under new coach Rob Labagala this season, however, he barely made an impact. He recorded just 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.7 steals in three outings.

So really, who can blame him for moving on?

I think part of the reason Are skipped the 2025 PBA Draft, aside from the crowded pool of applicants, is to strengthen his stock for the future. His height and the doubts about whether his scoring can translate to the professional level probably worked against him. If even Ato Barba, an NCAA Mythical Five member, went undrafted by all 12 teams, it is fair to assume that Are might have faced the same outcome.

Staying with San Sebastian, given their current record and how underutilized he was, would have done him no favors. It is a bit ironic too, since Labagala himself was an undersized guard who still carved out a solid PBA career as Ginebra’s spark plug. For Are, starting early in the MPBL and preparing for the 2027 PBA Draft makes perfect sense.

Of course, there is a catch. He needs to play well enough to get noticed. He will have to earn major minutes, take control of the ball, and lead Zamboanga deep into the playoffs. The PBA Draft rewards players who produce regardless of situation, so while being in a familiar system under Macaraya helps, it might also limit how much he can stand out.

Team choice is also crucial. Take Pampanga for example. When they secured a PBA franchise under Converge, several of their MPBL standouts like Justine Baltazar, MJ Garcia, Ronan Santos, John Lloyd Clemente, Archie Concepcion, and Larry Muyang received valuable exposure. In that sense, Are might have found himself in a good situation. The Zamboanga Brand Sardines organization has long been rumored to be one of the potential buyers of the Terrafirma franchise, which could open doors for him later on.

So good luck to Paeng Are. Looking at the bigger picture, both he and San Sebastian made the right decision. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone is exactly what it takes to grow.