TOP 15 TERRAFIRMA PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME | PART 1

PART 1: https://www.project-sydrified.com/top-15-terrafirma-players-of-all-time-part-1

PART 2: https://www.project-sydrified.com/top-15-terrafirma-players-of-all-time-part-2

They’ve gone by many names in their time in the PBA.

Kia, Mahindra, Columbian, and finally, Terrafirma.

Call them whatever you want, but one thing’s certain: Terrafirma Dyip will go down as one of the worst franchises in PBA history.

It all started with a head-scratcher—drafting Manny Pacquiao first overall. He may have been a decorated boxer, but unless we see him punch the living daylights out of locals and imports of different weight classes, the decision to draft him over low-tier second stringers is probably one of the worst things a franchise can ever do.

That decision set the tone for a decade of chaos. But more than the novelty pick, what truly derailed their run was earning the dreaded “farm team” tag. Time and time again, Terrafirma handed away top-tier talent—players who could have formed a legitimate championship core. Just imagine a team that held on to at least three or four players with the caliber of CJ Perez, Christian Standhardinger, Troy Rosario, Isaac Go, Roosevelt Adams, Stephen Holt, RJ Abarrientos, Jordan Heading, and Joshua Munzon.

That’s a superteam on paper.

But not in a Carnival, Enforcer, Picanto, Sorento, or Dyip jersey.

And it wasn’t just about the picks. Terrafirma also nurtured several solid contributors, only to watch them get shipped off to big-market squads—often bubble-wrapped and gift-tagged for Ginebra, Magnolia, or San Miguel. Players like Niño Canaleta, Aldrech Ramos, Jackson Corpuz, Isaac Go, and Bradwyn Guinto could’ve built decent careers here, but instead, many of them returned broken, robbed of confidence and minutes.

Their win-loss record? A dreadful 67–225. Only five playoff games in ten years. And yet somehow, they managed to go 2–3 in the postseason, with their best finish being a fifth-place run in the 2016 Governors’ Cup—a run that ended with them squandering a twice-to-beat advantage against Meralco.

So yes, naming the 15 Greatest Terrafirma Players feels absurd. Their all-time lineup is less “legendary” and more like a cautionary tale for billionaires with money to burn. How bad did it get? Christian Standhardinger—who famously retired from the PBA rather than play for them—is still their all-time leader in rebounding average and ranks among their top five in scoring average. According to RealGM, six of the 15 names on this list didn’t even play 50 games for the team, and only six players were able to compete in 100 games or more.

How do you build anything—let alone a contender—when you tear down the walls every season?

And yet, somehow… here we are.

Let’s try.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

Before we jump into the list, let’s lay down the ground rules.

Some players earned their spot simply by sticking around—longevity alone is a huge accomplishment in a franchise where most players come and go like a revolving door. And with only one Mythical First Team member and two Mythical Second Teamers in their entire existence, you can bet those names will rank high. Stats also matter here, though let’s be honest—this isn’t exactly a stat-stuffed franchise.

To put things in perspective, Andreas Cahilig almost cracked the shortlist with career averages of just 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists across 73 games for the Dyip. Meanwhile, Alex Cabagnot, who played for the team as a 40-year-old vet in the twilight of his career, almost made the list.

Perhaps the most telling thing about this list? Most of these players never became stars elsewhere. Some faded into free agency limbo after Terrafirma declined to re-sign them. Others were relegated to the bench on teams that didn’t really need them. In many ways, this is less a celebration of greatness and more a tribute to survival, loyalty, and small flashes of brilliance in an otherwise bleak run.

Game starts now!

NUMBERS 11 TO 15

SPIN.PH

15 | JP CALVO

112 Games | 4.5 PPG | 1.97 RPG | 2.3 APG

The Columbian Dyip had two first-round picks in the 2019 PBA Draft. With the top overall pick, they selected CJ Perez. With their second pick, they took Letran point guard JP Calvo. While he never lit up the stat sheet, Calvo became a steady rotation player over five seasons with the franchise, averaging around 4 to 5 points per game.

He was a serviceable playmaker with occasional flashes of control and pace, but his field goal efficiency was often a concern. Still, he played over 100 games in a Dyip jersey—an achievement in itself given the team’s roster instability. Following a surprisingly competent 2023–24 campaign, Calvo was one of the core pieces Terrafirma surprisingly left unsigned, marking an unceremonious end to his Dyip chapter.

14 | KARL DEHESA

49 Games | 9.31 PPG | 3.02 RPG | 2.02 APG

A Filipino-American swingman who once suited up for the ABL’s Saigon Heat, Karl Dehesa entered the PBA as the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 Draft by Alaska—only to go unsigned. It wasn’t until 2014, when the PBA welcomed its newest expansion team, that Dehesa found his break. Signed by Kia (then Sorento), he made the most of his opportunity, carving out a role as a part-time starter and a reliable scoring option.

Ironically, his solid stint with Kia turned into a curse. His production caught the attention of GlobalPort, which traded for him in exchange for Roi Sumang—a move that led to even more player shuffling. Sumang was flipped to Blackwater for Keith Agovida, another Dyip talent eventually poached by San Miguel.

Dehesa’s time in the PBA dwindled after that. He was left unsigned by GlobalPort in 2017, later picked up by Phoenix, but managed just two appearances before quietly exiting the league and heading back to the U.S. His Dyip chapter may have been brief, but averaging over 9 points per game in a low-efficiency offense puts him high on the franchise’s all-time list.

13 | JERRAMY KING

27 Games | 14.48 PPG | 5.11 RPG | 2.85 APG

At first glance, his short stint might seem forgettable—but type “Jerramy King PBA” on YouTube and you’ll find a surprising number of 20-point highlights. After going 36th overall in the 2015 PBA Draft (selected by NLEX), King was left unsigned. Understandably so—NLEX had already committed to first-rounders Garvo Lanete and Glenn Khobuntin, and third-rounder Jansen Rios from the earlier rounds.

King paid his dues as a practice player for TNT and eventually cracked the Rain or Shine roster, though he only appeared in eight games over two seasons. His true breakout came in 2018 when he signed with Columbian Dyip as a midseason free agent. Partnering with Rashawn McCarthy, the duo formed an electric backcourt that gave Dyip fans rare reasons to cheer.

But as quickly as he arrived, he was gone. Reports surfaced that King requested a trade, allegedly hoping to join Ginebra to fulfill his grandmother’s wish. It also didn't help that CJ Perez had joined the team. He was eventually dealt to GlobalPort, where his PBA career quietly wrapped up after the season. While the Dyip could've used his scoring chops longer, his exit also opened the door for the Juami Tiongson era—arguably one of the brighter stretches in Dyip history.

12 | STANLEY PRINGLE

32 Games | 13.03 PPG | 4.25 RPG | 3.5 APG

As mentioned in the intro, this list isn’t deep—so yes, a former Best Player of the Conference and multiple-time Mythical Team member sneaks into the Dyip’s Top 15 despite joining them at age 38.

Pringle became part of a surprisingly fair trade—Ginebra sent him to Terrafirma in a multi-piece deal that gave the Dyip the rights to Isaac Go, Stephen Holt, and eventually, RJ Abarrientos in the 2024 Draft. Sure, Mark Nonoy was the actual selection, but with Christian Standhardinger retiring shortly after playing just six games in his comeback tour, it was Pringle who became the team’s most consistent veteran.

After an injury-plagued twilight stint with Ginebra where he lost his starting role, minutes, and scoring touch, Pringle quietly revived his game with Terrafirma. In the franchise’s final season, he led the team in total points (excluding C-Stan's limited run) and games played. Not the flashiest chapter in his career, but certainly one of the most unexpectedly impactful.

11 | REDEN CELDA

113 Games | 6.95 PPG | 1.88 RPG | 1.69 APG

A key member of the NU Bulldogs' title-winning squad, Reden Celda was officially selected 20th overall in the 2016 PBA Draft—but thanks to the “special” Gilas round that muddled draft math, he was effectively the 8th pick of the regular pool. Regardless of technicalities, Celda ended up having a better pro career than most of the Gilas cadets picked ahead of him.

Celda made an immediate impression in his rookie year, averaging close to double figures in scoring and earning a spot on the PBA Press Corps All-Rookie Team. A part-time starter for most of his five-year stint with the franchise, he often played the role of the steady combo guard—never spectacular, but serviceable in a team that desperately needed stability.

He eventually moved to NLEX in the 2022–23 season, before transitioning to other leagues. Still, Celda is one of the few players who quietly thrived amidst Terrafirma’s endless rebuilds and self-destruct cycles.

TO BE CONCLUDED.