TOP 15 TERRAFIRMA PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME | PART 2

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 

Before we dive into the top ten, let’s get this one out of the way.

You may call him the team's mascot.

I just call him the eight-division elephant in the room.

PACQUIAO, MANNY

10 Games | 1.30 PPG | 0.50 RPG | 0.20 APG

When the then-Kia Carnival selected Manny Pacquiao as their first-ever draft pick in the 2014 PBA Draft, I actually thought it made sense.

Sure, he was a stretch as a first-round pick, but once Kia and Blackwater started ping-ponging their selections in the later rounds, I figured he would end up somewhere in the third round anyway. Expansion teams rarely come with strong followings—whether they come from a city-based league like the MBA or were promoted from the PBL or D-League. So in that sense, why not draft The Pambansang Kamao to generate buzz?

I mean, even Andre Paras, son of the league’s only Rookie MVP, was a third-rounder. Maybe Kia could’ve just struck a gentleman’s agreement with the other teams to pass on Pacquiao and take him later. But instead, they went full send.

What frustrated me wasn’t the pick—it was everything they did after.

Fans were begging for a team name like Kia Kamao, something with a real Pacquiao punch. Instead, they went with Kia Carnival—a name that felt more like a bad car promo than a basketball team. Then they made Manny the playing coach. Again, I get the marketing angle, but that gets dicey when your “coach” is juggling five other careers.

The moment Manny got busy with boxing, politics, religion, and even weekend variety shows, Kia became a glorified PBA D-League guest team, especially with no legitimate star leading the charge. Sure, Glenn Capacio and Joe Lipa are solid basketball minds, but without a true franchise player, they were just out there to fill out the schedule.

And that, to me, was the fatal flaw of the Pacquiao experiment.

Even if players wanted to play for Manny, the PBA isn’t like the NBA—free agency doesn’t work the same way. No one’s giving up a guaranteed shot at titles and bonuses from the SMC or MVP camps just to join a vanity project.

In the end, it did more harm than good.

Pacquiao's presence put Kia in the spotlight, but it also made it impossible for the team to build something real.

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And now, the top ten.

Game starts now!

THE TOP TEN

10 | LOUIE SANGALANG

48 Games | 10.44 PPG | 4.27 RPG | 1.73 APG | 0.38 SPG | 0.63 BPG

The sixth NCAA player selected and the 22nd overall pick in the stacked 2023 PBA Draft, Louie Sangalang should’ve gone higher. While most of the spotlight at Letran was reserved for Rhenz Abando and Fran Yu, it was Sangalang—the tongue-wagging, paint-patrolling enforcer—who anchored the team’s frontline during their title runs.

He brought that same edge to Terrafirma. Despite the franchise’s usual chaos, Sangalang emerged as a legitimate building block in just his sophomore season, turning into a double-double threat and proving his value even in import-laden conferences. Often, he was the one holding the fort when the team's foreign reinforcement fell short of expectations.

Had the franchise survived beyond that final conference, Sangalang may have very well been its future, assuming Terrafirma ever intended to build one in the first place.

9 | JACKSON CORPUZ

73 Games | 8.22 PPG | 5.44 RPG | 0.85 APG | 0.85 SPG | 0.66 BPG

Marc Pingris may be the “Pinoy Sakuragi,” but Jackson Corpuz is definitely the “Pinoy Fukuda.” With his energetic playstyle, undersized grit, and that signature mop of hair, the former PCU Dolphin channeled the Slam Dunk bruiser in both look and attitude.

Undrafted in 2014, Corpuz climbed the ranks through the PBA D-League before getting his break in the 2017–18 season under Chito Victolero. While Victolero’s time with the franchise didn’t last, his eye for talent helped uncover a gem in Corpuz.

His best season came in 2019, averaging 10 points, nearly 6 boards, over a steal, and solid rim protection—rare numbers for a Dyip big man. But as was the case with many standouts on this team, one strong season was all it took for the vultures to circle. Magnolia swooped in, trading Aldrech Ramos for Corpuz, reuniting him with Victolero to briefly team up with Pingris. Unfortunately, he was mostly relegated to backup duty.

After four seasons, Corpuz was let go by the Hotshots but eventually resurfaced with Converge. Still, his Terrafirma run remains the best stretch of his career, ranking third in franchise history in total blocks, fourth in rebounds, eighth in steals, and tenth in points.

8 | ERIC CAMSON

153 Games | 7.16 PPG | 3.61 RPG | 0.76 APG | 0.43 SPG | 0.14 BPG

When you talk about Terrafirma lifers, you have to talk about Eric Camson.

According to RealGM, Camson logged 153 games over nearly seven seasons—making him the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. More impressively, he’s the only player to suit up under all four iterations of the franchise: Kia, Mahindra, Columbian, and Terrafirma.

Camson was never the face of the team, but he was a model of consistency. He averaged double digits once and was a decimal point under 10 points in the 2017–18 season. From 2017 to 2024, he experienced every gut-wrenching loss, every rebuilding phase, and all five of the team’s playoff appearances.

In true Terrafirma fashion, Camson was left unsigned at the start of the 2024–25 season. Still, his legacy remains in the numbers: second all-time in total rebounds, fourth in total points, seventh in steals, and eighth in blocks. A quiet warrior in a loud mess of a franchise.

7 | JAVI GOMEZ DE LIAÑO

58 Games | 10.47 PPG | 4.14 RPG | 1.62 APG | 0.78 SPG | 0.36 BPG

SMC teams love to pull fast ones on Terrafirma—either fleecing them for top picks or flipping scraps for solid talent. But when Terrafirma selected Javi Gomez de Liaño 8th overall in the 2022 PBA Draft, it actually felt like they got one right.

Sure, his rookie year was rocky, and Brian Enriquez didn’t pan out. But Javi did pan out. And in hindsight, Terrafirma might’ve even dodged a bullet as his draft classmate Jeremiah Gray has struggled with injuries ever since he wore a Ginebra jersey.

And come Year Two, Javi exploded. He averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, and became a key cog in Terrafirma’s second-ever quarterfinal appearance. With Juami Tiongson, Stephen Holt, and Isaac Go beside him, the Dyip finally looked like they were building something real.

And then came the familiar pattern: instead of doubling down, management pulled back. They let Javi walk—signing overseas with the Anyang KGC in Korea—and with that, a potential playoff mainstay vanished. Worse, Terrafirma never recovered. And if we’re being honest, they could have been real contenders had they just taken care of what they had.

6 | ALDRECH RAMOS

152 Games | 8.07 PPG | 4.17 RPG | 0.93 APG | 0.30 SPG | 0.47 BPG

If Terrafirma were a PBA player, it would be Aldrech Ramos. A mix of promise, inconsistency, and unfortunate timing.

A former Smart-Gilas standout, Ramos entered the PBA with legitimate hype. But his early years were a whirlwind—four teams in just three seasons—before finally finding footing with Mahindra. As an Enforcer, Ramos blossomed, posting career highs of 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in the 2015–16 season.

Then the Terrafirma curse struck again.

He was traded back to the Star Hotshots (formerly San Mig Coffee), the team he once rode the bench for, in exchange for Alex Mallari. His role shrank once more. After four seasons in the shadows, he was traded back to Terrafirma—this time for the then-up-and-coming Jackson Corpuz.

Ramos showed flashes of his old self in his second Dyip stint, but age and mileage caught up with him. Still, his production and longevity can’t be ignored: second-most games played in team history, all-time leader in total rebounds and blocks, and second in total points.

5 | LA REVILLA

93 Games | 9.05 PPG | 3.72 RPG | 4.01 APG | 1.27 SPG | 0.02 BPG

Picked 24th overall by Barangay Ginebra in the 2013 PBA Draft, LA Revilla’s career had “underdog” written all over it from the start. Traded immediately to GlobalPort, his stint in the squad was short-lived, and after one conference, Revilla found himself back in the D-League.

Then came the 2014 season.

Revilla tried and was signed by the newly formed Kia Carnival, and he wasted no time proving that he belonged in the PBA. In his debut year, he averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game—solid numbers for a team still finding its footing. He followed that up with a career-best season, putting up 10.6 points, 3.7 boards, 4.1 dimes, and 1.4 steals in Year 2.

But like most things, his time in the squad didn’t last.

His production began to taper in his third year, and he was eventually traded to Phoenix for... Jayson Grimaldo and a 2018 second-rounder that turned out to be Cyrus Tabi. Grimaldo never played a PBA game. Tabi played six. Meanwhile, Revilla played two uneventful seasons with Phoenix before a brief return to NorthPort. He has yet to make a PBA return since.

Still, his body of work for Terrafirma/Kia remains among the best in team history. LA Revilla is their all-time leader in both total assists and total steals—a testament to how, even in a franchise known for wasting talent, he managed to carve out something meaningful.

4 | RASHAWN MCCARTHY

83 Games | 13.37 PPG | 4.51 RPG | 4.19 APG | 1.11 SPG | 0.14 BPG

One of the biggest knocks on the Terrafirma franchise is their complete inability—or refusal—to keep players with star potential.

Case in point: Christian Standhardinger.

Terrafirma had the golden opportunity to build around an import-caliber big man, but instead, they sent him packing to San Miguel—who already had their own behemoth in June Mar Fajardo. In return, they got veterans Ronald Tubid and Jay-R Reyes, the 2019 first round pick who became Christian Balagasay, and this unheralded ABL vet named Rashawn McCarthy.

At the time, it looked like another lopsided deal.

But McCarthy, then 28, turned out to be the steal of that trade—at least from a “who tried the hardest” standpoint. While San Miguel never gave him a proper shot, Columbian did, and he made sure everyone noticed. In his first two seasons with the squad, McCarthy averaged at least 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and over 1 steal per game. He was a legit do-it-all combo guard who gave the Dyip identity—something few have ever managed to do.

Eventually, his numbers dipped, and Terrafirma being Terrafirma, traded him to Blackwater for Simon Enciso. There, his career sputtered. After an underwhelming stint, he became a free agent following the 2023–24 season.

Still, McCarthy leaves the franchise ranked third all-time in total points and assists, and second all-time in steals. He may not have had a long prime, but during that brief Dyip window, he gave the fans—and the team—something that resembled a competitive spirit.

3 | STEPHEN HOLT

22 Games | 18.55 PPG | 7.50 RPG | 6.00 APG | 2.09 SPG

1X MYTHICAL SECOND TEAM

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Yes, Stephen Holt is now doing wonders for Barangay Ginebra—and he’s a big part of their championship drive. But let’s not forget: before the bright lights of Ginebra, Holt was the glimmer of hope for a franchise long defined by missed opportunities.

Taken first overall in the 2023 PBA Draft, Holt brought more than just an "import-like" presence to Terrafirma—he was an import-level talent. With a résumé that spanned pro leagues in Australia, Andorra, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, and Romania—not to mention a preseason stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers—Holt came in polished and poised. He wasn’t a volume scorer in the mold of CJ Perez, but he made the entire team better. He ran the offense, played defense, and—most shockingly—made Terrafirma look like a legitimate basketball team.

In his lone season, Terrafirma made the Philippine Cup quarterfinals—only the second playoff berth in 26 conferences and the first in an all-Filipino tournament. He, alongside Juami Tiongson, even earned a spot on the Mythical Team, the first time the franchise had two players in the All-PBA selection.

But then came the inevitable. Holt was shipped to Ginebra, and with that move, a familiar narrative played out again. Just like Standhardinger before him—who literally considered walking away from the PBA rather than suit up for the team—Holt became another name in the long list of stars Terrafirma let go.

The sad irony? Holt was willing to play. C-Stan wanted out, but he wanted in. Stephen Holt was willing to take Terrafirma to the next level. And for a brief moment, he gave the fans hope. But in classic Dyip fashion, they discarded him like all the others who could’ve redefined the team’s future.

2 | CJ PEREZ

44 Games | 21.68 PPG | 7.25 RPG | 3.59 APG | 1.93 SPG | 0.43 BPG

1X MYTHICAL FIRST TEAM

2X SCORING CHAMPION

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1X ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Imagine the Terrafirma franchise if they gave The Baby Beast the right pieces.

I know Juami Tiongson is the heart and soul of Terrafirma's “winning” charge—wink—in the PBA. But here’s the thing: Tiongson tends to step back when a more established player comes to the team. And while Stephen Holt had global credentials, CJ Perez simply had twice as many games and arguably, double the impact.

Despite playing only two seasons with the squad, Perez still ranks in the franchise’s top ten in total points (5th), rebounds (8th), assists (6th), steals (5th), and blocks (10th). He also cracked the top ten in rebounding average (3rd), assist average (6th), steal average (2nd), and block average (9th).

Perez is also the only Terrafirma player to score a Mythical Five selection, as well as two season scoring championships, and a Rookie of the Year award.

And yeah, he's the only player to average 20+ points per game in a Terrafirma uniform.

1 | JUAMI TIONGSON

102 Games | 16.68 PPG | 3.22 RPG | 3.13 APG | 0.95 SPG | 0.05 BPG

1X MYTHICAL SECOND TEAM

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Juami "Magic" Tiongson is the ultimate Terrafirma success story.

There’s an alternate universe where Terrafirma—then Kia—could have drafted Tiongson in the first round of the 2014 PBA Draft. Instead, they selected Manny Pacquiao 11th overall, and Tiongson was taken one spot later by Blackwater. Tiongson barely saw the court with the Elite. After a stint in the PBA D-League, he found new life with NLEX. He was decent there, but it wasn’t until a virtual three-team trade—sending Mike Miranda to NLEX, Jerramy King to GlobalPort, and Tiongson to Columbian—that his career truly took off.

That move marked the beginning of the Magic Tiongson Era.

From 2019 to 2024, his scoring average steadily climbed—from 8.1 points to a career-high 20.6 points per game. He was named Most Improved Player in 2021, and in 2024, he became one of only two Terrafirma players ever named to the Mythical Second Team.

Looking back, maybe Terrafirma knew what was coming when they traded him—along with Andreas Cahilig—to San Miguel in exchange for Terrence Romeo and Vic Manuel. The fact that they had to get both Romeo and Manuel to make the deal feel even remotely equal shows just how far Tiongson had come.

Tiongson would leave Terrafirma as their all-time leading scorer, as well as number two in total steals and number three in total assists.

Juami Tiongson didn’t just improve—he thrived in a system where thriving wasn’t supposed to be possible. He gave the Dyip a fighting chance, a go-to scorer, and a reason for fans to care. That’s a rare feat—and one that deserves all the flowers.

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If Juami Tiongson represents the good, and Aldrech Ramos the bad side of the Terrafirma experience, then CJ Perez is the “what could have been.”

And that's just it. Perez and Tiongson were a legitimate one-two punch. And look—that duo is still working well together in San Miguel. Imagine if Terrafirma gave Perez and Tiongson the help they needed—a C-Stan, a Troy Rosario, or even a fully confident version of Ramos. If Terrafirma couldn’t keep Holt, they still had the rights to Isaac Go and Jordan Heading. If they managed to snag Kemark Cariño or Louie Sangalang, they'd have had a solid core.

Throughout their run, they had a bunch of support like Jackson Corpuz, Reden Celda, Mark Yee, Rich Alvarez, Jerramy King, and Rashawn McCarthy to give the team an actual competitive edge.

Terrafirma started their PBA run by drafting Manny Pacquiao, an instant attention-grabber. But instead of using that momentum to evolve, they let the big-market teams ragdoll their future.

If this is the last time we hear from them in the PBA, then so be it. Good riddance—especially if they’re just going to do the same thing over and over again.

So, what do you think about the list?

Do you agree with it?

What about the players I left out?

Game over.