A former MVP and one of the 25 greatest players in PBA history who successfully transitioned to public service serves as the special guest of honor during the 2022 PBA Press Corps Awards Night at Novotel Manila Araneta Center.
Re-elected Bulakan, Bulacan mayor Vergel Meneses graces the June 21 event and reacquaints with his PBA family while coming off fresh from earning a second term as mayor of one of Bulacan’s first-class municipalities.
During the affair, the 53-year-old public servant will also personally receive the President’s Award handed out to him by the group regularly covering the PBA beat during its virtual staging of the awards meet held last year.
Meneses was recognized with the President’s Award in celebration of the 25th year anniversary of his winning the MVP award, and then serving his first term as mayor back in 2019.
The 6-foot-2 Meneses, a product of Jose Rizal University, was a three-time champion, two of which he won back in 1995 during his MVP season while playing for the RFM franchise.
He was a three-time Best Player of the Conference awardee, two-time Mythical First Team, a four-time All-Star MVP and 11-time All-Star, a two-time slam dunk champion, and was the Most Improved Player in 1993.
The no. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft, the man they called ‘Aerial Voyager’ was voted part of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players in 2000 when the league celebrated its silver anniversary.
Meneses suited up for Presto, Sta. Lucia, Swift, Pop Cola, Barangay Ginebra, FedEx, Barako Bull, and Talk ‘N Text in a 14-year pro career.
A many-time national team player, he later went into coaching and called the shots for his alma mater for almost a decade.
The Bulakan, Bulacan mayor will join the two-hour celebration honoring the top performers of Season 46, including the recipient of the prestigious Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year and the Danny Floro Executive of the Year.
Among the awardees already announced were Arwind Santos (Defensive Player of the Year), June Mar Fajardo (Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year), Allein Maliksi (Mr. Quality Minutes), Mikey Williams (Scoring Champion), and the San Miguel-NorthPort PH Cup quarterfinals match (Game of the Season).
Williams, Jamie Malonzo, Santi Santillan, Calvin Oftana, and Joshua Munzon will be feted as part of the All-Rookie team, while Order of Merit will be given to Robert Bolick, Ian Sangalang, Matthew Wright, and Williams.
