The four-time MVP shares a picture of him and his mom, Marites, at home in his Instagram account.
THE METRO may be where reigning four-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo showcases his awesome basketball skills, but the sleepy municipality of Pinamungahan is without a doubt, where the 6-foot-10 giant’s heart lies.
Located in the southwest portion of Cebu, around 60 kilometers from Cebu City, Pinamungahan is where you’ll most likely find the four-time PBA MVP during the offseason or in between conferences. In fact, he usually doesn’t take long to head over to his hometown as soon as either the conference or the season is over.
“After the conference ends, I really like to go home as soon as possible since I really miss my family. During the season, I don’t get to see them for months on end,” the former University of Cebu product relayed in an exclusive talk with Cebu Daily News.
Once in Pinamungahan, the 28-year old Fajardo, who led his San Miguel Beer team to a historic fourth straight PBA Philippine Cup title earlier this month, finally gets to do what he couldn’t possibly dream of doing in Manila or even in Cebu City — blend in.
Mama’s boy
Whether it’s family members, close friends or familiar faces, Fajardo finally gets to become “just one of the guys” regardless of his gigantic frame.
“I spend a lot of time with my family members, my relatives and my friends,” said Fajardo who added, “I just really try to relax as best I could. Taking a dip in the sea, fishing, climb the trees to get coconuts and everything else that we could possibly do here.”
A self-confessed “mama’s boy,” one of the things Fajardo says he looks forward to the most on his trips back is the home-cooked meals of his mother, Marites.
“I just keep eating here. All that my mom cooks, they’re my favorite, especially the kinilaw, (ceviche)” said Fajardo with a laugh.
As the old adage goes, “home is where the heart is,” and Fajardo says this place and the people that makes it home is where he has learned arguably his most endearing trait: humility.
“I don’t have anything to brag about because I know where I came from. My parents are very humble people and they have really raised me and taught me to keep my feet on the ground no matter what,” Fajardo said.