Cesafi MVP Kent Ivo Salarda: One of UV’s diamond-in-the-rough Bukidnon players                

Kent Ivo Salarda (middle holding a cardboard) is joined by Cesafi officials, fellow Mythical Five awardees during the awarding ceremony of the Cesafi Season 23 men’s basketball finals. | Glendale Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers scouts didn’t fail mining diamonds in the rough in the province of Bukidnon in Mindanao throughout the years.

The Green Lancers which hoisted its 15th Cesafi men’s basketball title last Saturday has fielded in numerous top-tier players from Bukidnon with the likes of Cesar Catli and Poypoy Actub.

READ: UV is Cesafi 2023 men’s basketball champion, beats UC in Game 3

MVP Salarda

This time, one of the two Bukidnon-native Green Lancers, Kent Ivo Salarda is starting to make his name after winning the Cesafi Season 23 “Most Valuable Player” plum.

The 21-year-old Salarda was instrumental in winning UV’s 15th Cesafi title, and fifth title for his head coach Gary Cortes.

In the pivotal Game 3 last Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum, Salarda unloaded 14 points, while fellow Bukidnon native Raul Gentallan III chipped in 13 points to lead UV in scoring.

Salarda is one of four siblings from a family with no basketball background in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon, a sleepy town 65-kilometers north of the province’s capital in Malaybalay.

READ: Cesafi: UC stuns UV in Game 1 of men’s basketball finals

Salarda, UV Green Lancers team

For Salarda, he credited the entire UV Green Lancers team for helping him win the MVP title. 

“Pasalamat kaayo ko sa Ginoo kay iyaha kong gihatagan ug ing-ani ng award. Ako pud gi credit ni sa akong coaches ug teammates kay tungod sa ilaha. Wala gyud ko mag expect ako modaog sa MVP kay kami tanan naningkamot ug duwa,” said Salarda, a second year marketing management student in UV.

(I am grateful to the Lord because he gave me an award such as this. I also give credit to my coaches and teammates because of them (we won). I did not expect to win the MVP because all of us worked hard in the game.

Before joining UV in 2022, Salarda was already making his presence felt in the local basketball scene after winning the MVP title in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) 21-Under Mindanao Conference Cup.

Salarda takes a photo with former teammate and Cesafi Season 22 MVP Jiesel Tarrosa. | Glendale Rosal

READ: Cesafi finals: UV beats UC in Game 2, forces rubbermatch

Defend the title

According to the 6-foot-1 Salarda, he wasn’t really focusing on winning the MVP, but rather help the team defend their title. 

“Focus lang gyud gihapon mi sa goal nga kami mochampion mi ani nga season, wala kaayo nako gihuna-huna nga maMVP ko,” said Salarda.

(We all focused on the goal that we can become champions this season, I did not think a lot that I will become an MVP.)

“Kung naa mi sa court, akong mindset kay one game at a time ra gyud, pero confident ra gyud ko modaog mi kay grabe akong kahago sa training ug practice.” 

(When we are at the court, my mindset is one game at a time, but I was confident that we could win because we really worked hard in training and practice.)

READ: After a five-year wait, Lions reclaim old NCAA throne and are roaring louder than before