June Mar Fajardo, Bryan Bagunas and Bella Belen will be honored with special awards at the San Miguel Corporation–Philippine Sportswriters Association (SMC-PSA) Awards Night on Feb. 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila.
Fajardo was named Mr. Basketball for the seventh time, while Bagunas and Belen were recognized as Mr. and Ms. Volleyball, respectively, during the annual awards ceremony organized by the country’s oldest media organization and presented by ArenaPlus.
The three awardees are part of the 2025 PSA honor roll headlined by Athletes of the Year Carlos Yulo and Alex Eala. The event is supported by major sponsors, including the Philippine Sports Commission and Philippine Olympic Committee.
Fajardo, 35, once again dominated the PBA in Season 49, capturing a record ninth Most Valuable Player award after leading San Miguel Beer to its 11th Philippine Cup championship. The Beermen defeated TNT in the finals, denying the Tropang Giga a grand slam bid.
The 6-foot-11 center from the University of Cebu also remained a key figure for Gilas Pilipinas, seeing action in the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia and the opening window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Bagunas, 28, spearheaded Alas Pilipinas’ historic debut in the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, which the Philippines hosted for the first time. The national team recorded its first-ever victory on the world stage with a four-set win over world No. 21 Egypt before narrowly losing to No. 14 Iran in a match that decided a Final 16 berth.
He later helped the Philippines secure a bronze medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
Belen, 23, led National University to its second consecutive UAAP women’s volleyball championship after sweeping De La Salle in the finals. The outgoing Lady Bulldogs captain capped her final season by winning her third league MVP award.
Her No. 4 jersey was subsequently retired by NU, making her the first athlete in school history to receive the honor.
Belen was also selected first overall by Capital1 in the 2025 PVL Rookie Draft and played a key role for Alas Pilipinas, which claimed a silver medal at the AVC Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup in Hanoi. The finish marked the national team’s best result in the tournament, improving on its bronze medal performance in 2024. (AC)
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