The Final Score: My heart bleeds for June Mar Fajardo. My stomach is excited for Extra Rice Inc.

During practice, the day before game five of the PBA semifinals between Rain or Shine and Petron Blaze, Rain or Shine Coach Yeng Guiao told his players that they were going to be on their own.

[Related: Guiao fined P100,000, draws game five ban for 'dirty finger']

Guiao was fined P100,000.00 and suspended for one gameby the Commissioner’s office for conduct inappropriate for a coach. Yet as part of the coach’s final instructions, he gave his players the most appropriate message:

“Bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo bukas.”

If someone else said this, it could’ve meant abandonment. Yung parang “good luck na lang and tingnan natin if you can win kahit wala ako” or some other version of the same sarcastic message.

But it was Guiao who said it and if it’s Guiao who says it, it makes all the difference.

So when Guiao uttered the words "bahala na kayo sa buhay niyo bukas" to a team that was attempting to beat Petron Blaze in five games, what he really meant to say was, "don’t worry hindi niyo ako kailangan bukas, kayang-kaya niyo tapusin yan."

Classic Coach Yeng - intravenously injecting confidence into the veins of players and coaches.

[Related: Rain or Shine rattles Petron, books first finals berth]

In classic Rain or Shine fashion as well, the Elasto Painters proved to their coach that he was correct. Even without Guiao, they beat Petron Blaze in game five to enter the finals of the Philippine Cup, 97-88. They beat a team that could theoretically send five players to Gilas. They beat a team that had the unstoppable June Mar Fajardo.

While my stomach rejoices for Extra Rice Inc., my heart bleeds for June Mar. If the league gave the Best Player of the Conference plaque to Fajardo right at the end of game five, I wouldn’t have complained. He averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and 10 free throw attempts per game in the series. Even more astoundingly, he tallied such numbers despite being double-teamed, triple-teamed or quadruple-teamed.


June Mar’s signature game in the semis, in my opinion, was game four. Even if Petron Blaze lost in that game, Fajardo summoned every ounce of Krakenian audacity to score 27 points, grab 17 rebounds, block 2 shots and make over 50 percent of his shots. He also played in 44 out of 48 possible minutes. Although, when you’re trying to score points or grab rebounds while Beau Belga, JR Quiñahan, Larry Rodriguez, Jervy Cruz and Raymond Almazan are hanging from your battered arms like overgrown nephews, 44 minutes will feel like 44 hours. If I could place that performance in a wooden frame, I would.

What was Rain or Shine’s signature game in the series?

Probably, the same game.

Ryan Araña scored 12 points to lead Rain or Shine in game four. 12 measly points. Chris Lutz, Petron’s third-leading scorer in that game, had 13. But that’s the Rain or Shine way. Balanced minutes. Balanced opportunities. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Gilas star or a PBA rookie or a TV host or a guy who loves to eat, you all play under the same credo and are expected to exert the same effort. They’re so balanced, even if Guiao was ejected in game four, it was as if nothing happened. Assistant Coach Caloy Garcia took over. They still won.

While Rain or Shine marches on to the finals, Petron Blaze trudges towards contemplation. Now what? How could we lose with two double-double machines? (Fajardo had 16 double-double games while Arwind Santos normed 18 points and 13 rebounds in the semis.) What should we do before we switch back to San Miguel Beer in the Commissioner’s Cup? What makes more sense – to stick with what we have and learn from the experience or let the experience justify tweaking the team just a little bit more?

Meantime, for Belga and company – winners of 12 of their last 13 games, only two questions need answers. A) Who’s next? and B) What will happen after Coach Yeng’s next super saiyan moment? I can’t answer letter A but Belga has a definite answer for letter B.

“May isa talagang tumatak sa akin na sinabi sa amin ni Coach Yeng,” Beau, who tallied 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 triples, 1 steal and made 6-out-of-9 field goals in the series clincher, recalled. “Sinabi niya sa amin hinding-hindi niya kami iiwan. Hindi niya kami iiwan.” - OMG/AMD, GMA News