IT was the perfect Christmas ending for Philip Manalang after a challenging year.

When Manalang nailed the buzzer-beating triple – his only basket in the Finals – that gave Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Medical Depot the Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Invitational powered by TM crown, he turned his back, sobbing in front of a pandemic-limited but good-sized crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena late Thursday.

It was the culmination of a year-long journey of redemption for the point guard out of University of the East who contracted COVID-19 while his team was preparing for the MPBL playoffs bubble in Subic last March.

“Siguro destiny ito, God’s will ito at para sa amin talaga,” said the 24-year-old guard out of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Basilan was supposed to take on Davao Occidental-Cocolife in a do-or-die Game 3 of Southern Division Finals in the MPBL Lakan season in March 2020 but was shelved due to the pandemic.

A year later, the league was able to resume the playoffs in a bubble.

Basilan though was not able to play the deciding game as two of its key players and some of the club’s staff members were tested positive for COVID-19.

Manalang was one of them.

“Actually kasi yung bubble na yun, ako yung nag-positive sa COVID noon… Ako tsaka si [Anthony] Bringas,” said Manalang.

“Tumawag si Coach Jerson (Cabiltes) sa akin nun tapos yun, umiiyak ako sa kanya na nag-positive ako. Nahihiya ako sa kanila since ako pa yung naging reason. Nandoon na kami e,” he added.

“Asymptomatic po ako pero hirap na 14 days ako naka-quarantine tapos yung kasama ko, nag-severe. Doon ako natakot.”

Cabiltes wanted one thing — to rule the 13-day MPBL tournament.

“When Basilan was asked to join the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational, it was not about redemption anymore, not about us redeeming ourselves after not being able to play the last championship game,” said Cabiltes.

“If this would be one of our reasons to play, then this would be unfair to the new additions to our team. The truth is I just wanted to create an opportunity for my team to play the sport that we love and to have work this holiday season,” he added.

Basilan completed a 6-0 sweep but had to hurdle a fancied Nueva Ecija team that had the likes of Roi Sumang, tournament MVP Michael Mabulac, and top prospect Justin Gutang.

In the title game, Manalang missed his first eight attempts from the field but has never lost his confidence.

“Sabi ko, tiwala pa rin ako sa sarili ko kasi araw-araw naman ako nag-shooshooting. Kahit nagstra-struggle ako nung first half, nandun pa rin yung tiwala ko sa sarili ko,” said Manalang

In the final 1.9 seconds left, Manalang found himself wide open on top of the three-point arc and went in at the buzzer that sparked a celebration from the Basilan gallery.

What happened next was pure bliss for Manalang. He was able to give back to Basilan, his coaches, and his teammates for not giving up on him despite having a bad shooting night.

“For me, the win is God-given,” said Cabiltes, who also won the Ato Badolato Coach of the Tournament award.

“So talagang gusto naming makuha ito dahil yun nga, nine months ago we were in this situation and hindi kami napagbigyan and then ito pala yung balik na biyaya samin ng Panginoon,” he added.