Roxas City finally gets a taste of big-time basketball

ROXAS CITY — The Seafood Capital of the Philippines served up more than just its famous bounty as the Roxas City Invitational Tournament 2026 drew a packed house and gave the city a taste of big-time basketball.

Tournament director Miggy Dadivas admitted the turnout surprised even the organizers, with fans filling the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center and creating an electric atmosphere throughout the competition.

“It was very successful. We didn’t expect the turnout of the crowd to be this much. In fact, it was a full house,” Dadivas said.

“Based on the people’s reactions, it was successful. They really enjoyed it. The crowd was ecstatic. It was the best event. I’m really grateful for this event,” he added.

The five-team, six-day tournament brought together some of the country’s top collegiate programs and basketball teams from Australia, giving Roxas City fans an opportunity to watch a different brand of basketball in the heart of Western Visayas.

For Mayor Ronnie Dadivas, the successful staging of the tournament marked a historic moment for the city.

“I’m very happy with what happened here in Roxas City. This is history,” Mayor Dadivas said.

The mayor said the tournament was the first of its kind in the city to bring together UAAP, NCAA teams and Australian basketball programs, creating a highly competitive field that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

“We saw the game, and it was beautiful. It was the intensity, the thrill and the excitement of both teams as well as the other teams,” Mayor Dadivas said.

“So I would say we have a fantastic and wonderful event.”

The success of the basketball tournament could also lead to more major sporting events being staged at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center.

Mayor Dadivas said the city government is now looking at other sports that could be brought to Roxas City, which has already shown that it can handle a competition of international flavor.

“We saw that you can hold world-class sports like basketball,” he said. “So we’re going to assess and evaluate and think of other sports events that we will put here in the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center.”

But the tournament’s impact was not limited to the basketball court.

With players, coaches, officials and supporters staying in the city for nearly a week, local businesses also felt the boost as hotels, restaurants, transportation providers and other establishments benefited from the influx of visitors.

Mayor Dadivas said the tournament provided a welcome lift to Roxas City’s growing sports tourism campaign.

“It had a big impact on sports tourism, but on the economic side, hotels, restaurants, transportation and ordinary people also benefited,” he said.

“There were a lot of benefits. Of course, the circulation of money is here because they are also here.”

For the Seafood Capital of the Philippines, the tournament proved that Roxas City can also make a name for itself beyond food and tourism.

With a successful basketball showcase now in the books, the city appears ready to serve up more sporting action in the future.