CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Cebuano-led basketball squad is once again taking its talents overseas, and this time, the challenge awaits in Australia.
We Are CSAS, a Cebu-based team led by team owner and manager Ian Callet, is looking to prove that Cebuano basketball talent can compete beyond the Philippines as it plunges into action in the Brian Kerle Invitational in Brisbane, Australia.
Callet is not making premature championship promises. Instead, he is focused on seeing the team compete at a high level and use the Australian campaign as another opportunity to test Cebuano players against international opposition.
Cebuano talent meets Australian competition
The Australian trip is another significant step for We Are CSAS, which has been building its identity around giving Cebuano and Filipino players opportunities to gain international exposure.
The squad previously represented Cebu in the Asia Pacific Basketball Tournament (APBT) 2026 in Melbourne, where it competed in the men’s Division 1 tournament against teams from Australia and other participating countries.
That Melbourne campaign featured several familiar names from Cebu’s collegiate basketball scene, including Miguel Gastador and Tricky Dyn Peromingan of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), as well as Alwin Aguirre and Bassieru Sackor of the University of the Visayas (UV).
The roster also included Alfredo Gerilla Jr., Rhalf Enoc, Joshua Lawrence Arevalo, Gumer Maghuyop Jr., Marco Banzon, Francis Pedalizo, Kyke Parmis, former Southwestern University Cobra Cyrus Eade, and Sudanese national Ujuilu Cham.
More than just a tournament
For the Cebuano players, the Australian campaign is about more than simply winning games.
Their participation provides an opportunity to experience a different level of competition, adjust to unfamiliar opponents and playing environments, and showcase the depth of basketball talent coming out of Cebu.
During the team’s earlier Australian campaign, head coach Michael Cenabre emphasized that the players had prepared physically and mentally for the challenge, while acknowledging that Australian teams could have the advantage of playing on home ground.
The team has also received support from basketball organizer and scout Van Halen Parmis, who has served as a consultant, with Gumer Maghuyop involved in the coaching staff.
Cebu’s basketball pipeline continues to grow
The emergence of teams such as We Are CSAS comes as Cebu continues to produce players capable of making an impact outside the island.
Cebu’s basketball talent pool has also received international recognition this year. A Cebuano youth squad won the inaugural EASL Future Champions tournament in Hong Kong, with four members earning basketball scholarships to the University of San Jose-Recoletos. Five players from that squad were also set to train with Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings.
That development underscores a larger trend: international opportunities are increasingly becoming an important pathway for young Filipino and Cebuano players who may otherwise remain outside the spotlight.
The challenge ahead
For We Are CSAS, however, the task in Australia will not be easy.
The team will be facing opponents familiar with the local environment, while the Cebuano squad must adjust to the pace, physicality and style of play presented by Australian competition.
But that is precisely the kind of challenge Callet and the team appear to be seeking.
Rather than simply chasing a trophy, the Cebuano-led squad is using international tournaments to measure itself against tougher competition, expose its players to new environments and create opportunities for Filipino basketball talent to be seen.
And if the team’s previous international appearances are any indication, We Are CSAS is not heading to Australia merely to participate.
It is going there to make sure Cebuano basketball gets noticed.
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