The 1Bataan Risers, more commonly known as the Bataan Risers, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of Bataan. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. The team splits its home games between Bataan People's Center in Balanga and Orion Sports Complex in Orion.
The Bataan franchise began play in 2018 as one of the MPBL's charter teams, originally going by the Bataan Defenders before switching to its current name the following season. Bataan also fielded a team in 3x3 basketball in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 and has also participated in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 World Tour as the Balanga Chooks.
The team made the playoffs in its first four seasons in the league and held the league's best record in the 2018–19 season under homegrown player Gary David and coach Jojo Lastimosa.
The Risers are one of four teams based in Central Luzon. Since its founding, the team is owned by the Provincial Government of Bataan. The team is also sponsored by Camaya Coast, a Bataan-based residential development, hence the team is also known as the 1Bataan Risers–Camaya Coast.
History
2018–2020: The Gary David era Bataan joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League as one of the ten charter teams for the league's inaugural season. The Defenders were one of two Central Luzon teams at the time, the other being the Bulacan Kuyas. In their inaugural season, as the Bataan Defenders, the team barely made the playoffs as it shared a 2–7 record with the Imus Bandera, but was able to clinch the last spot as they beat Imus in their head-to-head matchup. The team was swept in the Quarterfinals to the eventual champion Batangas City Athletics.
For the 2018–19 season, the team changed its name to the Bataan Risers. Coincidentally, that season saw the team rise to the league's best record that season with a record of 23–2. After sweeping the Caloocan Supremos in the First Round, they would fall in an upset against the Manila Stars in the Division Semifinals.
In the 2019–20 season, Bataan made the playoffs for the third consecutive season but lost to the Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the First Round.
2022–present: The post-David era The team then opted out of participating in the 2021 Invitational before returning in 2022. During the 2022 season, all of the team's home games were placed at Orion Sports Complex in Orion. where they made the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, but once again lost to Pampanga in the First Round.
In the 2023 season, Bataan returned to the Bataan People's Center. It also saw the team host that season's All-Star Game. Bataan's race to the playoffs has been close, but unfortunately, they finished the season one game below .500 with a 13–15 record. Placing ninth in the North Division, Bataan missed the playoffs for the first time in the team's history, leaving the Batangas City Embassy Chill as the only founding member to never miss the playoffs.
In the 2024 season, despite keeping their previous all-stars in Arvie Bringas and Yzes Sazon, the Risers only recorded nine wins in 28 games and placing 12th in the North Division. This resulted in the team's worst season since 2018.
Home venues The Bataan franchise used the Bataan People's Center as their home venue in every season they played in except 2022, when they exclusively used the Orion Sports Complex (also referred to as Kamalig Sports Complex), which they would later utilize in 2024.
Venue Location 2018 2018–19 2019–20 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Bataan People's Center Balanga, Bataan Orion Sports Complex Orion, Bataan
Personnel
Current roster
Head coaches Bataan Risers head coaches # Name Start End Achievements Ref. 1 2018 2018 — 2 2018 2018 — 3 2018 2019 Best regular season record (2018–19) 4 2019 2019 — 5 2019 2020 — 6 2022 2022 — 7 2022 2023 — 8 2023 2023 — 9 2024 2024 — 10 2024 current —
Notable players
MPBL All-Star Day
All-Star selections Gary David – 2019 Alfred Batino – 2020 Arvie Bringas – 2022 Yves Sazon – 2023
All-Star Game head coaches Jojo Lastimosa – 2019
Pre-game event winners Gary David – Three-Point Shootout (2019) Byron Villarias – Two-Ball Challenge (2019) Pamboy Raymundo – Two-Ball Challenge (2019)
PBA players
Ex-PBA players Christian Balagasay Robby Celiz Gary David Alfonzo Gotladera Chito Jaime Chris Javier Reed Juntilla Leo Najorda Pamboy Raymundo Jai Reyes Byron Villarias
Drafted to PBA Sean Manganti – 8th overall, 2019 Leonard Santillan – 5th overall, season 46 Alvin Pasaol – 9th overall, season 46 Anton Asistio – 22nd overall, season 46 Robbi Darang – 48th overall, season 49
Season-by-season records Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2026 MPBL season.
MPBL champions Division champions Playoff berth
Season League Division Regular season Playoffs Finish Played Wins Losses Win % GB Round Results Bataan Defenders 2018 MPBL — 8th 9 2 7 6 Quarterfinals lost vs. Batangas City, 0–2 Bataan Risers 2018–19 MPBL North 1st 25 23 2 — Division quarterfinals Division semifinals won vs. Caloocan, 2–0 lost vs. Manila, 1–2 2019–20 MPBL North 5th 30 20 10 6 Division quarterfinals lost vs. Pampanga, 0–2 2022 MPBL North 5th 21 13 8 8 Division quarterfinals lost vs. Pampanga, 1–2 2023 MPBL North 9th 28 13 15 13 Did not qualify 2024 MPBL North 12th 28 9 19 17 Did not qualify 2025 MPBL North 9th 29 13 16 15 Clinched play-in; did not qualify playoffs 2026 MPBL North 7th 25 11 14 12 Currently in playoff contention Regular season record 104 91 4 playoff appearances Playoff record 4 8 0 finals appearances Cumulative record 108 99 0 championships
References