Basilan Peace Riders

The Basilan Peace Riders, also known as the Basilan-BRT Peace Riders for sponsorship reasons, were a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of Basilan. The team last played in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL). The team plays its home games at Lamitan Capitol Gym in Lamitan.

The team began play in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in the 2018–19 season as the Basilan Steel, becoming the first and only team in the league based in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and later Bangsamoro. The name "Steel" is based on the fact that Basilan comes from the word besih, meaning steel.

They have also played in the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup and in FilBasket.

History

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 
The Basilan Steel were founded as one of sixteen expansion teams for the MPBL's 2018–19 season, and were one of five expansion teams from the Visayas and Mindanao. The team was originally going to be called the Basilan Shooters, but was changed since "shooters" may be associated with violence. Their application was accepted by the league in May 2018 who reasoned that they want to show the beauty of Basilan "through basketball".

In the 2018–19 season, the team finished with a 7–18 record, giving the team the second-worst record in the South Division.

In the 2019–20 season, Basilan won 20 of the 30 games that season, awarding them with the division's third seed. After defeating Iloilo and then Bacoor City, the team reached the Division Finals against the Davao Occidental Tigers.

The series was tied 1-1 before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the playoffs for one year. When the league resumed play with a bubble in Subic, Basilan had some of its players tested positive for COVID-19, thus ruling them out of the bubble, putting an abrupt end to their season. Davao Occidental would go on to advance to the National Finals and eventually win the championship.

The team returned for the 2021 Invitational, going by the Basilan Jumbo Plastic. The team was given the group's first seed as a reward for winning the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup 1st Conference. After defeating Mindoro and Pasig, the team made it to the winner-takes-all finals against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards. With 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime and the score tied at 80, Philip Manalang made the championship-winning buzzer beater to give Basilan the MPBL Invitational title.

Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup 
In 2021, Basilan moved to the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup as one of its inaugural teams, going by the Basilan Peace Riders, marking the team's first professional stint.

FilBasket 
The core of Basilan would also form part of the AICC Manila team which clinched the FilBasket Subic Championship in late 2021.

All-time roster

 Mark Jonas Ababon (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Ashrafh Abdullah (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Mark Anthony “Macky” Acosta (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Shaq Alanes (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st)
 Gabrielle Aleria (FilBasket 2021)
 Jayvee Ansaldo (MPBL 2018, VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Juneric Baloria (VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Bobby Balucanag (MPBL 2019–2020, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Clark Daniel Bautista (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Jhapz Bautista (MPBL 2018–2020)
 Reiner Bazan (MPBL 2019–2020)
 Jonathan Belorio (MPBL 2018)
 Chris Bitoon (VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Jong Bondoc (MPBL 2021)
 Mark Anthony Bringas (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Allyn Bulanadi (MPBL 2019–2020)
 April Jay Butallid (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Jan Nino Cadiz (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Francis Camacho (MPBL 2018)
 Jessie James “Jay” Collado (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Ferdinand Dennis Daa (MPBL 2018–2020, VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Fiel Dino Daa (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Gab Dagangon (MPBL 2019–2020, VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Cedric De Joya (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Cris Dumapig (MPBL 2018–2020)
 Jhayo Eguilos (FilBasket 2021)
 Jerome Ferrer (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 John Julien Foronda (MPBL 2018)
 Hesed Leo Jose Gabo (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st)
 Dexter Garcia (MPBL 2018–2020)
 Jaymar Gimpayan (MPBL 2021)
 Boy Goliva (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Junjie Hallare (MPBL 2018–2020, VisMin 2021 1st & 2nd)
 Choi Ignacio (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Ar-Raouf Julkipli (MPBL 2018–2020, VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Michael Juico (MPBL 2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Ramz Latip (VisMin 2021 1st & 2nd)
 Jan Carl Luciano (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Darwin Lunor (MPBL 2019–2020, VisMin 2021 1st & 2nd)
 Ferdinand Lusdoc (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Michael Mabulac (VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Philip Martin Manalang (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Hafer Mondragon (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Jay Morada (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Melgar Murillo (MPBL 2018–2020)
 Harold Ng (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Ezekiel Orque (MPBL 2018)
 Kaizhr Osama (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Irvin Palencia (MPBL 2019–2020)
 Nikko Panganiban (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Miguel Plata (MPBL 2019–2020)
 Lester Reyes (MPBL 2021)
 Shareef Kim Saladin (VisMin 2021 1st & 2nd)
 Mohammad “Med” Salim (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Encho Serrano (MPBL 2021)
 Stephen Siruma (MPBL 2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Michole Sorela (MPBL 2019–2020)
 Jhayboy Solis (VisMin 2021 2nd)
 Neil Patrick Tan (VisMin 2021 1st)
 Jay-R “Shaq” Taganas (MPBL 2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Jercules “Jojo” Tangkay (MPBL 2018–2019)
 Mark Anthony Trinidad (MPBL 2018–2020, VisMin 2021 1st)
 Jonathan Uyloan (MPBL 2019–2021, VisMin 2021 1st, FilBasket 2021)
 Jett Vidal (MPBL 2019–2020)

Team identity

Name
The team was initially going to go by the Basilan Shooters but management decided to change the name due to its violent connotations. The name "Basilan Steel" was derived from the idea that name of the team's home province came from the Yakan word "Besih" which means steel. Basilan was known for its abundant iron ore deposits which was used for sword and other weapons by early Filipinos.

Logo
The team's first logo consists of a Moro in traditional Yakan garments and a kalis. An indigenous sword with a wavy blade takes the shape of the "I" in "BASILAN". The logo was designed by Arjay Hije under Chronos Athletics. The logo was abandoned when the team changed their name to Basilan Peace Riders. The logo was used again for Basilan's men's volleyball team in 2021.

Color scheme
The team has always used a red and black color scheme, but initially, it was going to be gold and black. According to Hije, black represents the perception of Basilan as a war-torn arena, while gold represented Basilan as a place where people "can live joyfully and harmoniously". Gold would be eventually used for the Steel Spikers' logo.

Season-by-season records

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

Invitational records

See also
Basilan Steel Spikers

References

2018 establishments in the Philippines
Basketball teams established in 2018
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League teams
Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup teams