Pagulayan heads Villar Cup Davao roster

Alex Pagulayan, fresh from his victory in the Guinness 9-ball Singapore leg, heads the elite cast of players clashing for top honors in the fourth stage of the Senate President Manny Villar Cup Davao leg firing off Aug. 21 at the Gaisano Mall in Davao City.

Pagulayan, who had to skip the Marilao tournament to compete in the Guinness 9-ball which he ruled in emphatic fashion over compatriot Dennis Orcollo, will be back in the hunt in the P800,000 tournament along with Efren “Bata” Reyes, Ronnie Alcano and Orcollo.

Ramil Gallego, meanwhile, goes for a second straight win after besting the field in the Marilao stage. Other leg winners competing are Warren Kiamco (Alabang) and Gandy Valle (Cebu).

“This is part of my commitment to help develop billiards and sustain our world dominance in the sport,” said Villar, now considered the biggest benefactor of RP pool.

The three-day event ending Aug. 23 also coincides with Davao’s celebration of the Kadayawan Festival.

“By bringing the Villar Cup to the countryside, we are looking to encourage our  kababayans, especially the youth, to take up the sport and at the same time give them the chance to see in flesh our world-class Filipino billiards players,” said Villar.

The Villar Cup Davao leg will also have the Sipag at Tiyaga category, a tournament open to all aspiring cue artists slated Aug. 18-19 at the B3 Billiards Center at the NCCC Mall.

According to Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) president Vic Rodriguez, after Davao, the Villar Cup will have its next stop in Tondo, Manila in September before culminating its first edition in Bacolod in October.