Northport draft pick joins long list of Tiong Lian alumni in PBA

Posted By on September 11, 2025

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NorthPort’s sixth-round pick Tibayan adds depth to the roster. [PBA Images]
NorthPort’s sixth-round pick Tibayan adds depth to the roster. [PBA Images]

by Henry L. Liao

Jonas Raphael Tibayan was selected by NorthPort in the sixth round of the 2025 PBA Draft.

Tibayan is a product of Chiang Kai Shek College and National University.

A brief note: Tibayan played for the CKSC Blue Dragons 14-under aspirants’ team during the 2011-12 Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Association competitions.

CKSC broke Xavier School’s nine-year stranglehold in the Aspi Division with a 2-1 decision in the best-of-three finals.

Tibayan joins a historic list of Tiong Lian alumni now in the PBA.
Tibayan joins a historic list of Tiong Lian alumni now in the PBA.

In the decisive Game Three, which CKSC won 82-72, the youthful Blue Dragons—who were coached by current UST women’s coaching staff member Arsenio Dysangco at the time—saw Tibayan score five points, including a bucket with 4:45 left in the third quarter that lifted his team to a 53-42 lead.

Among Tibayan’s teammates were Fran Louie Yu (by way of UE and Colegio de San Juan de Letran) and future collegiate baller John Vincent Gallego (National U).

On the Xavier side was Christian Tyler Tio.

Both Yu and Tio are now playing in the PBA.

CKSC retained the Aspi crown the following year (2013), defeating Xavier School once more in the most one-sided finals in league history with a 2-0 sweep and by an average winning margin of 37 points—84-51 and 83-42 (on Valentine’s Day, at that). The coach of the CKSC squad was John Sia, assisted by Robin Chan.

There have been 25 players in Tiong Lian history who eventually made it to the PBA.

They are: Lim Eng Beng, Fortunato (Atoy) Co Jr., Sunny (that’s right, not Sonny) Co, Alex Tan, Kenneth Yap, Benny Cheng, Gilbert Lao, Christian Luanzon, Joseph Yeo, Tyrone Conrad (TY) Tang, Christopher Tiu, Woodward (Woody) John Co, John Gerald Apacible, Jose (Jollo) Go IV, Jeric Teng, Allen Teng, Gabriel Mapua Banal, Jose Anton (Jett) Manuel, Jeron Alvin Teng, Justin Shaun Chua, Raphael Banal, Kyles Jefferson Lao, Clint Doliguez, George Isaac Go, Christian Tyler Tio, and Fran Louie Yu.

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