The Letran Alumni Association launched the Sports Hall of Fame of the Colegio in 1995 to recognize the Letran athletes who in their prime through their athletic skills brought honor and glory not only to themselves but also to their alma mater and their country. The honor also covered other personalities who were involved in sport functions like the officials, coaches, even cheerleader.
For the athletes, their accomplishments included but not limited to the superb performance in actual collegiate competitions; a national record or championship or medal; or his inclusion in a national team to play in a regional or international competition. Needless to say, underlying these athletic feats must be the factors of excellence and consistency in performance. These achievements must also generate strong and positive public admiration which lingers in the minds of the spectators even when they had left the sport scene. It could be accepted that their bigger accomplishments may have been in the post-athlete stage of their lives.
In the end, we like to see that the people we enshrined in this august body lived a life full of integrity and good attitude. For we want to establish a gallery of good and real role-models for our younger generations to emulate. We would strive to comply consistently with these guidelines and we like to maintain the high level of excellence this honor – the Letran Sports Hall of Fame - confers.
Thus, it is not often that we hold this recognition ceremonies. There are plenty of honorees but we like to do it safely to preserve the positive value. The last was held in 1997.
1. Sambiao Basanun
Letran Intermediate 1940, HS 1940-41 (1st)
Tandubas, Sulu , b. June 11, 1922
Swimming
Basanun’s first interest was track & field but the former champion swimmer Jackaria Angkang trained him to become a top caliber swimmer which started in his hometown. When in Manila after a swimming meet, he joined the swimming try-out of Letran and Coach Callaway took him. He brought Letran’s first senior swimming championship in 1940 breaking his personal record in100-m freestyle, setting a new record in 400-m and in the 800-m relay record. He carried the colors of the country competing in the 1948 London and the 1952 Helsinski Olympiad.
2. Rafael Joson De Leon, M.D.
Letran HS 1931, Associate in Arts, Preparatory Medicine 1933
Malabon and Pilar, Bataan, b. December 25, 1912 – ________________
Track & Field
He was the first Asian to officially break through the 11-second barrier in the 100-m run by setting a time of 10.6 seconds at the 10th Far Eastern Championship Games (FECG) in 1934 held in Manila. FECG was the forerunner of the present Asian Games. The record remained in the books until 1961. He broke the hop, step and jump event record in 1931 and as the team captain of Letran in 1932, won the NCAA Track & field championship for Letran for the years 1931 and 1932.
3. Martiniano Gomez De Ocampo
Letran Intermediate 1933, HS 1937, Associate in Arts 1939
Quiapo, Manila b. July 2 1918
Cheerleader
Cheerleader, a hall of famer? Why not? His Letran loyalty and his love of country was well known and unparalleled. His pleasant personality and sincere devotion to his fellow men and Letran won for him the student popularity contest in 1938. He was a boy scout, a drummer in the bugle corps, a cadet lieutenant, a best 1st Sergeant awardee, an orator, a section editor of the school paper. But of all these, he was best remembered as an actor and as the Letran CHEERLEADER. Marty had a very small physique but his élan was unbeatable. Despite being rejected to join the Armed Forces during the war due to his pigeon-chest, he insisted and was admitted. And he died a heroic death in Bataan when together with some American comrades, he hurled the car they were riding in against some Japanese soldiers, who died with them in the explosion.
4. Eduardo Deyro Dungo
Letran HS 1955, BSC 1963
Intramuros, August 14, 1935
Lawn Tennis
He belonged to a clan of tennis players. His uncles Raymundo and Federico Deyro were noted tennis players. Together with teammate, Rodolfo Romero, they captured the first junior tennis crown for Letran in 1952. He moved up to the senior team in 1955 and during that 31st NCAA season, the Letran team won its first senior tennis championship. Eddie continued to reap honors for his alma mater when he represented the country in many Davis Zone competitions from 1957 to 1961.
5. Felicisimo Rodriguez Fajardo
Letran BSC 1940
Pandacan, Manila, b. October 26, 1915 - __________________
Basketball
He was the team captain of the senior basketball team which won Letran’s 1st NCAA basketball crown in 1938. He was a member of the Philippine team that played in the 1948 London Olympics and he returned to the next 1952 Olympiad held in Helsinki, Finland as the coach of the national team. He was the first Filipino international referee to be recognized by FIBA.
He became a very successful basketball coach and his career was marked by a string of successive victories that began in 1951 to early 1970s.. San Beda and UST won several championships with him as coach. The commercial teams of Ysmael and YCO also won numerous basketball crowns when he coached them. He was coach of the national basketball teams several times.
6. Mariano Filomeno
Letran
Basketball
There is still limited information available on Filomeno’s stay in Letran from where he transferred to go to UST. The following stints he had with the Philippine team proved his prowess as a basketball player during his time:
1923 Member, Basketball Team (6th FECG, Osaka)
1925 Member. Basketball Team (7th FECG, Manila)
1927 Member, Basketball Team (8th FECG, Shanghai)
1930 Member, Basketball Team (9th FECG, Tokyo)
1934 Member, Basketball Team (10th FECG, Manila)
7. Very Rev. Fr. Juan Labrador, O.P.
Letran Rector, 1936 - 1945
Spain, b. _____________ d. ___________
A distinguished man of letters, he also had the heart and the mind of the best athlete. Sports in Letran during his stewardship blossomed and he was respected by his peers in sports, where he also served in the highest sports body of the land, the defunct Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF).
8. Faustino Panalijon Lim
Letran HS 1942
Manila, b.February 20, 1920
Football
Letran coach Bacsal convinced him to play football for Letran and even when in high school, he played senior football under coaches Bacsal and San Emeterio. He represented Letran in many football selections. When the war ended, Fr. HonorioMuñoz got him to coach the Letran teams and under his tutelage, Letran changed the football scene perennially dominated by De La Salle. In 1947, Letran captured its first ever NCAA junior football crown and the following year, it was the turn of the senior team to win the NCAA football crown. Letran won other football crowns. Football coaching had become his life’s obsession and the Manila All-Chinese Selection, the Filipino Youth Team and the Xavier School were among those who benefited from his experience and love of the sport.
9. Joaquin “Chacho” Ramirez de Arellano Lopez
Letran AB 1911
Nueva Caceres, Camarines, ____________________________
Football
Joaquin Lopez bannered together with Manuel Nieto, Sr., who later became an assemblyman and aide de camp of President Quezon, the formidable Letran football team in 1911, whose members formed the nucleus of the famous Bohemian team that dominated the football scene during their time. Chacho was picked to play for the national football team that competed in the 1st to the 7th FECG competitions from 1913 to 1925 held in various Asian cities. Joaquin Lopez was the uncle of the popular sportsman Leo Prieto.
10. Julian Mota Malonso
Letran Primary 1934, Intermediate 1937, HS 1941
Binondo, October 18, 1923
Sports Administration
No Letran alumnus so far made a name in the history of the sports officialdom of the country and up to the present, continues his fight for amateurism and his crusade against government interference in sports. A basketball player during his student days in Letran and UST, he was known to many generations of Letranistas as a school professor and the long-time PE Director of Letran . In the latter capacity, he further expanded his realm by getting involved in outside sports organization like the defunct PAAF, the highest governing sports body overseeing amateur sports until the 1970s where he handled various functions and became a 1st Vice President.. He was president of the Gymnastics Assn of the Philippines and a member of the National Board of Education. But the crowning glory of Julian Malonso’s career in sports was when he became the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee in 1980.
11. Rev. Fr. Honorio Muñoz, O.P.
Rector 1946-49
Santander, Spain, b. Nov 21, 1907 – d. Nov. 15,1969
Fr. Honorio was bright, forthright, courageous and a true gentleman. His English was excellent and elegant due to his Oxford education and the Letran student body was very proud that they had Fr Honorio whose education and prestige was second to none. His fellow-priests respected him despite his being a relatively newcomer and everyone regarded him to be a real gentleman. He brought excellence into the Letran News when he served as Director in 1935. All these good influences he brought to Letran sports when he headed it in 1937.
He was the school’s representative to the NCAA in 1936, the athletic director in 1937-40, and the NCAA president in 1938 and 1946. Noticeably, it was during his tenure and his involvement with sports when Letran won its first NCAA championships in basketball, swimming, football. He loved sports very much and was a good tennis player. And in his last years, he would share kind memories of the Letranistas of his time, specially the athletes and in particular, the swimmers of pre-war years.
12. Francisco Gopez Nepomuceno
Letran Elem. 1925-28, HS 1936, BSC 1940
Angeles, Pampanga, May 11, 1916 –
Basketball
He was a member of the track & field team in 1932 that won for Letran the NCAA championship together with the legendary Rafael de Leon. He also was a member of the historic first Letran basketball champion team in 1938 under Jacinto Ciria Cruz together with Fely Fajardo as the captain. After the war, he still played some basketball and also did coaching jobs for Letran.
He mainly left his mark in the realm of politics where the language skills he learned in Letran served him best. President D. Macapagal it was who beckoned him into public service. He started as Provincial Board Member in 1955, a Congressman, 1st District in 1957 and Pampanga Governor in 1959 until 1971. He was the Angeles City Mayor from 1980 to 1988. As a successful public servant, he undoubtedly had an accomplished life any Letran athlete can have as inspiration.
13. Oliver Opeda Ongtawco
Letran HS 1957, BSC 1961
Panganiban, Camarines Norte, June 25, 1941
Bowling
Safely it can be said that Letranistas blazed the trail in the bowling world for the Philippines. Ollie Ongtawco and former Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III were the trailblazers. Ongtawco established himself first as a player before going into coaching. He was a member of the following national teams and winning medals for the country:
1975 London World FIQ (Federacion Internationale Quirele)
1975 World Cup
1979 Manila World FIQ
1st Asian and Filipino bowler to win a gold medal in the
Highest singles event (6-game);
PSA Bowler of the Year (1979) Awardee
1980 Australia Asian FIQ
Won silver and bronze medals
1981 SEA Games
Gold Medalist, Singles event
Won 2 more gold and 2 silver medals
1982 Manila Asian FIQ
1983 Caracas World FIQ
Won silver for the 6-game trio event with Oly Reformado and
Paeng Nepomuceno
1983 Singapore SEA Games
Silver medal, trio event
He coached Bong Coo in the 1996 World Cup in Ireland and other Philippine teams to the World FIQ, Asian FIQ, SEA and Asian Games.
14. Emilio Reina Pacheco
Letran AA 1923
Intramuros, b. May 18, 1905 d. ________________
Football
Emilio’s four other brothers (Antonio, Domingo, Jose and Francisco) all studied in Letran and was sister to Teresa, the mother of Letran cagers in the 1950s, Raul and Miguel de la Concepcion. He was the captain of the first Letran senior football team in the NCAA and played together with Toda, Fanlo, Alano, Samson, Campo, and the Quintana and Garcia brothers. He was made a member of the football team that played in the 6th, 7th and 9th FECG in the 1920s held in Osaka, Manila and Tokyo , respectively. After active playing, he turned to coaching the UST team till his retirement. Eddie Pacheco, the popular cager and soccer player in the 1950s-60s is a son of Emilio.
15. Carlos “Pempe” Ruiz Padilla, Sr.
Letran Primary Grades
Quingua (now Plaridel), Bulacan , b. Sept 6,1909, d. March 8, 1964
Boxing
16. Jose “Leleng” Ruiz Padilla, Jr.
Letran Primary Grades
Quingua (now Plaridel), Bulacan
Boxing
Father Jose Padilla, Sr, an alumnus himself who became a representative and governor of Bulacan sent his sons as “internos” to Letran. There is dearth of information as to how these brothers started to engage in boxing but in the realm of movie entertainment, these two brothers became famous movie actors. But their boxing prowess are documented:
Jose Jr. “Pempe” 1930 9th FECG, Tokyo Member, Boxing Team , Lightweight
1932 10th Olympics, Los Angeles, CA. Member, Boxing Team
1936 11th Olympics, Berlin Member, Boxing Team
Carlos Sr. “Leleng” 1930 9th FECG, Tokyo, Member, Boxing team, Welterweight
1932 10th Olympics, Los Angeles, CA. Member, Boxing Team
17. Jose Seoane Reinares
Letran HS 1948, AA 1950
Ermita, Manila b. May 1929
Football
Joe Reinares was team captain of the junior team that bagged the Letran’s 1st NCAA football junior crown in 1947 and was made the only player from the junior division to join the NCAA student football team. In 1948, again as its team captain, Letran won its 1st NCAA football senior crown. Both teams were then coached by Faustino Lim. When he moved to UST and played football, he helped our sister team won two consecutive senior football titles at the UAAP. A member of the Philippine All-Student Selection that played in Hongkong in 1950, he also became a member of the Philippine National Football Team in 1951 that played the Philippine-HK Interport Match and also played the visiting Asian and European teams in 1952. The same team toured and played in Southeast Asia in 1953 and after the tour, Jose Reinares was awarded recognition for all-around performance and scoring the most goals for the Philippines by the President of the PAAF, Dr. Regino Ylanan.
18. Antonio Dadivas Villanueva
Letran HS 1927, AA 1929
Paco, Manila, February 12, 1909
Basketball & Football
He was the star forward of the basketball team and the goalkeeper of the senior football team. His other brothers also studied in Letran: Guillermo, HS 1935 and Sergio, HS, 1936. Not much information is available on Antonio except that was was member of the following national teams:
1930 Member, Basketball Team (9th FECG, Tokyo) 1st place
Member, Football Team (9th FECG, Tokyo)
1934 Member, Football Team (10th FECG, Manila)
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