Vic Manuel reunites with former PBA teammates as Zamboanga Valientes competes in Dubai

For Vic Manuel, Dubai isn’t just another overseas stop—it’s a rare pause in a long PBA grind, one that allows him to play basketball without the usual pressure, surrounded by familiar faces from different chapters of his career.

Now wearing Zamboanga Valientes colors, Manuel is reunited with former PBA teammates Terrence Romeo, Nick Demusis, and Barkley Ebona as the team competes in the Dubai International Basketball Championship, which tips off Friday. The Valientes departed for Dubai on Thursday afternoon.

At 38, the veteran forward sees the reunion as something he doesn’t take lightly, especially after years of roster changes and short-term contracts across the league. 

For Manuel, the chance to share the floor again—particularly with Romeo, his former San Miguel teammate and championship partner—feels more like a reward than a coincidence.

“Masaya, kahit paano nagkasama-sama kami dito sa Zamboanga, ‘di ba?! Nag-i-enjoy lang kami sa paglalaro ng basketball. Tamang kuwentuhan lang,” Manuel said.

Of the group, Romeo was his most recent teammate in the PBA. The two were dealt together from San Miguel to Terrafirma in exchange for Juami Tiongson and Andreas Cahilig. Demusis previously crossed paths with Manuel at Phoenix, while Ebona was one of his frontcourt partners during his Alaska days—connections that now converge under one banner far from home.

Adding to the familiarity is Greg Slaughter, another Valientes recruit and Manuel’s former teammate on the Gilas Pilipinas squad that captured gold in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. 

Though the two never played together in the PBA, their bond has endured, with Manuel affectionately referring to the former Ateneo center as his “partner.” 

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Dubai bound
The MLV-Zamboanga Valientes, powered by Terence Romeo, Greg Slaughter, and Vic Manuel, flew out from NAIA Terminal 3 at 2 PM today to carry the Philippine flag in the 35th Dubai International Basketball Championship (Jan. 23–Feb. 1) in Dubai, UAE. #powcast pic.twitter.com/8xxgpU7h2N

— Powcast Sports (@POWCASTSPORTS) January 22, 2026

The Dubai stint, however, was a year in the making.

Manuel revealed that both he and Romeo were already invited to play for Zamboanga during last year’s Dubai tournament, back when they were still with Terrafirma.

“Last Dubai din, tinawagan nila (Valientes) ako, dapat kami ni Terrence din,” he recalled. “Kaso may kontrata pa ako sa Terrafirma. Nag-try akong magpaalam, kaso hindi nila ako pinayagan.

“Pero tapos na nun yung conference (Commissioner’s Cup). Isang buwan na lang yung kontrata ko sa kanila, Pero yun nga, ‘di ako pinayagan. Tinapos ko na lang din yung kontrata para wala rin silang masabi.”

That patience eventually paid off. After failing to secure a contract renewal with the Dyip, Manuel joined the Valientes and helped them win the Governor Hofer Invitational Basketball Championship in Zamboanga Sibugay. Soon after, team owner Junnie Navarro made it clear that Dubai was already in the plans.

“Last year pa, sinabihan na ako na, ‘O next year (2026), laro ka na,” Manuel said. “Well, masaya namang maglaro kay boss Junnie. Sobrang alaga nila dito ang mga players. Turing nila, parang pamilya na rin.”

Manuel arrives in Dubai in game shape, coming off a brief but intense stint with Converge in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup. His one-month contract expired shortly after the FiberXers’ playoff heartbreak—a 99-98 overtime loss to Barangay Ginebra.

“Hindi lang naging maganda yung last stint ko. Na-out kami nang maaga,” Manuel admitted, while remaining optimistic about Converge’s long-term direction.

“Pero habang tumatagal, matututo yung team. Magma-matured yan. Malakas naman yung team.”

For now, though, Manuel is fully locked in on the task at hand. In Dubai, surrounded by old teammates and renewed purpose, the veteran forward isn’t chasing a comeback—he’s simply making the most of the moment.

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