Escamis, Belen named CPC Players of the Year

Clint Escamis is basketball’s best while Bella Belen reigns as volleyball’s finest as they headline the Players of the Year plums in the 2025 San Miguel Corporation-Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on Monday at the Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas Center.

Escamis emerged as Collegiate Men’s Basketball Player of the Year after leading Mapua University to its first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) crown in 33 years.

Belen, for her part, was named University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year after leading National University to back-to-back titles and third overall in four seasons.

Escamis and Belen are only two among the 10 Players of the Year across three different sports who will be honored in the third staging of the CPC Awards.

Escamis, the NCAA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Season 99, finally brought Mapua to the top after sweeping College of Saint Benilde in their best-of-three finals series to win the historic Season 100 crown behind averages of 24.5 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals.

Serving as his counterpart is two-time UAAP MVP Kacey dela Rosa of Ateneo de Manila University, who won the Collegiate Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.

Dela Rosa led the league in runaway fashion with 22.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 blocks per game in UAAP Season 87. She posted double-doubles in all 15 games she played in, albeit the Blue Eagles settled only for a Final Four finish.

Belen also displayed her brilliance in the previous season.

Building a case as one of the greatest volleyball players in the country, Belen walked away from the UAAP with an unrivaled resume marked by eight championships and five MVP crowns since high school.

Leo Aringo, Belen’s counterpart in NU, is also in a league of his own with the UAAP Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year citation after anchoring the Bulldogs to a five-peat championship against top-seed Far Eastern University and winning the Finals MVP award as his grand swan song.