Caloocan and Biñan will test their mettle when they co-host the opening salvo of the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2026 Season this Friday.

The Batang Kankaloo will face the Quezon City Black Bulls at the Caloocan Sports Complex in Caloocan City while the Biñan Tatak Gel will take on the Gensan Warriors at the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan City.

The opening match between San Juan and Pasay will be held in Caloocan while Cebu and Rizal Province will tip things off in Biñan to usher in the opening of the country’s biggest regional professional league founded by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao under the leadership of commissioner Emerson Oreta.

The simultaneous opening will be another milestone for the MPBL, which made its mark in local basketball when it staged the first two games of the National Finals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates two years ago.

Regular action of the 27-team, two-division tournament begins on Saturday with a triple-bill at the Batangas City Coliseum.

Set for the explosive triple-header will be Bulacan against Parañaque, Manila versus Mindoro, and Batangas against Ilagan, Isabela.

Abra Solid North will again be favored after ruling the North Division and clinching the national title following its dominant victory over South Division king Quezon Province in the best-of-five finals series last season.