Ex-CESAFI star Mantilla passes laudable assist as public servant

CEBU, Philippines — Cebuano hardcourt star Jaybie Bacus Mantilla has so much to appreciate and be proud of at this stage of his life.

From a public servant to Most Valuable Player in Cebu’s premiere inter-school athletic league, college degree holder, and rising commercial cager, Mantilla has certainly made a difference in the lives of others in one way or another.

In retrospect, Mantilla said hoisting the season MVP trophy when the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars barged into 2018 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Finals is by far the most shining moment of his basketball career.

At that time, Mantilla and the Leode Garcia-coached Jaguars were on the cusp of winning their first ever CESAFI title.

After dropping a 74-78 decision in the roller-coaster series opener they could have won, the Jaguars pulled off a series-tying 68-58 victory in Game 2 to force a winner-take-all match against then two-time defending champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers.

The Jaguars, however, were denied of history after they got crushed in the deciding Game 3, 61-74, by the Lancers, who went on to complete a rare grandslam feat under coach Gary Cortes on October 29, 2018.

In the face of stinging defeat though, Mantilla still has something to cheer about.

That same year, he completed his college course at USJ-R with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Marketing Management.

“Having finished my college course feels like winning a championship for me,” said Mantilla. “Education is very vital in our life because it’s something that nobody can take away from you. It’s a priceless gift you can give to your parents.”

Upon graduation, Mantilla signed a one and done deal with the University of the Philippines (UP) Maroons in the UAAP but played with limited minutes. He then suited up for Casino Ethyl Alcohol-Cebu Sharks in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), which just cancelled its 2020-2021 season due to the worldwide  pandemic.

For the time being, Mantilla is dribbling basketball out of his mind because of the global health crisis. He focuses much of his time and energy to community service as Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman of Cebu City’s Barangay Suba, which is still under ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) due to high number of Covid-19 cases.

Supported by their barangay captain Joel “Jojo” Sable Jr., Mantilla together with the members of his SK council distributed face masks, sanitizers and vitamins to their constituents.

“We gave priority to the senior citizens and workers because they are the most vulnerable,” said Manilla, who is best known for his prolific ball handling, playmaking, and outside shooting skills.

Just the other day, they handed out coloring books to dozens of children in their area so they will have a meaningful activity to do while staying at home.

Mantilla, who received his Diploma for Professional Education (DPE) also at USJ-R last year, said he learned a lot of things during these challenging times, chief among them is love of family.

“We must love our family. We must secure and spend much time with them because everything is fleeting,” said Mantilla.

As for the others, he has some sound advice..

“Be responsible because in there are consequences in all your actions,” said Mantilla.

 “We must be extra careful every time. We must take care of each other, we must help each other, and we must always abide by the government’s orders because this is for our own good. We will do this with a prayer, because prayer is the most powerful of all,” he ended.