The UNTV Cup is a men's charity basketball league organized in the Philippines. Fourteen basketball teams represented by government agencies compete in the tournament.
The league's first game started on July 29, 2013, coinciding the 9th Anniversary Celebration of UNTV. As an amateur league, UNTV Cup is using the FIBA rules as its House Rules which is being used in world basketball and Olympics according to Mr. Raffy Britanico, officiating head of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), a basketball association in the Philippines.
Its first season was held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. Fortunato Co serves as the commissioner of the basketball league. Following the success of its first season, UNTV Cup season two was opened on February 11, 2014, at the same venue with newly added public service booths of each participating teams/government agencies. An off-season game was opened on August 21, 2014, with the three branches of the Philippine government: Judiciary, Legislative an Executive teams. Also with Media Team (Team ni Kuya) will also play to complete the set of players.
UNTV Cup is an original concept by Daniel Razon tagged as Mr. Public Service and materialized by UNTV widely known as public service television station in the Philippines. He is the chairman and CEO of BMPI-UNTV, the organization behind the UNTV Cup.
Regular games are usually held at the Paco Arena in Manila City and Novadeci Convention Center in Quezon City, with a live telecast on the UNTV Public Service channel every Sunday and Thursday afternoon.
Competition format Regular season Elimination rounds UNTV Cup's regular season runs from September or October to March of the following year. Regardless of the number of teams, they are divided into two groups for the first round of eliminations. Each team will face all other teams in the same group once. After all the first-round games are played, the bottom two teams of both groups are eliminated for the season, and the remaining teams advance to the second round of eliminations.
All teams that advanced are combined into one group, and there will be a crossover where each team will play against all the teams they were not grouped with in the first round. After the single round robin games in the second phase of eliminations, the bottom two teams will be eliminated for the season, and the remaining teams qualify for the playoffs.
If teams have identical win-loss records in the standings, regardless of the phase of the competition, the official tiebreaker procedure is as follows: Largest point differential in head-to-head matches among tied teams Winner of head-to-head matches among tied teams
Playoffs The top two teams in the standings advance to the semifinals, while the remaining teams play each other again once in the quarterfinals. The two teams at the top of the standings after the round robin quarterfinals goes to the semifinals, while the other teams are eliminated.
In the semifinals, the matchups are #1 versus #4 and #2 versus #3, where the higher seeds have a twice-to-beat advantage. The semifinal winners will then meet in the best-of-three Finals, while the semifinal losers will play for a third-place game.
The first team to get two wins in the Finals are declared champions and get the largest money to donate to their chosen beneficiaries.
Executive Face Off The Executive Face Off usually does not coincide with the regular season, and it runs from May to July. The duration is shorter due to fewer entrants than the regular tournament, and so the teams are considered as one group. All teams will play a single round robin where they face each other team once.
After the elimination round games, only the top four teams will advance to the semifinals, where #1 meets #4 and #2 plays #3. The higher seeds will have a twice-to-beat advantage. The semifinal winners will then meet in the best-of-three Finals for a chance to get the championship and the biggest money to give to their chosen beneficiaries.
Teams The UNTV Cup started in 2013 with 7 teams. The number of teams differ by season since government agencies voluntarily apply. Each season, participating teams are divided into two groups for the elimination round, but it is not publicly revealed how the selection process for groups is performed.
Government agencies are urged to join and will not have to pay a joining fee. Instead, the teams are given free uniforms by the league, and beneficiaries are given the prize whatever round the teams finished.
For the Executive Face Off editions, players must be executives aged 40 years old and above.
Including Season 12, there have been 26 teams in the history of the league.
Active teams
As of 2026
Government agency(ies) Moniker First season Seasons played Head coach Armed Forces of the Philippines AFP Cavaliers 2013 12 Jeffrey Quiambao Commission on Elections COMELEC Vanguards 2023 3 Atty. Jan Ale Fajardo Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR Warriors/Lawin Patrollers 2019 5 Atty. Norlito Eneran Department of Justice DOJ Hunters/Avengers/Justice Boosters/Beacons/Radiance 2013 10 Gerry Esplana Government Service Insurance System GSIS Furies 2014 10 Arvin Bonleon Supreme Court of the Philippines Judiciary Cagers/Magis 2013 12 Gilbert Malabanan National Housing Authority NHA Builders/Home Masters 2014 10 Sherwin Crisostomo Office of the Ombudsman Ombudsman Graft Busters 2015 9 Danny Florano Office of the President OP Bagong Pilipinas (formerly Malacañang-PSC Patriots/Kamao & OP-PMS Trailblazers) 2014 10 Khasim Mirza Philippine Health Insurance Corporation PhilHealth Advocates/Your Partner In Health/Plus/Konsulta/Health Insurers 2013 7 Ronald Louie Laruscain Philippine National Police PNP Hinirangs/Responders 2013 12 Harold Sta. Cruz Senate of the Philippines Senate Defenders 2014 10 Japs Cuan
Defunct teams
Government agency(ies) Moniker Years joined Seasons played W–L record Win% Playoff appearances Bureau of Customs BOC Transformers 2016–2017 1 – 1 Bureau of Fire Protection BFP Firefighters 2014–2018 4 – 2 Bureau of Jail Management and Penology BJMP Greyhounds 2024–2025 1 – 0 Commission on Audit COA Enablers 2017–2018 1 0–6 0 Congress of the Philippines andLocal Government Units Congress-LGU Legislators 2013 1 2–5 1 Department of Agriculture Agriculture Food Masters 2017–2025 6 – 3 Department of Foreign Affairs DFA Emissaries 2023–2025 2 – 0 Department of Health DOH Health Achievers 2017–2018 1 1–5 0 House of Representatives HOR Solons 2014–2017 4 – 0 Local Government Units LGU Vanguards 2014 1 3–5 0 Metropolitan Manila Development Authority MMDA Equalizers/Black Wolves 2013–2017 5 – 3 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency PDEA Drug Busters 2017–2018 1 2–8 0 Philippine International Trading Corporation PITC Global Traders 2018–2020 2 – 2 Social Security System SSS Kabalikat 2019–2025 4 – 1
Timeline
As of October 30, 2023, there have been 25 teams in the history of the UNTV Cup. There were also interested agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard (for Season 2), PhilHealth and MTRCB (for Season 10), but reasons were undisclosed why they were not in the lineup of teams.
Championships Regular season The Armed Forces of the Philippines Cavaliers have the most UNTV Cup titles, winning 4 championships in the regular season. The second most successful team is the Judiciary Cagers/Magis and Agriculture Food Masters, who both have 2 championships. The DENR Warriors (now DENR Lawin Patrollers), PNP Responders, and Senate Defenders won 1 title each, with DENR holding the distinction of being the only first-year team to claim the trophy. Malacañang-PSC Patriots/Kamao (now OP Bagong Pilipinas) is the only team that reached multiple finals but have not yet won a championship.
Teams that competed in the finals TeamsWinLossTotalWin%Year(s) wonYear(s) lostAFP Cavaliers4152014, 2016, 2019, 20232020Judiciary Cagers/Magis2132013, 20152023Agriculture Food Masters202 2024, 2025DENR Warriors (now DENR Lawin Patrollers)101 2020Senate Defenders11220182019PNP Hinirangs/Responders134 20172013, 2014, 2016SSS Kabalikat011 2024Ombudsman Graft Busters011 2025Malacañang-PSC Patriots/Kamao (now OP Bagong Pilipinas)033 2015, 2017, 2018
Current teams that have no UNTV Cup Finals appearances Commission on Elections (COMELEC Vanguards) Department of Justice (DOJ Hunters/Avengers/Justice Boosters/Beacons/Radiance) Government Service Insurance System (GSIS Furies) National Housing Authority (NHA Builders/Home Masters) Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth Advocates/Your Partner In Health/Plus/Konsulta/Health Insurers)
Defunct teams that had no UNTV Cup Finals appearances Bureau of Customs (BOC Transformers) Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP Firefighters) Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP Greyhounds) Commission on Audit (COA Enablers) Congress-LGU Legislators Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA Emissaries) Department of Health (DOH Health Achievers) House of Representatives (HOR Solons) Local Government Unit (LGU Vanguards) Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA Equalizers/Black Wolves) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA Drug Busters) Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC Global Traders)
Executive Face Off
There have been four Executive Face Off tournaments in the history of the league. The Clash of the Three was the precursor for the succeeding Executive Face Off tournaments, and in effect, Team Judiciary is included in the official list of Executive Face Off champions. The 2018 PNP Executives team is the only squad that achieved a perfect season, whether regular season or off season.
The Executive Face Off tournament usually commences after the regular season. In 2023, the Executive Face Off games are held during the same game days with the regular tournament, making it the first time that the regular season and Executive Face Off tournaments are simultaneous.
TournamentChampionResultRunner-upRef. Clash of the Three 2014 Team Judiciary – Team Legislators Executive Face Off 2017 AFP Cavaliers 75–71 (OT) PNP Responders Executive Face Off 2018 PNP Responders 81–53 Ombudsman Graft Busters Executive Face Off 2023 Senate Sentinels 81–72 PNP Responders Executive Face Off 2025 AFP Cavaliers 2–0 Judiciary Magis
PBA Legends Face-Off There has been one off season tournament where PBA teams, represented by their former players who are retired at the time the games were held, have played in the UNTV Cup for charity, dubbed as the PBA Legends Face-Off. The only edition happened on 2019, where the Alaska Milkmen became champions among 4 participating teams.
TournamentChampionResultRunner-upRef. PBA Legends Face-Off 2019 Alaska Milkmen 77–75 San Miguel Beermen
3x3 (Tatluhan)
There have been two editions of the 3x3 tournament, and both instances are won by the PITC Global Traders. Games are held as opener for UNTV Cup Finals.
SeasonChampionResultRunner-upRef. Season 7 PITC Global Traders 15–13 Malacañang-PSC Kamao Season 8 PITC Global Traders 14–13 PhilHealth Plus
Beneficiaries From Season 1 to Season 6, including the three off season tournaments, UNTV Cup has given a total of ₱35 million to the beneficiaries of the participating teams.
For Season 9 alone, a total of 8.1 million pesos was granted to all the teams' beneficiaries tax-free.