The Quiet Role Player off the Bench: Bernie Bregondo

The Quiet Role Player off the Bench: Bernie Bregondo

by rick olivares

The Bataan Risers’ Bernie Bregondo has always been that quiet role player wherever he has played. But make no mistake, he has the capacity to put up solid numbers. 

With the Risers, the 6’4” Bregondo, who hails from Talisay City in Cebu, usually comes in to spell Alfred Batino or even previously, Jeepy Faundo. On the court, he plays the four spot or at times, the five, where he guards the opposing team’s scoring forward-center.

As a sign of his importance, Bataan head coach Jojo Lastimosa has fielded Bregondo in 20 of the Risers’ 21 matches in which he averaged 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds an outing.  

While the numbers may not seem much, since Bataan’s loss to San Juan late last year, the Risers and Bregondo, have both picked up their games. Since that tussle with the SJ Knights, the Risers have gone 5-0 with Bernie hiking his output to 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in that stretch. His best game in this current streak was against Zamboanga where he tallied eight points and nine rebounds.

His old college coach with the Southwestern University Cobras, Mike Reyes, says he is not surprised that his former player is contributing to Bataan’s cause. “Bernie Bregondo is an ideal role player,” underscored Reyes. “He does not demand the ball. He understands what is asked of him, and that other players will get more shots and minutes. But when he is on the floor, he will always play hard.”

Reyes also commended Lastimosa for recognizing Bregondo’s best traits as a player. “Nakita ni Jolas yung value ni Bernie.”

Those sentiment is echoed by Lastimosa, “Bernie… will do what is best for the team and what is asked of him. If he is asked to guard the opposing team’s center, he will do so and sacrifice all his fouls. And he will always play hard.”

When Bregondo was playing in CESAFI (Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc.), he was teammates with Mark Tallo (now with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA), Jasper Parker (who transferred to FEU after two seasons with SWU), and dominant Cameroonian center, Landry Sanjo. That Cobras line-up won two CESAFI titles fending off tough challenges from the University of Visayas and the University of San Carlos

Now, Bregondo feels that history is repeating itself as his MPBL team, the Risers, are leading the league with a 19-2 record with lots of talented teams competing for the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu’s Cup trophy.  

“Happy and proud ako na kasama ako rito sa Bataan,” pronounced Bregondo. “Sana mag-champion kami this season. Maraming malakas na teams, pero ang maganda sa team namin, lahat nag-contribute. Wala kaming pakelam kung sino maka-score ng marami. Basta manalo. Ako? Gagawin ko lahat para makatulong sa team na ma-achieve iyon.”

That’s Bernie Bregondo. A man who knows his role and how best to get it done.