Game On

Long-time executive and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) President AI Panlilio reflects on the tenets of basketball and how they apply to life off-court

- Dorynna Untivero

Four years as president of Smart Communications, nine years as senior vice president of Meralco, two years as president and CEO of PLDT and Asia Communications Awards (ACA) CEO of the Year in 2022—these are but a few of Al Panlilio’s career highlights. And much like in the world of sports, highlights paint a small picture of a bigger game.

Tatler got to sit down with the long-time executive not to delve into business acumen or corporate credo, but to get to know him more through a passion close to his heart: basketball. Having joined in 2016, Panlilio is the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) which is home to both the men’s and women’s division of our national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas. “Basketball has taught me a lot about life,” he said bluntly. “It taught me about building character, developing your skill to be excellent, but most importantly, I understood that life is not about being alone— you have to be in a team.”