By Alona Cochon
ROME – From Rome’s community courts to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Dalph Panopio’s story is a proof that basketball dreams know no borders.
And as he dons the Blackwater jersey in the Asia’s first basketball league, he carries not just the hopes of a franchise in transition, but also the pride of a family who believed in him from the very start.
Let’s get to know more about former Gilas Youth star shared by his father Apol Panopio.
“PBA is not just about professional growth but also about his sacrifices, matiyaga siya, kahit pa noong bata siya (He is patient, even when he was still a kid). His younger brother David, now 15, has also taken up basketball-walking in the same footsteps carved by his kuya (older brother),” Panopio’s father said.
At the age of 25, Panopio already brought with him a basketball passport stamped across four continents — Italy, the United States, India, and South Korea.
Born and raised in Rome to Batangueño father Apol and Mindoreña mother Editha, Dalph first fell in love with sports at seven, splitting time between swimming and basketball.
Eventually, basketball won his heart, guided by the influence of his father, who doubled as his earliest mentor on neighborhood courts and community leagues in Rome.
Panopio’s road to the draft was anything but typical.
“After Batang Gilas in 2018 and 2019, he took his talents abroad. Masaya kami magulang niya dahil kahit po busy sa games nakapagtapos pa rin siya ng pag-aaral as athlete student (We, his parents, are happy because even though he was busy with games, he was still able to finish his studies as a student athlete),” the senior Panopio said.
Dalph played for South Plains College before transferring to Cal State Bakersfield, where he earned a degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Business Management.
“From there, his career took him to the Suwon KT Sonicboom in the Korean Basketball League però di siya nagtagal dun dahil po nag ka injury siya (but injury cut short his stay), and later to professional stints in India,” his father shared.
Each stop, he said, prepared him for this moment.
Despite the mileage, Panopio’s heart remains anchored to his family in Rome.
During the PBA Draft Combine at Ynares Sports Arena on Sept. 4, he turned emotional in a media interview, when asked about chasing his PBA dream while being miles away from home.
That sentiment was echoed by his father Apol, who, despite being overseas, remains his son’s loudest cheerleader.
“Kami pamilya niya, masaya para sa kanya, dahil nakamit na niya isang dream niya na makasama sa PBA (We, his family, are happy for him, because he has achieved his dream of being in the PBA),” his father said in an interview.
“Proud kami sa kanya sa lahat ng naabot niya. Kahit wala kami sa draft, alam niya full support kami palagi. Pinagdadasal namin na maging maayos sana journey niya at sana magtuloy ang career niya (We are proud of him for everything he has achieved. Even though we are not in the draft, he knows we will always have his full support. We pray that his journey will be smooth and that his career will continue).”
With his playmaking and experiences earned abroad, Dalph isn’t just another rookie, he’s a bridge between generations of Gilas youth hopefuls and the new wave of PBA stars.
Dalph was picked No. 3 by Blackwater during the PBA Season 50 Rookie Draft at the Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City on Sept. 7. (Alona Cochon/PNA)
