An Unlikely Road to the CSB Blazers for Dairick Duterte

When the CSB Blazers secured the commitment of Dairick Duterte, they were not just adding another talented player to their NCAA roster. They were getting someone whose path to college basketball looked very different from most prospects his age.

Unlike many recruits who spend years inside elite basketball systems, Duterte’s rise came through local leagues, 3×3 tournaments, MPBL youth competitions, Palarong Pambansa, and a relentless willingness to improve wherever he found an opportunity to play.

Now, as he prepares to begin his collegiate career with the Blazers, Duterte carries with him a story built on patience, hard work, and a belief that there was always another level he could reach.

For many fans who only recently discovered his name through Palarong Pambansa and grassroots tournaments, the attention may seem sudden.

But the journey started long before that.

“Grade 1 ako parang nag-varsity na rin ako noon sa school,” Duterte recalled in an exclusive interview with ALL-STAR.

Basketball quickly became a family affair. His father had played the sport himself, mostly in local leagues and barangay tournaments, and encouraged his son to continue the dream he once pursued.

“Sa papa ko po,” Duterte shared. “Naglalaro din yun ng basketball. Halos sa barangay-barangay lang rin po siya naglalaro. Tapos yun, sabi niya sa akin pagpatuloy ko daw yung career niya.”

As Duterte grew older, basketball became more than just a pastime. It slowly became something he wanted to pursue not only for himself but for his family as well.

“Sa family ko lang,” he said. “Gusto din po kasi ng family ko na makapaglaro ko sa malalaking league.”

The pandemic years created a different challenge.

Like many young athletes, Duterte suddenly found himself with fewer opportunities to compete. Instead of stopping, he found ways to keep improving.

“Training lang rin ako sa The Point Guard Academy,” he said.

Whenever he wanted to play actual games, he often had to go to a different barangay.

“Parang dumadayo pa ako sa tito ko na makapaglaro. Sa kabilang barangay lang rin po.”

The breakthrough came during his Grade 10 years.

Duterte started competing in 3×3 events and eventually became involved in MPBL youth competitions. His performances immediately stood out.

“Naging player po ako ng MPBL. Tapos All-Star ako noon. Naging MVP ako.”

That recognition opened doors. One of the first major schools to recruit him was the National University Bullpups.

“Ni-recruit ako ng NU,” Duterte said.

The school offered him a scholarship and support, and for a while it looked like NU would become the next step in his development.

Instead, circumstances pushed him toward another direction.

“Parang di pumayag yung manager ko sa Antipolo,” he explained.

That decision eventually led him to St. John’s Wort Integrated School under Coach Jasper Magno.

Looking back now, it may have been the most important move of his basketball journey.

St. John’s Wort was not the usual kind of program expected to produce one of the most talked-about high school players in the country. It was not a traditional basketball powerhouse, and CALABARZON is a region often represented by more established names. Before Duterte and his teammates reached the national stage, they first had to beat San Beda in the regional qualifiers just to earn their place in Palarong Pambansa.

Coach Jasper still remembers the first time Duterte arrived.

“Marunong na talaga, pero out of shape.”

The talent was obvious. The challenge was helping him transition from pickup-style basketball into a structured system where every movement, rotation, and decision carried purpose.

“Galing sa kalye na laro-laro. Tinry namin na ipasok siya sa isang basketball na may system.”

The adjustment could have been difficult. Instead, it happened almost naturally.

“Hindi ko nga alam bakit parang naano ko agad yung sistema ni Coach,” Duterte admitted. “Parang nagagamay ko na yung sistema ni Coach. Nakikinig lang din talaga ako sa kanya.”

Coach Jasper noticed the same thing.

“So far, sobrang naka-adapt naman siya,” he said. “Kaya maganda yung naging improvement niya.”

The biggest transformation happened during Grade 12.

“Grade 11 parang di pa ako seryoso sa basketball,” Duterte admitted.

A year later, something changed.

“Noong pumasok po ako ng Grade 12, parang nag-hard work na po ako.”

The improvement became visible almost immediately.

“Ayun na po. Pinalabas yung laro ko ni Coach.”

Soon, the offers started arriving. NCAA schools. UAAP schools. Programs looking for the next big prospect.

His performances at the Palarong Pambansa only added more attention.

“Siyempre masaya po dahil ayun rin po yung pangarap ko eh, makapaglaro ng Palarong Pambansa,” Duterte said.

On that stage, Duterte did not just participate. He became one of the defining players of the tournament.

He scored 17 points in the quarterfinals against Ilocos Region, followed it up with 20 points in the semifinals against Central Luzon, and then delivered 21 points in the championship game as CALABARZON dethroned defending champion Davao Region, 79-62.

The title was not just a personal breakthrough. It was a statement run for St. John’s Wort and Region IV-A, which captured its first secondary boys basketball championship since 2016.

For Duterte, it was also the moment his name reached a wider basketball audience.

The crowds noticed him too. Not only in games but also through his presence in interviews. People started commenting on how he answered questions after winning their title run. Despite the growing attention, Duterte remained humble and almost shy when it came to receiving recognition for his talent.

“Parang sinisigaw nila yung apelido ko. Parang home court ko nga doon.”

For a player who once traveled between barangays just to find games, hearing his name being cheered by hundreds of people felt surreal. Still, what stood out most during conversations about his recruitment was not necessarily basketball. It was education.

When discussing schools that interested him most, Duterte repeatedly mentioned academics alongside athletics.

“Siguro La Salle [Benilde],” he said at the time. “Kasi maganda yung education nila.”

He even revealed a surprising interest outside basketball.

“Accounting.”

And unlike many student-athletes who simply choose a course later, Duterte already knew why it mattered to him.

“Nag-grade 1 ako para best in math ako eh.”

This reflected how seriously he viewed his future beyond basketball.

“Gusto kong matapos yung pag-aaral ko para makuha ko ng magandang trabaho na maitutulong ko sa pamilya ko.”

That mindset makes his decision to join Benilde feel even more fitting.

The Blazers have long emphasized balancing academics and athletics, producing graduates while remaining one of the NCAA’s strongest programs. For Duterte, the move offers both: a chance to continue developing as a basketball player and an opportunity to continue building a future outside the game.

It also gives Benilde a player whose reputation has been built differently.

Duterte is not entering college only as a polished recruit from a traditional pipeline. He arrives as a 6-foot forward who made his name through strength, effort, and production in the biggest games of his young career. He comes from a small-school story, a grassroots path, and a Palarong Pambansa run that forced more people in Philippine basketball to pay attention.

His coaches still remember the teenager who arrived talented, raw, and searching for direction.

Now, after years of improvement, sacrifices, and countless hours on the court, he begins a new chapter wearing Blazers colors.

And if his journey so far has proven anything, it is that he has never been afraid to work for the next step, and that there is no dream too big when a player is willing to keep showing up for it.