How LPU and ANTA Turned Personal Connections Into a Partnership

The Lyceum of the Philippines University and ANTA Philippines formalized their partnership through  a Memorandum of Agreement as NCAA Season 102 got underway.

The LPU Pirates will open their Season 102 campaign against the CSB Blazers on September 17 at the Playtime FilOil Center, where they will take the court for the first time in their new ANTA threads.

But the partnership goes beyond the deal itself. It is rooted in years of personal connections, mutual respect, and a shared vision that eventually brought the two together.

How the LPU-ANTA Partnership Started

Long before LPU and ANTA Philippines officially put pen to paper, there was already a connection between the people on both sides. 

Mikko Abello, Head of Marketing for ANTA Philippines, is a longtime friend of Abby Laurel Vera Cruz, LPU’s Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications and daughter of LPU President Atty. Bobby Laurel. Abello also shares a history with LPU men’s basketball team head coach Jamike Jarin, as the two were part of the Ateneo men’s basketball program during UAAP Season 71, when the Blue Eagles won the first championship of their iconic five-peat.

Those connections eventually brought Abello and LPU closer together. 

“It all began in 2023. Me and Abby were at the training to support the program,” Abello said. 

But what kept ANTA interested went beyond the personal connections. As the brand became more familiar with the Pirates, Abello said they came to appreciate how the school and its athletic program were managed.

“More than that, we admire how they run the school. Also, how they run the program. It’s a program that we’re very proud to be associated with, and we feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity to support [them].”

It started with familiarity and grew into admiration, laying the groundwork for a partnership that would eventually become official.

What the ANTA Partnership Means for LPU

For LPU, the partnership marks the school’s first deal with a footwear brand, giving its athletes access to ANTA’s apparel, shoes, and athletic gear throughout the season.

Dr. Allan Paul Layco, the director of LPU’s athletics department, said the decision was easy, and not solely because of the connections that had already been established.

“Hindi naman mahirap ang decision dito. ANTA kausap mo eh. It’s one of the leading brands sa Pilipinas. Napakadaling mag-decision kung ANTA yung magiging ka-partner mo,” he said.

Layco, who has been an ANTA user himself for years, also saw the partnership as an opportunity to bring a brand he already trusted to the LPU program.

“I’m very excited about this partnership with ANTA because, syempre, I’m also an ANTA user eh. So I believe in the quality and their technology,” Layco shared.

That personal trust in the brand also gave Layco and the LPU athletics department confidence in entrusting ANTA with its athletes. Having experienced the quality and technology himself, he knew what the brand could offer the players who would be wearing its products throughout the season.

“As I’ve said, ANTA is a known brand. And kami sa athletics office, having ANTA as our partner is a privilege for us. Syempre, ma-e-experience ng mga players namin yung quality, comfort, at yung paggamit ng ANTA apparel. And actually, itong mga players namin, they’re very thankful dahil magkakaroon sila ng chance and privilege to wear ANTA shoes, especially during this season.”

That partnership is also reflected in the details of what the Pirates will wear. LPU’s new jerseys feature the recognizable sword design on the side panel, accompanied by wave elements that represent not just the continuous flow of a basketball game, but also the essence of the Pirates setting sail.

The support also extends beyond the team’s uniforms and equipment. Team captains Mac Guadaña and Renz Villegas will be among the players sponsored by ANTA, giving the brand a more direct role in supporting two of the Pirates’ leaders this season.

For Abello, however, that support is about more than the products themselves. ANTA hopes its presence around the LPU program can inspire the players and provide an added source of motivation as they enter NCAA Season 102.

“I think more than just our support when it comes to product, we hope na it helps inspire them, it helps motivate them. You’ve seen naman what we’ve done also with the other schools that we support. So hopefully, it gives them extra motivation for Season 102.”

That philosophy also mirrors what stood out to LPU about ANTA during their conversations. Layco said the brand’s willingness to support different sports programs in different schools, combined with how approachable its representatives were, made the partnership feel like an opportunity worth pursuing.

“During the time na nagkaroon kami ng opportunity to talk to Mikko and other ANTA officials, we already think na maganda opportunity ‘to and let’s do this with ANTA. Si ANTA kasi yung tao na kahit nasa taas na siya, hindi sila ganun ka hirap kausap na demanding or what.”

For LPU, the partnership is therefore more than having a new brand on its uniforms. It is a first-of-its-kind footwear partnership for the school, a chance for its athletes to experience a brand their athletics department already trusts, and an added source of support as the Pirates begin their Season 102 campaign.

ANTA’s Investment in the Next Generation

For ANTA, the partnership with LPU is part of a much bigger investment in Philippine basketball.

Abello said college athletics has become an important part of ANTA Philippines’ work in recent years, with college basketball emerging as a key part of that effort.

“If you’re familiar with what we’ve been doing in ANTA the past 4-5 years, sobrang importante talaga college athletics. College basketball has been something we’ve invested so much in because we want to be like first to these kids before they become big stars, before they step on basketball courts sa pro level.”

Being there early is not simply about putting its products in the hands of young athletes. For ANTA, it is about establishing a relationship with them at an important stage of their careers. 

“We want to be there to be part of their journeys,” Abello said. “Whether it be an outfitter for their school team or have them be part of our roster of ANTA athletes. So, we want to be first to the ball when it comes to these guys and be part of their journeys.”

That approach extends beyond college basketball as well. ANTA also supports select high school athletes through product, while its partnership with the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC), which began this year, further strengthens its presence in the development stages of Philippine basketball.

“So, goes to show na yun, talagang importante sa amin,” Abello concluded.

LPU, then, is not an isolated partnership for ANTA, but another step in a broader effort to build relationships with athletes while they are still developing, long before they become the stars of the professional game.