The national 3x3 basketball program gets a timely boost with the launching of the MelMac Sports in Imus, Cavite recently.

Owned by Mel Macasaquit, the 3,500-square-meter establishment is designed to elevate both the 3x3 and 5-on-5 basketball in the country, while also catering other disciplines such as pickleball, tennis, and volleyball.

Though not yet fully completed, with its basketball and tennis courts still being developed to meet global standards, the facility already stands as a promising hub for players from all walks of life.

"What you see now is really temporary because we wanted credibility from the sports community. In a few weeks, maybe in one to two weeks, the court we ordered from abroad will come here,” Macasaquit said.

“We hope to install the same flooring used in the Paris Olympics, the same goes to 5-on-5. We had the opportunity to really cut costs, you can get a cheaper backstamp [and] just need to make it FIBA standard [and] don't need to make it FIBA approved. But this one, we really wanted something that has the certificate coming from FIBA,” he added.

One of the initiatives of Macasaquit and his team is aimed at helping local athletes adapt to international standards early in their careers, enabling them to compete more effectively in competitions overseas.

The development would be a huge lift for the Nationals, especially the women’s team, which is eyeing a spot in the 2028 Summer Olympics after marking its return to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Warsaw, Poland this coming June.

For Macasaquit, what started as a simple plan for an office with a single 3x3 court eventually evolved into something much bigger.

“We really just wanted an office. Originally, you know, our main business is really sports marketing. My sports marketing agency is still serving several brands. But we wanted an office that has a 3X3 court because that is really our identity,” said Macasaquit.

“But eventually, we realized that we can do more. We wanted to share the experience, the experience that we gathered for so many years,” he added. “As I've said, we were so fortunate to have worked with Gilas Pilipinas, Philippine Azkals, and in the country's 3x3 OQT campaign. That really equipped us to be ready and start this journey for Philippine sports.”

Just before the early opening, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy had visited the venue and emphasized the need of such establishments in provincial cities as most of them are located within Metro Manila.

“Not just because of, you know, we're making this thing beautiful, but they know that it's for sports development, the grassroots. You know, everyone I talk to, they always keep telling me, you know, you should start in Metro Manila first,” Macasaquit continued.