Lastimosa leaves Aces coaching staff to oversee nationwide Alaska hoops program

Photo courtesy of Butchik SyCip-Lastimosa

PBA legend Jojo Lastimosa will be leaving his post in the coaching staff of the Alaska Aces for an expanded role in the company’s sports program.

“[Alaska CEO] Fred [Uytengsu] asked me to start expanding the camp and Alaska’s sports program nationally,” wrote Lastimosa in a text message to InterAKTV. “Haven’t agreed on terms yet, but the change has been announced inside the office. Fred is out of the country and we will finalize everything when he gets back.”

Lastimosa’s move comes barely a week after the appointment of Luigi Trillo as interim coach of the Aces, replacing Joel Banal. Trillo and Lastimosa were both considered for the post, with Uytengsu picking the former because of his head coaching experience in the UAAP, the PBL, and the PBA D-League.

But an expanded role for Lastimosa with the company’s sports program also comes naturally. He has been the basketball camp director of the Alaska Power Camp for several years, spearheading its partnership with the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines. He has also been conducting an annual summer tournament sponsored by Alaska in his hometown Cagayan de Oro City for the past nine years.

“I think this is a much better avenue for me in terms of impacting the youth,” said Lastimosa. “I will be traveling to key cities, training coaches and doing camps.”

Alaska has had its eye on expanding its sports program since the expansion of Dutch partner FrieslandCampina into the company last March. The Dutch firm increased its stake in Alaska from 8.1 percent to 68.9 percent, buying P12.8 billion worth of shares from the Uytengsu family, even as Fred Uytengsu was retained as chairman and CEO of the company.

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