The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons won the hearts not just of basketball fans on Wednesday, May 5, by volunteering in a community pantry for displaced UP Ikot jeepney drivers.

The pantry was organized by Nowhere to Go but UP, which manages the men’s basketball team, as it partnered with various dealers for the drive.

“Our specific support for the community pantries is by directly purchasing vegetables in partnership with Sagip Saka,” said group member Renan Dalisay in a message to Rappler.

“In this way, we also help our farmers. Some UP Basketball athletes volunteered in distributing goods earlier to the community pantry of the displaced UP Ikot jeepney drivers.”

The UP Fighting Maroons rose to UAAP prominence in recent seasons after a breakthrough run in 2018 where they reached the finals for the first time in 32 years.

In 2019, the UP men’s basketball team landed a 3rd place finish after succumbing to the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the stepladder semifinals. – Rappler.com