Batangas City Athletics 2018–2021, 2024 Tanduay Rum Masters 2022 Batangas City Embassy Chill 2022–2023 Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters 2023, 2024–present
The team joined in 2018 as one of the founding teams of the MPBL, backed by Tanduay Distillers as part of the beverage company's athletics program, having previously owned a team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team first went by the Batangas City Athletics before changing to Batangas City Embassy Chill in 2022 to promote one of Tanduay's own products. The team later changed its name to the Tanduay Rum Masters in 2024. The Batangas City franchise has also played in FilBasket.
One of the most successful teams in the MPBL, Batangas City won the inaugural championship in 2018 and has made three division finals appearances. They currently have the second-highest all-time regular season winning percentage among active teams at .717, only behind the San Juan Knights. To date, they are the only MPBL team to make a playoff appearance in every season of the league's existence.
History
Tanduay's prior involvement
Tanduay's involvement with basketball can be traced back to the Tanduay Rhum Masters that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1987 and again from 1999 to 2001.
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
In 2018, the Batangas City Athletics were founded as one of the league's ten charter teams. With a record of 8-1, Batangas City captured the league's best record and made it to the 2018 MPBL Rajah Cup finals, where they beat the Muntinlupa Cagers, three games to one, to become the inaugural MPBL champions.[3]
In the 2018–19 season, Batangas City ended the season with a record of 13-10 to claim the second seed in the Southern Division. The team failed to defend their championship, after they lost to the Davao Occidental Tigers in the division finals in three games.
In the 2019–20 season, Batangas City made their third straight playoff appearance with a record of 19-11, but lost to the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines in the First Round in three games.
Logo of the Batangas City Embassy Chill used from 2022 until 2023.
The team opted out of the 2021 Invitational before returning in 2022, in which the team was renamed to Batangas City Embassy Chill. With a 17-4 record, the team made their fourth straight playoff appearance, once again making a run to the division finals, where they would once again fall to Zamboanga in three games.
For the 2023 Preseason Invitational, the team was temporarily renamed as the Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters.
FilBasket
As the MPBL postponed its fourth season to 2022, the Tanduay-backed franchise were among the teams that took part in FilBasket. The team first took part in the 2021 Subic Championship. The Athletics finished 8th, but lost to eventual champions AICC Manila.[4][5]
Right before the 2022 MPBL season, the franchise took part in the succeeding 2022 Summer Championship, marking the franchise's first professional outing. As the Tanduay Rum Masters, the team finished the elimination round 11–0, winning every game. During the playoffs, they first beat Muntinlupa in the quarterfinals but would get swept by the fifth-seeded San Juan Knights in the semifinals.[6][7]
Home arenas
The franchise has played most of its home slate at Batangas City Sports Coliseum. The team did play some games at other venues across the province, which includes a few games played at Batangas State University, a game played at De La Salle Lipa in Lipa, and a game at FPJ Arena in San Jose.
Zamboanga and Batangas City have faced each other in the playoffs in three consecutive occasions from 2019 to 2022, all of which went the full three games. Batangas City won the series in 2019. As of 2023, the two teams have met a total of thirteen times in the MPBL.
