The Abra Weavers, champions of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), will compete in the 2026-27 East Asia Super League (EASL) season beginning in early October 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The MPBL was founded by Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in 2017 as a professional basketball league featuring provincial teams with a home-and-away format [1, 2, 3, 4].
Abra Weavers joined the MPBL in 2024 and claimed the league championship in just their second season, in 2025 [1, 2, 3, 4]. Manny Pacquiao said, "This is a proud moment for the MPBL. From the beginning, our vision has been to create opportunities for Filipino basketball to continue growing. The Abra Weavers have shown what is possible when a team represents its community with ambition, discipline and pride. They earned the right to call themselves MPBL champions, and now they have the opportunity to represent our league and Philippine basketball against some of the best teams in Asia" [1].
The upcoming EASL season will feature 26 teams including other top Asian clubs like Japan's B.League champion Nagasaki Velca, South Korea's KBL runner-up Goyang Sono Skygunners, Macau basketball league champion Macau Hou Chon, and Taiwan's P. LEAGUE+ team TSG GhostHawks [2, 3, 4]. MPBL CEO Joe Ramos called the partnership an important milestone. He said the Abra Weavers represent "MPBL's competitiveness, talent, and passion," adding the league is proud to see its champions display these qualities on the EASL stage [1, 3, 4]. EASL CEO Henry Kerins welcomed the Abra Weavers and MPBL, expecting them to challenge Asia's top professional squads [3, 4].
The 2026-27 EASL season is set to tip off in the first week of October 2026, marking the Abra Weavers’ debut in the league against other leading Asian basketball teams [1, 2, 3, 4].
