The generation before Efren...

Terry Ardeno

Terry Ardeno

I still love my wife
Silver Member
Does anyone have any info on who were the best Filipino players BEFORE Reyes, Andam, Luat & Parica? We in the USA have a rich history of champions, however, I'm not aware of any "great" players in the Philipines before the generation listed above. Thanks.
 
Efren swears Boy Bicol was the best player he ever saw.
He said Boy Bicol would put that cueball wherever he wanted.
Boy Bicol was murdered in the Philippines after losing a match ( giving a spot ).
 
Terry Ardeno said:
Does anyone have any info on who were the best Filipino players BEFORE Reyes, Andam, Luat & Parica? We in the USA have a rich history of champions, however, I'm not aware of any "great" players in the Philipines before the generation listed above. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Here's a link to pretty much the same question I asked a few years ago.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.billiard/msg/be6f026f58ae7aa6?dmode=source

Click on the "Great Efren Article" link to see the whole thread.

Fred
 
What would also be interesting is when the first pocket tables arrived in the Phillipines and by whom, the US military or?? I also wonder what type of table they were. Who taught these players back in the old days when the tables first arrived. Would be hard to believe tables arrived in the 1800s', that would be a project for Shamos.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Efren swears Boy Bicol was the best player he ever saw.
He said Boy Bicol would put that cueball wherever he wanted.
Boy Bicol was murdered in the Philippines after losing a match ( giving a spot ).
Click to expand...

JoeyA didn't read the above post very well...
JoeyA
 
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I think he lost the match.

I'm not so surprise that he died. Pool halls very early on was like a blue-collar's casino in the Philippines.
 
Ok, so far we have Boy Bicol, Boy Baguio, Jun Quiapo and Ramon Brobio (how is he related to the filipino junior golfer Mon Brobio?). There must be a lot more of them. Where are the records, dammit!! :)

One guy I know said a famous filipino movie and TV comedian, Chiquito, used to play with the best of them but this was around Parica's time, and not pre-Efren.
 
Renegade said:
Ok, so far we have Boy Bicol, Boy Baguio, Jun Quiapo and Ramon Brobio (how is he related to the filipino junior golfer Mon Brobio?). There must be a lot more of them. Where are the records, dammit!! :)

One guy I know said a famous filipino movie and TV comedian, Chiquito, used to play with the best of them but this was around Parica's time, and not pre-Efren.
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There was a player named Boy Quiapo too. He was a very good player and Efren offered to play him with a spot.
Boy Quiapo was offended. He said if Efren beat him with 71-49 rotation spot, he'd retire. Boy was so disgusted he did retire after getting his azz handed to him by Efren .
 
When I was in Manila I heard about this story, I don't if it was Boy Bicol or Toto Dacer? That he went south to gamble. He was bitten at first but then before the end of the night he got all the money. But somebody recognises him as one of the best in Manila that he husstled them and was also beaten to death? Is this true?
 
parvus1202 said:
When I was in Manila I heard about this story, I don't if it was Boy Bicol or Toto Dacer? That he went south to gamble. He was bitten at first but then before the end of the night he got all the money. But somebody recognises him as one of the best in Manila that he husstled them and was also beaten to death? Is this true?
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Totoy Dacer isn't dead as far as I know.
Boy Bicol lost a match where he gave some weight. He missed one shot and his backers thought he dumped the match.
They hacked his arms and murdered him.
 
Renegade said:
Ok, so far we have Boy Bicol, Boy Baguio, Jun Quiapo and Ramon Brobio (how is he related to the filipino junior golfer Mon Brobio?). There must be a lot more of them. Where are the records, dammit!! :)

One guy I know said a famous filipino movie and TV comedian, Chiquito, used to play with the best of them but this was around Parica's time, and not pre-Efren.
Click to expand...


Chiquito loves to play caroms, but he always gets his a$$ kick by Efren, usually a 50 spot,
race to 150. He plays at Lucky 13 while his contemporary, Dindo Fernando plays at the YMCA.

There was this Eric Lagui, who came in at the same time with Efren. Everybody who saw him
play swears he's the next best thing after Efren. He took a dive, didn't know his manager was
a military man. Next day he was found covered with newspapers.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Totoy Dacer isn't dead as far as I know.
Boy Bicol lost a match where he gave some weight. He missed one shot and his backers thought he dumped the match.
They hacked his arms and murdered him.
Click to expand...

this is sad.
 
gopi-1 said:
Chiquito loves to play caroms, but he always gets his a$$ kick by Efren, usually a 50 spot,
race to 150. He plays at Lucky 13 while his contemporary, Dindo Fernando plays at the YMCA.

There was this Eric Lagui, who came in at the same time with Efren. Everybody who saw him
play swears he's the next best thing after Efren. He took a dive, didn't know his manager was
a military man. Next day he was found covered with newspapers.
Click to expand...

Does anyone have video of Efren playing balkline? I'd like to see it if a tape does exist.

-Ira
 
Sounds like

a good job for someone over there, to compile the history of billiards in the Phillipines, with players, stories, etc. up through Efren. I think a lot of people would be interested in a book such as this.
 
The first filipino I saw in the states was "Filipino Gene" in San Francisco. He has been there since the 60's. Still playing too, and he played good.
No one could beat him shooting behind his back.
 
You know, the more I read about the murderous times before Efren...the less I want to know about the times before Efren. It sure seems like something only a wild west aficianado could enjoy.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Efren swears Boy Bicol was the best player he ever saw.
He said Boy Bicol would put that cueball wherever he wanted.
Boy Bicol was murdered in the Philippines after losing a match ( giving a spot ).
Click to expand...
How long ago was this Joey? 70s or early 80s? It boggles your mind at how good he was given Efren's statement.
 
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