It’s the Philippines’ chance to show that we’re not one-trick ponies in the world of esports.
It’s going to be a very busy year for SIBOL Philippines National Team Manager Jab Escutin as he’s tasked with filling our rosters for the Esports Nations Cup. The biggest multi-title national esports event is set to debut this November, and the Philippines is eying to get gold in more than one title.
There will be a total of 16 different games represented in ENC 2026 and among them is MLBB. The Philippines is already known as the kings of MLBB but ENC 2026 gives us the opportunity to excel in more than one esport. Our national teams coaches for Dota 2, HoK, MLBB, PUBG, and VALORANT have already been chosen. Now comes the task of finding the most worthy players.
“We don’t treat it as a challenge but see it as an opportunity,” said SIBOL’s Jab Escutin. “We can engage other esports titles in the Philippines and give them opportunities, that’s how we see it… The Philippines always had a wealth of talent. Our only challenge is making sure that we give all of them the opportunities and chances to succeed.”
Right now, Sir Jab definitely has his hands full as he’s also focusing on the upcoming 2026 Asian Games. Adding another five teams on top of that is quite the additional work load. However, Sir Jab only feels excitement for what the future holds for our national teams.
“Our goal is to ramp up the support for all our national teams. With the support of the ENC and our government, we’ll use all our resources to help give our national athletes the best chances to win,” said SIBOL’s Jab Escutin.
“This is the first time we will have different qualifiers for different esports. It’s the most exciting time we’ve ever had in terms of selecting athletes so stay tuned.”
Banner image courtesy of MOONTON Games.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Jab Escutin is the National Team Manager for SIBOL, the Philippines’ national esports program. He oversees roster selection and preparation across multiple esports titles, including the country’s campaigns for the Esports Nations Cup and the Asian Games.
ENC 2026 is a multi-title national esports event debuting in November 2026, featuring 16 different games. The Philippines is fielding national teams in Dota 2, HoK, MLBB, PUBG, and VALORANT, with coaches already selected for each title.
The Philippines is widely regarded as a dominant force in MLBB (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang) competition. ENC 2026 gives the country a chance to extend that success into other esports titles rather than relying on a single game for international results.
SIBOL is running preparations for both events simultaneously, with Jab Escutin overseeing five additional national teams for ENC 2026 on top of Asian Games commitments. Escutin has said the workload is treated as an opportunity to expand support across more esports titles.
ENC 2026 will use separate qualifiers for each esports title, marking the first time different qualifying processes have been used across titles. SIBOL is using ENC and government support to identify and prepare national athletes for the qualifiers.
