The PBA 48th Season Philippine Cup semifinals, including Game Three, will be held in Cavite for the first time in 17 years.

The league played its first games in the province since December 8, 2007, when a Philippine Cup out-of-town match was played at the San Sebastian College-Cavite gym in Cavite City, at the recently constructed Dasmariñas Arena in Barangay Burol Main.

Yeng Guiao, the coach of Rain or Shine, may also have good fortune in Wednesday’s match in Dasmariñas City.

Review the most recent PBA match played in Cavite

According to PBA statistics chief Fidel Mangonon’s research, Red Bull, then led by Guiao, defeated Magnolia, 94-88, in that Cavite City game during the 2007–08 Philippine Cup elimination round.

It should be noted that the Magnolia squad that Guiao’s Red Bull faced seventeen years ago was the Magnolia Beverage Masters, a moniker that the San Miguel Beermen briefly adopted during the 2007–08 season, rather than the current Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, which still own the Purefoods franchise.

Since Rain or Shine is already behind San Miguel 0-2 in their PBA Philippine Cup semifinal series, Guiao’s current team has a must-win game on Wednesday. The third game is set to begin at 4:30 p.m.

The Elasto Painters are behind by two games following their 106-89 loss to the Beermen at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.

The lone survivor of the Cavite game from 17 years ago

Meralco and Barangay Ginebra will square off in the second game as both teams look to take the lead in their respective best-of-seven semifinal series.

Last Sunday, the Bolts defeated the Gin Kings 103-91 to level the series.

Interestingly, one of the players from that match from 17 years ago is currently competing in the Meralco-Ginebra series in Cavite.

His name is LA Tenorio, and he was still with the Beverage Masters at the time. He started the game and played for 27 minutes, finishing with two points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Olsen Racela, who participated in that Cavite City game as well, is currently Barangay Ginebra’s assistant coach.