THE FIRST PHASE OF THE 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championship is now in full blast, with a total of 213 squads from nine regions playing with a single goal: to become the country’s best collegiate team.

University of Nueva Caceres leads all challengers after posting seven straight wins to pace the 4th Naga City Intercollegiate Basketball League which features teams from Quezon and the Bicol provinces.

Ateneo de Naga and University of Sta. Isabel share second place with identical 5-2 records.

In Region 6 (Leyte and Samar), Western Leyte Colleges and Eastern Visayas State University show the way in the 10-team field.

Capitol University, meanwhile, is on a three-game winning run to pace the Cagayan de Oro Students Athletic Association tournament in Region 7, covering Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. De Oro Colleges-Phinma occupies second spot.

The Duterte Basketball League in Region 8 (Davao, Gen. Santos) is also ongoing, with Emar College Red Horse and the Agro Industrial Foundation College Sailors seizing the early lead.

Leading the pack in the Zamboanga-Sibugay Basketball Association tournament in Region 9 (Zamboanga provinces) are in Universidad de Zamboanga-Ipil and the Kabansalan Technical Institute, which hurdled their first two assignments.

The participating teams are playing in 27 mother leagues, include the major ones in in Metro Manila—UAAP, NCAA, Naascu and Cusa—and Cesafi of Cebu City.

Champions League chair Rey Gamboa said the tournament provides teams and players the opportunity to look beyond their “mother leagues.”