Senator Manny Villar is one of the reasons for Philippine billiards’ remarkable year.

Year 2008 was a very remarkable year for Philippine billiards.

From billiards to VILLARDS – thanks to its new-found benefactor – as one of them, the sport endured a lot of changes, giving it a fair share in sports pages’ top stories for the year about to become was.

The game of balls and sticks started its ’08 journey on a rough road, when a group of managers and an overwhelming majority of the country’s top players locked arms to denounce the incompetence and arrogance of those running sport’s national association.

The disgruntled group formed the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and called for an overhaul of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) starting with the resignation of its chairman Yen Makabenta and president Ernesto Fajardo.

The two refused to yield their post despite the call and an ultimatum by the players of not participating in any event they will hold, the World 10-Ball Championship even if it was held right here in the country.

That put the BMPAP and BSCP at loggerheads and a war was waged.

On the positive side, a lot of tournaments took place in the country, giving the players, from the established stars to aspiring upstarts, great opportunities. And the biggest reason for this was the entry of Senator Manny Villar, who committed himself to helping the sports he always says “is where we, Filipinos, are on top of the world, our national pride.”

His generosity produced five Villar Cup tournaments held in Alabang, Cebu, Bulacan, Davao and Bacolod, where dozens of players competed. Villar also supported the country’s top players’ stints in the international arena.

In return, the Filipino billiards community acknowledged Villar as the sport’s new godfather, and honored him by turning “billiards” into “VILLARDS.”

The players also justified Villar’s pick of their sports by flying the Philippine flag’s in various times.

Among those instances were Dennis Orcollo’s title-conquest of the $100,000 Qatar International 9-Ball Open and the All-Japan Open. The reigning world no.1, who ruled the First Quezon City 9-ball Championship in March, also won the Guangzhou leg of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, making him the most successful Filipino player of 2008.

Other marquee players also had strong showings in the international front. Alex Pagulayan won the World Pool Masters and the Guinness Tour’s Singapore leg; Francisco “Django” Bustamante was crowned Master of the Table in the Derby City Classic; and Ronnie Alcano had runner-up finishes in the World 8-Ball Championship, US Open and Japan Open.

Pool maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes continues to defy father-time, and despite a recurring shoulder injury still managed to come up with strong performances in tournaments he joined.

The BMPAP also had a yearlong program aimed at discovering new stars in the Search for the New Billiards Idol. The series has had 15 legs, including provincial stops in Davao and Bacolod, and a Grand Finals won by 19-year-old Fil-Japanese Mike Takayama.

The World Pool Championship, which the country hosted in the two previous years, was shelved, but in lieu of it, the Philippines staged the Quezon City-Philippines vs the World Grand VILLARDS Showdown, where eight top Filipino cue artists – Reyes, Bustamante, Orcollo, Pagulayan, Alcano, Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco – joined forces to take on a challenge hurled by a selection of topnotch international stars.

The event lived up to its billing as the most thrilling, as it went the distance with Team World edging out the home squad, 9-8, to claim the bragging rights and the $40,000 purse.

As the planet turns a year older, Philippine billiards is looking forward for another fruitful year, and it does have a good reason to do so.

The much-awaited National Billiards League is nearing its realization, Villar Cup is expected to have more stops around the country, and a number of international events (World Pool?) and challenge matches are being cooked.

Moreover, the leadership dispute is nearing its resolution.