As one of the bright young faces of Philippine basketball, Carl Tamayo is learning as much as he can with Gilas Pilipinas Men. The talented 21-year-old knows that he is in a special position to grow and develop his skills further.

“Syempre napakalaking bagay niya sakin,” Tamayo said on being part of the national team. “Yung improvement ko during this time na naglalaro ako sa Gilas kasi syempre… you’re playing against top players sa buong mundo eh. 

“So yung experience, yung exposure, yung mga things male-learn mo every game, talagang malaking bagay siya sakin as a young player na gusto mag-improve. Sobrang laking bagay niya. Sobrang laking part sa career ko.”

The 6-foot-7 big man is a promising talent without a doubt with his unique blend of shooting, dribbling, and passing, all while playing elite defense. And after battling against some of the best Asian power forwards and centers, he’s determined to keep improving. 

“Ma-momotivate ka talaga,” he said on his matchup with other giants in the paint. “Dream mo yun e, na sana makapunta ka dun, so syempre talagang nakaka-motivate siya na mag-work hard ako kasi gusto ko rin mapunta kung san [sila] ngayon.”

A huge plus to Tamayo’s development as a player is his partnership with UP coach Goldwin Monteverde who is also part of the Gilas coaching staff. The two helped the UP Fighting Maroons capture the school’s first title in 36 years after the recent UAAP season. 

“Syempre masaya ako sobra kasi alam mo na si Coach Gold simula bata ako talagang tinutukan niya ako,” Tamayo said as he also won UAAP titles with Monteverde in high school. “Isa siya sa pinaka dahilan ko kung bakit ako napunta ngayon sa Gilas Men, kung bakit ako napapansin ako ng mga tao sa paglalaro.”

Tamayo credits a lot with his longtime coach. More than learning about basketball, he also attributes growing as a young man under the tutelage of Monteverde. Having his coach by his side as he competes against the world’s best has definitely made a huge difference. 

Aside from his coach, Tamayo also has former high school teammate Kevin Quiambao on the team. The two were the twin towers of Nazareth School of National University in the UAAP Juniors ranks. Quiambao recently made his Gilas debut and has shined in the FIBA Asia Cup as a big man who can do multiple things on the floor. And for Tamayo, he’s not surprised with the sudden rise of his high school teammate. 

“Talagang magaling siya pumasa, may mga unique moves siya, mga simple jumpers niya o yung one-hand niya, high school pa lang pina-practice na niya,” Tamayo said on Quiambao. “Hindi naman ako nagugulat, talagang ganyan na talaga siya nung high school and then nag-iimprove rin naman siya.”

Carl Tamayo will be soon be one of the cornerstones of Gilas Pilipinas Men. He is grateful for the opportunity that he’ experiencing, and he knows he still has a long road ahead of him. 

“It motivates me to work harder,” Tamayo said as he’s been appreciative that more Filipinos see his game. “Kasi lahat naman to, yung goal ko rin, mapanalo yung bansa natin, madala sa top rank sa world, so masaya ko na nakikita ng mga tao yung gusto ko mangyari or the way I play. Talagang binubuhos ko lahat yung makakaya ko hindi ako sumusuko talaga.”