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Columbian club becomes Terra Firma

Call this team Terra Firma from now on. PBA Media Group (file photo)
By Ivan Saldajeno

MANILA--They are still the Dyip--at least for now--but the Columbian franchise is undergoing another re-branding.

The CJ Perez-led club will now play under the name Terra Firma for the still postponed 45th PBA season.

Bobby Rosales, the team governor for the young franchise, announced the development on Wednesday during the PBA board meeting at the league's office in Quezon City.

"I submitted a letter request to the board in behalf of the Columbian Autocar Corporation which owns the PBA franchise. The request is to transfer the franchise to the sister company of Columbian Autocar Corporation and the name of the sister company is Terra Firma Realty Development Corporation. Both companies are owned and controlled by [Jose] Alvarez," said Rosales, currently the vice chairman of the PBA board.

The name change, formally the transfer of the franchise, is due to a reorganization within the company.

"[The] top management decided to streamline its operations. That is the reason of the transferring of the franchise," Rosales explained.

As it stands, the team is keeping the Dyip moniker, although it is expected that it will be changed due to the difference of the industries between Terra Firma and Columbian.

"Most probably we will be retaining the name of the Dyip, but of course, we can change that. Wala lang Columbian," Rosales added.

For his part, PBA board chairman Ricky Vargas sees nothing wrong about the face lift as it adheres to the PBA board constitution.

One of two expansion franchises, the other being Blackwater, that came into the league in 2014, the Terra Firma club underwent a number of name changes from Kia to Mahindra to Columbian to finally its current identity.

Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno