Chito Loyzaga

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Cuerva and the surname or paternal family name is Loyzaga.

Joaquín "Chito" Cuerva Loyzaga (born August 29, 1958) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and basketball commissioner. He is currently the Athletics Director of the NU Bulldogs in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. He played for the San Beda College in the NCAA before going on to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Chito Loyzaga
Commissioner of the UAAP 76th season
In office 2013–2014
Preceded by	Ato Badolato
Succeeded by	Andy Jao
Personal details
Spouse	Toni Yulo
Parent	Carlos Loyzaga
Relatives	Joey Loyzaga (brother) Teresa Loyzaga (sister) Bing Loyzaga (sister)
Basketball career
NU Bulldogs
Position	Athletic director
League	University Athletic Association of the Philippines
Personal information
Born	(1958-08-28) August 28, 1958 Manila, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school	San Beda (Manila)
College	San Beda
Playing career	1981–1993
Position	Power forward / small forward
Number	4, 14, 41
Career history
1981	YCO-Tanduay
1983	Toyota
1984–1985	Great Taste
1986–1993	Ginebra San Miguel
Career highlights and awards
As player: 7× PBA champion (1984 Second All-Filipino, 1984 Invitational, 1985 Open, 1985 All-Filipino, 1986 Open, 1988 All-Filipino, 1991 First) 4× PBA All-Star (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) Member of 40 Greatest Players in PBA History 8× PBA All-Defensive Team (1985–1992) PBA Mythical Second Team (1986) Humanitarian/Citizenship Award (1993) As executive: PBA champion (2005 Fiesta)
Medals Men's basketball Representing Philippines Asian Games 1990 Beijing Team competition

PBA career

Early career

In the PBA, Loyzaga played one game for YCO-Tanduay, then migrated to Australia for two years. He came back to play for Toyota in 1983. After Toyota disbanded, Loyzaga moved to Great Taste, where he became part of the team's dynasty of four straight championships.

Ginebra

In 1986, he was shipped to Ginebra San Miguel, where he spent all of his last eight seasons in the PBA, winning three championships. A seven-time recipient of the Philippine Basketball Association All-Defensive Team award from 1985 to 1992, Loyzaga made a name for himself as a straight-up defensive stopper, using his heft and quick hands to guard the league's best big men, including the great Ramon Fernandez, and later, Alvin Patrimonio.

He retired from basketball after the 1993 PBA season.

National team career

Loyzaga also played for the Philippines men's national basketball team in the 1990 Asian Games where he distinguished himself by helping limit North Korean center Ri Myung Hun despite a height discrepancy of over a foot and a half between them.

Post-retirement

In 2002, Loyzaga became the fourth commissioner of the Metropolitan Basketball Association.

He served as general manager of San Miguel Beermen, from 2004 until 2006.

He was also a commissioner and executive director of the Philippine Sports Commission from 2010 to 2012.

In 2013, he served as a basketball commissioner in the 76th Season of the UAAP.

Recently, on April 9, 2015, he was appointed the Athletics Director of the National University for their Bulldogs sports program, replacing Junel Baculi.

Personal life

Loyzaga is the son of Philippine basketball great Carlos Loyzaga and Vicky Cuerva. He and brother Joey Loyzaga became one of the few siblings to play in the PBA, eventually playing with Ginebra San Miguel.

He is married to Ma. Antonia "Toni" Yulo, with whom he has three children, namely: Celina, Jose Joaquin, and Cecilia. Yulo was executive director of the Manila Observatory from 2007 to 2016, and former president of National Resilience Council. In July 2022, she was appointed secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources by President Bongbong Marcos.