CRASH COURSE (Part 1 of 2): Navigating the UAAP venues

Stuck at home with your television sets? Why not go to the venues and watch the games?

Many have been confused with the directions to the locations of the UAAP games while some have gotten stuck in traffic and others have been stranded in the LRT.

Here is a quick guide and set of directions to get to the UAAP first half event venues coming from DLSU.

Moving over to Mall of Asia

Most of the sports venues for the UAAP games have not changed, but with the opening of the state of the art Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, basketball games just got closer.

Just like the season’s Opening Ceremonies last July, other major events, including the Cheerdance Competition in September would be held at the same venue.

To commute to the Arena, take the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to EDSA or Gil Puyat Station; from there, take a jeepney ride directly to the MOA complex.

If you are going to use a car, drive straight through Taft all the way to Gil Puyat, turn right and turn left on D. Macapagal Avenue.

After reaching the MOA Complex, turn right on Seaside Blvd., take a left on J. Diokno Blvd. then turn right on Coral Way.

The parking building is at the left and the Arena is at the right side.

 

Staying home at Araneta

Though the Mall of Asia Arena is now the new home of UAAP basketball, a number of games will still be held at the historic SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Home to the UAAP for the past few years, the league is not yet ready to leave its old home.

To get to the coliseum, take a LRT ride to Doroteo Jose Station, and jump on LRT2 to take a ride to the Araneta Center-Cubao Station. From there, you could walk to the coliseum gates by walking.

It gets tricky though via car. From Taft, turn right on Gil Puyat. Take the first U-Turn slot to get to the northbound lane.

From there, drive all the way to the connecting flyover and go down to EDSA and drive straight until the flyover following Camp Aguinaldo could be seen.

Go down from the flyover, turn right on Main Avenue, located before SM Hypermart, and turn left on 9th Avenue. Go straight for a few minutes until the Araneta Center Complex could be seen.

 

A few trips to PhilSports

The third venue for the basketball games is the PhilSports Arena, commonly known as Ultra.

Once the home of the PBA, the main basketball leagues hardly use it anymore though the arena still hosts different games such as the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) events and amateur leagues.

To get to the arena take the LRT to EDSA Station. Switch to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), and take a ride to Shaw Boulevard.

Arriving on Shaw, take the Shaw-Angono jeep, which passes by the PhilSports Complex.

To get there via car from Taft, turn right on Gil Puyat. Take the first U-Turn slot to get to the northbound lane. Take Gil Puyat all the way to its end, near the connecting flyover bound for EDSA.

Take EDSA and cross the Guadalupe Bridge. After which, turn right on Cybergate Street and from there, turn right on Pioneer. Take a right again to Shaw Blvd.

Once on Shaw, turn left on Meralco Avenue and take a right to Capt. Henry P. Javier Street. The PhilSports Complex should be on the left side.

 

A stone’s throw away: Rizal Sports Complex

The UAAP Badminton Tournament will be held within the walls of the legendary Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) in its Badminton Hall.

To get there, you could take a pedicab or just walk from La Salle.

Via car, head south from the South Gate.

Turn right into Pablo Ocampo Sr. Street and keep going until you see the Badminton Hall to the right.

The RMSC Ninoy Aquino Stadium, which also hosts different sports events is also near the area. Just continue straight from Pablo Ocampo Sr. Street and turn right on M. Adriatico St.

Go straight and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium could be seen to the right, past the Baseball, Track and Football field.

 

Searching the sands of UE

Meanwhile, the Beach Volleyball competition will be held in the Parade Grounds of University of the East (UE) in Caloocan.

To get there, take an LRT a trip to Monumento Station.

Once there, take a short northbound walk along Rizal Avenue. Turn right at the Samson Road to find a jeepney that would pass along the gates of UE.

Motorists though may find the trip a challenge.

Drivers should take the Pablo Ocampo Street and make a U-turn to drive northbound through Taft Avenue.

From there, take Padre Burgos Street. Remember to stay on the right side of the road when it splits in half.

Following the split, turn left and then drive through McArthur Bridge before making a left turn on Rizal Avenue.

The next step would be to take the third exit on the traffic circle or rotonda, which is Samson road.

After that, turn right to UE tech and turn right through Drexel tech. You will find UE to your right.

 

In San Juan

Contact sports namely Judo and Taekwondo are to be held in the Arena in San Juan.

The Arena also known as the FilOil Flying V Arena is home to the FilOil Flying V Preseason Basketball tournament, and select Women’s Basketball games this UAAP season.

To commute, take the LRT to Central Station.

Once in the city of Manila, take a short stroll or jeep to the City Hall where you could find buses headed toward Cainta; those buses will pass by the Arena.

If you are taking your own car, you will once again have to go through EDSA.

From Taft, turn right on Buendia then take the first U-Turn slot to get to the northbound lane. Once you are on the Makati-bound lane, take it all the way to the connecting flyover, which will lead you to EDSA.

Once on EDSA, take the leftmost flyover after Megamall, which is bound for Ortigas Ave.

Take Ortigas until Santolan Road where you have to turn left. Take Santolan until you see a SEAOIL Gas Station, which is across The Arena in San Juan.

 

Crossing over the fence to Ateneo

The Blue Eagle Gym, found within the Ateneo de Manila University campus along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City has been host to the UAAP Table Tennis competition for the past years.

Despite the distance from La Salle, commuters can take the LRT to Doroteo Jose then the LRT2 to Katipunan Station. Once there, you have the option to walk to the Loyola Schools campus or take a tricycle, which will take you inside for a steep fee.

For those willing to brave the traffic and drive to Katipunan, turn right on Buendia from Taft and take the first U-Turn slot to get to the northbound lane heading towards Makati.

Take it all the way to the flyover, which will take you to EDSA and once there, turn right on White Plains Ave., which is located after Ortigas.

Turn left on Katipunan Ave. and take it all the way to the Ateneo Campus, which you can find to your right.

 

Diving deep for Trace College

Fans and supporters of the swimming team will find themselves on a road trip to cheer on the Green Tankers.

The Trace Aquatics Centre found in Trace College, Laguna have hosted the swimming festivities for the UAAP for the past few years.

If you are not willing to shell out gas money, you could take the LRT to Buendia/Gil Puyat Station, and from there, take a bus to Sta. Cruz from the DLTB terminal.

It will take roughly an hour and a half to get there, but the bus could drop you off in front of the Trace College gate.

If you are willing to take your own car, turn left on Pablo Ocampo Street from Taft, then turn right to Arellano Avenue.

From there turn right and you will find yourself on the South Luzon Expressway.

Take it all the way to the Calamba exit, located right before the Star Tollway Extension.

Drive through Real Road and turn right to Calamba, crossing above the National Highway.

From there, turn right to Lopez Avenue, drive through El Danda St. then turn right to Trace College gate, your final destination.

 

Take that ride

Cheering and supporting one’s school may cost a bit but the experience of witnessing a live UAAP game is priceless.