Petron Corporation is set to make its debut in the next Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) conference as Petron Blaze 100 takes over the San Miguel Beermen in an effort to promote the fuel company’s business, brands and advocacies.

Petron, the country’s largest oil refiner supplying an estimated 40% of the nation’s fuel requirements, is a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation, the Philippines’ rapidly diversifying food-to-power conglomerate and parent company of San Miguel Brewery, Inc.

Through the Petron Blaze team, the firm hopes to entice more businessmen and small to medium entrepreneurs to invest in Petron service stations, particularly the Petron Bulilit stations.

“The Petron Blaze team will help us encourage more of our countrymen to partner with Petron via several dealership options. Part of Petron’s CSR effort is to create livelihood opportunities for Filipinos of different income levels,” said San Miguel Corporation president and Petron chairman Ramon S. Ang.

The team will also be ambassadors of the Petron Foundation’s CSR projects ranging from entrepreneurship to environmental protection.

Team name changes are not new to the PBA. Prior to the renaming of the San Miguel Beermen to Petron Blaze, the team was previously known as Royal Tru Orange, Gold Eagle Beer, Magnolia Ice Cream and Magnolia Beverage Masters.

The team is now younger with the presence of Rabeh Al Hussani, Nonoy Baclao and Rey Guevara along with PBA stalwarts led by Jay Washington, Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot and Joseph Yeo.