The first time Geraldo “Bong” Ramos played in Indonesia was as team captain of the ESQ Pasig Giants, who, in 1988, invaded and eventually ruled the Asean Inter-City basketball tournament.

So impressed by the performance of the tiny and speedy Filipino point-guard were officials of the Pelita Jaya squad that they hired Ramos as the team import for its campaign in the Indonesian basketball circuit, earning the distinction as the first ever Filipino to have played as such in that country.