Cover-Credits:
TNC Pro Team’s iconic roamer Jomearie "Escalera" Santos went through hardship before he achieved his dream of being a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) pro player. He started out as a fast food worker before discovering his talent in driving Jeepneys. Escalera was eventually introduced to MLBB, which he played as a passtime. Eventually it became his way out of poverty as he ventured into the MLBB esports scene and earned accolades in amateur tournaments. After making a name for himself under the Arkangel Esports squad, TNC Pro Team got wind of his performance and recruited him to compete in the Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines (MPL PH) Season 9.
How Escalera's Story Became The Inspiration for TNC's "Byaheng Tagumpay" Video
Through an interview with Esquire, TNC Pro Team’s star roamer Escalera, shared his life story on how he used to work at a fast food chain before becoming a Jeepney driver to help his family.
“Back when I was still not in esports, I was a Jeepney driver. However, before I became a Jeepney driver, I was a crew at Chowking and Jollibee. I was 18 years old when I worked at fast food restaurants. When I got my driver’s license, I tried driving a Jeepney as a job. I preferred driving to being a crew at a fast food restaurant,” Escalera stated.
“When I got my license at 19 years old, I took his Jeepney for a ride at dawn. That’s when I knew I was capable of driving by myself. I told my father about it and he agreed to do shifts with me,” Escalera said.
Despite the challenging task, he was able to get by and earn money to support his family. But, the global pandemic caused a number of issues to arise. The majority of people were prohibited from traveling, which severely hampered public transit, causing Jeepney drivers to look for alternative forms of income. Due to his father's stroke and his mother losing her job, things were difficult for Escalera's family.
“When the pandemic hit, we had to sell the Jeepney. During that time, a lot of Jeeps that had no garage were getting towed. We don’t have any garage and there was no one to look after the Jeep,” he explained.
While this proved to be a rough patch for Escalera, he eventually found his breakthrough in the MLBB esports scene under Arkangel Esports.
“I had no dreams when I started diving a Jeepney. I just wanted to play games. I think my dream back then was simply to have a lot of money and be rich. The first tournament we won was in PPGL or the Philippine Pro Gaming League. When we won, we got acquired by the ex-pro team Arkangel,” he explained.
Arkangel Esports was trying to qualify for the MPL PH since Season 6 but failed. However, TNC Pro Team saw Escalera’s potential and recruited him for Season 9.
Heading into the MPL PH Season 11, it was Escalera’s life story that inspired TNC Pro Team’s roster reveal video titled “Byaheng Tagumpay” or “Trip to Success.”
“When we were looking for ideas for our roster reveal, I said I wanted to be a Jeepney driver in the video. I didn’t expect them to take it seriously,” Escalera explained. “I was just joking, but our boss said it, when he’s crazy, he will do what he wants to do. That’s how our roster reveal was set up which was a good result.”
TNC Pro Team is currently struggling to secure a playoff spot in the MPL PH Season 11. The squad is sitting in eighth place with only one win and eight losses. Despite this, the squad remains optimistic and enjoys the ride.
