MANILA, Philippines -- This early in the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup, Rain or Shine has established itself as a team to be reckoned with.

The Elasto Painters are 4-1 through their first five games, with victories over powerhouses Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel Beer. On Sunday, they rose to solo second in the league standings with a comfortable 85-72 win over the debuting Alaska Aces.

For ROS head coach Caloy Garcia, one crucial reason for their impressive showings in the conference is the steady play of veteran big man Beau Belga.

"I think one key also for us, if we want to go far, is Beau," Garcia told reporters after their triumph over the Aces at the Mall of Asia Arena.

"Kasi si Beau, if he plays well nanadala niya 'yung team eh. So he has to play well every game if we want to go far," he explained.

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Belga scored just 7 points on Sunday, going 2-of-5 from the field while grabbing 3 rebounds on top of a steal and a block each. His numbers, however, did not show how much of an impact Belga had on the ROS offense, as he initiated their plays and provided leadership inside the court.

This is a role that Belga has come to embrace, especially as they welcome a new wave of young players to the team -- guys like Rey Nambatac, Javee Mocon, Sidney Onwubere, and Jayjay Alejandro.

"Nagiging vocal ako sa kanila. Sinasabi ko kung ano 'yung mali, kung ano 'yung tama, kung ano 'yung dapat," Belga explained. "Nakakapaglaro ako ng matagal, nakakapag-mando ako sa grupo. And they respect me. They respect me as one of the veteran dito sa grupo na ito."

"So, thankful ako sa mga bago, na pinakikinggan nila ako. And hindi naman ako mag-aano ng sa ikasasama nila eh. Para sa lahat ito," he added.

Belga, long known as one of the most fiery players in the league, is careful to display a more positive mindset for the team, especially for their younger players. He wants to teach them the right way to handle frustration and negativity, and it starts from him.

"As a veteran in this group, hindi ko kailangan ipakita na ako frustrated, and hindi ako pwede magpakita ng negative body language sa kanila. So for them to follow kung ano 'yung ginagawa ko, it's more on positive side ang kailangan ipakita mo, even in practice," he said.

He is glad to see that their young guns are listening to his instructions, and he believes the team can only get better with them around.

"Sobrang swerte namin sa kanila, especially with Mocon. And sobrang sipag, and nakita mo naman, nagbe-benefit ang laro niya every single game," said Belga.

Belga and the Elasto Painters return to action on Friday, February 8, against the NorthPort Batang Pier.

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