The Story of Bao: TNC’s Multirole Maestro

Bao wakes up at 5 a.m. to study. Then grinds at night until 2 a.m.
by Mario Alvaro Limos | Aug 8, 2023

Behind Bao's bowl haircut, he hides a raging fire. 

Mark Laurence Cabigting, aka Bao, stands out in a crowd. It’s hard to miss him: his cool drip complements his signature bowl haircut, hence his name: Bao (pronounced bah-oh), like the coconut shell. Although a new face in a room of veterans, the rookie carries himself with a self-assured yet reserved composure. When we approached him for a little chat, he gamely rose from the couch with an excited smile.

“Hello po Kuya!” he beamed as he walked with us to our table, consciously fixing his bangs so that it exactly covers his eyebrows in a straight line. “Tungkol saan po itong interview?” he asked. “Tungkol sayo,” we answered. There was a glow of surprise in his eyes. He had never been interviewed before.

Bao, the Multirole Maestro of TNC Pro Team

Bao, Bao TNC, Bao ml, Bao MPL, Mark Laurence Cabigting

Born April 21, 2005, Bao hails from Pampanga and is currently a working student supporting his family.

“Yung life ko po bago ako napunta sa esports, nag-aaral lang po talaga ako. Tapos noong nagka lockdown, nagfocus po talaga ako sa Mobile Legends,” Bao tells SPIN.ph.

Day and night, Bao would grind until his rank in Mobile Legends got so high, he ended up being matched with pro players such as BenThings. One day in 2020, the amateur team Virgin Souls, which was founded by TNC’s operations manager Ingrid Ignacio, called for tryouts. Bao was one of the many players who applied.

“Nagpost kami for tryouts tapos si Bao yung pinakanagustuhan ko sa interview, mabait kasi saka magaan loob ko sa kanya,” Ingrid told SPIN.ph. “Tinatalo raw niya sila BenThings sa ranked games, nagsesend pa ng screenshots!” she added.

That’s where Bao’s story started.

TNC Pro Team's Season 12 Roster Includes Bao, Seated in the Middle

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TNC Pro Team's Season 12 Roster. Bao is sitting in the middle.

“After two years po sa Virgin Souls, napunta po ako sa TNC MDL team sa Season 1 ng MDL. Pero after ng MDL Season 1, nakipag break po sa akin yung girlfriend ko at natanggal ako sa MDL team,” said Bao.

It was a heartbreaking period for Bao, who was counting on his career to support his studies and his family. But instead of allowing himself to be pinned down by the events, he worked harder than ever.

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“Lalo po akong na-motivate maglaro, kaya nakapasa po ako sa tryouts ng MPL team ng TNC,” he said.

Bao is now TNC Pro Team’s multirole maestro: He has a deep hero pool in his arsenal, able to play fighter, assassin, and support roles in the Land of Dawn—adding unpredictability in TNC’s evolved lineup in MPL-PH Season 12. His roles in the battlefield reflect the multuple struggles he’s dealing with in life.

“As a multirole, I can do everything, just like how I’m multitasking in life—I’m a student and a pro player, and I can support myself [financially] by balancing everything,” said Bao.

“Nag-aaral pa po ako ngayon, kasabay ng Season 12. Grade 12 po ako ngayon,” he said. He is currently enrolled at PWU JASMS taking up Arts and Design.

He says these things casually as if he does not wake up at 5:30 a.m. every morning just to get to school for his face-to-face classes every day. When he gets back to the boot camp, there are times when he sleeps at 3:00 a.m. because he needs to grind and practice.

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“Mahirap kasi gigising ako ng 5:30 a.m. para mag-aral, tapos pagkauwi ko, maglalaro pa ako hanggang gabi para magka extra grind lang. Ganoon, po, paulit-ulit lang araw-araw,” said Bao. “Gigising akong maaga, kulang ang tulog palagi. Pero kailangan kong tapusin ang pag-aaral,” he added, with a determined expression on his face.

Bao Poses During Dinner with SPIN.ph

Bao, Bao TNC, Bao ml, Bao MPL, Mark Laurence Cabigting

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Bao: ‘Ang pangarap ko, maitayo lang sa hirap ang pamilya ko.’

Bao has no qualms talking about his family and his humble background. But when he does, there is a strong sense of maturity and purpose in his words.

“Ang pangarap ko, maitayo lang sa hirap ang pamilya ko,” he tells SPIN.ph. “At syempre makabili ng Honda Civic na pangarap ko!” he laughs.

He goes back to being serious.

“Lumaki akong hiwalay yung pamilya ko, parang si Papa na lang yung nasa side ko.” He pauses. A little bit of sadness escaped his eyes, partially covered by his bangs. “May pamilya na rin siya, tapos, sakto lang yung pera namin… kaya, gusto ko rin siyang ialis sa hirap at makasama naman.”

And then he talks about his parents’ reaction when he decided to pursue an esports career.

“Noong una, wala po silang tiwala sa akin kasi mapapalayo ako sa amin sa Pampanga. Pero noong tumagal-tagal na, nagtiwala na rin sila sa akin at naging supportive,” said Bao.

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In a conversation with TNC’s Ingrid Ignacio, who recruited Bao in 2020 when he was 15, she revealed that they drove all the way to Pampanga to pick up Bao. That moment made Bao really happy.

“Masayang masaya po ako noon, syempre kasi kahit nag-aaral ako, nakapasa ako sa tryouts ng TNC.”

Bao: The history behind the IGN

Bao’s mood suddenly shifted when we started talking about his hair. Obviously, it was something he is very proud of.

The first thing that stands out about Bao is his signature haircut: straight bangs combed forward to form the shape of a bowl. We asked why he chose this look and his IGN ‘Bao.’

“Yung ‘Bao’ po kasi, ilang years na yung hairstyle kong ganito. Pero noon, yung IGN ko, MarkTzy. Naisip ko parang common na iyon, baka pagpasok ko ng scrim, sabihin gaya-gaya ako. Kaya gumawa po ako ng original ko na pangalan, Bao.” Bao tells SPIN.ph.

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He goes on to describe how to maintain his haircut.

“Guys, for two weeks, kailangan pantay talaga to,’ said Bao, pointing to the bangs around his temples, and then moving his finger toward his eyebrows. “Talagang naka-maintain yung bangs ko, bawal humaba o bawal lumagpas sa mata ko,” he said

But why?

“Para cute lang. May bangs.”

Bao laughs. We laugh.

But we knew there was a fire burning in Bao behind that laughter. Fortune favors the bold, and Mark Laurence Cabigting is determined to shape his future, no matter what obstacle comes his way.

For more stories about life beyond sports, visit Spin Life.

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