Mark Andaya

Early life

Andaya, the youngest of nine siblings, was raised in Manila. His father, a businessman from Calapan, Mindoro, passed away when Andaya was two, leaving his mother, a Spanish professor, to support the family through hardship. At Rafael Palma Elementary School, he served as newspaper editor, played the bandurria in the rondalla, and won prizes for his paintings and drawings. He also picked up basketball playing on the streets.

College career

After transferring from MLQU, Andaya played for the Letran Knights, who had just won the Season 79 title. In his NCAA debut he scored 11 points against the PCU Dolphins. He later scored 14 points against the San Beda Red Lions and a career-high 25 points in their rematch.

In the Final Four, he scored 14 points before Jonathan Aldave hit a game-winning three-pointer, but the Dolphins forced a do-or-die Game 2 and defeated the Knights. The following season, Letran went 13–1, and Andaya led the league in blocks while averaging double digits in points and rebounds. In his final season, the Knights won the NCAA title.

Professional career

Mark Andaya entered the PBA as the eighth pick in the 2006 draft, selected by the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals. Just before the 2006–07 Philippine Cup playoffs, he and Abe Santos were sent to the Air21 Express in exchange for Leo Avenido and Yancy de Ocampo.

Red Bull Barako

After his time with Air21, Andaya moved to Red Bull Barako, joining the team after Junthy Valenzuela was traded for draft picks. He appeared in the Rookies vs Sophomores game during the 2008 PBA All-Star Weekend, but was let go before the 2008 Fiesta Conference quarterfinals when Red Bull signed Reed Juntilla. Later that year, during the 2008 PBA Draft, he was picked up by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Barako Bull Energy Boosters

In 2009, Andaya suited up for the Philippine Patriots in the ASEAN Basketball League. The team finished the regular season at 11–4 and swept the playoffs to claim the Philippines’ first ABL championship. He then played for the Misamis Oriental Meteors in Liga Pilipinas. Andaya planned to return to the ABL with the Patriots, but left before their opening game after the Barako Bull Energy Boosters offered him a roster spot.

In his first two games with the Boosters, he recorded nine blocks and finished second in the league with 1.6 blocks per game. On January 20, 2011, Barako Bull announced it would sit out the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup to make way for the Smart Gilas national team, and Andaya was placed in a dispersal draft. He and Jason Misolas went unselected, becoming free agents. He tried out for Barangay Ginebra Kings and later played two games for the Barako Bull Energy.

KIA Sorento

After his contract ended, he played in ligang labas games across the country, then signed with Air21 Express for the 2012–13 Philippine Cup, appearing in just two games. He returned to ligang labas and took on import roles in lower-tier Southeast Asian leagues. In 2014, Andaya signed with KIA Sorento but never played an official PBA game for them, serving as a practice player until his contract expired a year later. He then retired from professional basketball to focus on a city councilor run and an acting career, also playing in the semi-pro Marikina City Basketball League in 2017.

Other ventures

Mark Andaya's first major film role came in 2013 as prison inmate Simeon in the critically acclaimed On the Job, a performance that earned him a decade-long acting contract. He later shared the screen with Marian Rivera on the GMA series Super Ma'am. In 2019, he made a surprise appearance on the show It's Showtime!.

By 2023, he had joined the basketball film Hello Universe! and played the role of Tanos, a childhood friend of Coco Martin's character in the action series FPJ's Batang Quiapo. Outside of acting, Andaya ran unsuccessfully for barangay captain in October 2013 and for a Manila city council seat in 2016. Since 2023, he has served as one of 30 board members of the MTRCB.