Rene Pardo was appointed as team manager,[1] while former Pepsi and Sunkist coach Derrick Pumaren is the new head coach of the team beginning the league's 25th season, Pumaren replaces Chito Narvasa on the Purefoods bench. Pardo will stay as manager until 2005 to be the full-time governor of the team.
Seven games into the All-Filipino Cup eliminations, Purefoods' direct-hire recruit, Fil-American Alvarado Segova played his first game against Barangay Ginebra Kings.[2] Segova didn't last long in the league and was soon deported after being found out to be a fake Filipino.