MVP willing to help fund teams bound for SEAG

MANILA, Philippines - Manny V. Pangilinan is coming to the rescue of the cash-strapped Philippine contingent seeing action in the 26th Southeast Asian Games slated Nov. 11-25 in Palembang and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Pangilinan said he is ready to sit down with Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr. to discuss the possibility of helping fund some of the teams competing in the biennial meet.

“We’re trying to work out a mutually acceptable schedule, yes,” said Pangilinan during the recent launching of the Meralco Sparks alongside newly signed Azkals stars Phil and James Younghusband.

MVP is currently supporting eight sports through the MVP Sports Foundation – basketball, boxing, taekwondo, badminton, tennis, baseball, cycling, running and football.

MVP’s support is a shot in the arm to the country’s campaign since the Philippine Sports Commision has allotted only P30 million for actual participation and the amount is certainly not enough.

The lack of budget, in fact, forced the POC to downsize the Indonesia-bound Phl team from an original 650 to just 420 and there are expectations the sports body will trim down some more.

There were reports MVP is supporting basketball, boxing, taekwondo and badminton.

The basketball team will be composed of the country’s top collegiate players and some from Smart Gilas Pilipinas and coached by Norman Black.

“It’s a welcome development,” said PSC chair Richie Garcia. “That’s why this early, we would like to thank Mr. Pangilinan. We’ve always been thankful, especially in these times where we have very limited budget.”

Pangilinan has supported sports with potentials of making it to the Olympics and snaring the country’s first ever gold medal in the quadrennial meet.

Under the aegis of the MVP Sports Foundation Inc., a group of companies chaired by Pangilinan assisted the grassroots development and elite programs of eight national sports associations under the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Through the MVPSF a stellar NBA cast headed by Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul, descended on the Smart Araneta Coliseum last July to showcase their magic before tens of thousands of mesmerized fans who packed the Big Dome like never before since the Crispa-Toyota era.