PBA has buddy at the helm

As the nation celebrates New Year today, the Philippine Basketball Association board of governors formally welcomes its new chairman in Manuel "Buddy" Encarnado.

The second longest serving governor in the current board, Encarnado, on his and his Sta. Lucia Realty team’s 12th season in the league, was finally prevailed upon to assume the league chairmanship, succeeding Casiano Cabalan Jr. of Barangay Ginebra.

"I never sought this position but in respect to the other members of the board, I have to take it. I can no longer let this pass. It’s my time to take the watch," said Encarnado.

"It’s a new challenge for me though I can safely say I’ve seen the transformation of basketball in the Philippines having been in the sport the last 22 years. But after assuming practically all the positions in basketball, it has made my basketball career complete," Encarnado added.

Now at the helm of the country’s premier cage league, Encarnado says his main thrust is to pursue the collective goals of the association while guaranteeing that the public interest remains in focus.

"The plan will have to be with the league. We’ve taken a big step towards a new direction and my plan is towards that, how to strengthen the board going through that direction we have chosen," he said.

"We have to champion the cause of basketball together, bring the best in professional basketball for our fans, without whom we’re nothing. This is our mission and we should not veer away from that mission to provide the best professional basketball entertainment," he added.

Encarnado said that in an informal talk with commissioner Noli Eala, he suggested that they further reach out to their fans by holding more out-of-town games.

He said: "We owe it to our fans. We have to find ways and means in bringing the excitement of the games in areas that don’t see actual games. Remember the reaction of the people when we made our very first visit in Zamboanga and Palawan?"

Encarnado is hopeful the PBA can reach new heights with a board "very cordial to one another and having developed friendship and understanding to make a collective effort to achieve a common goal."

"Imagine if we have 10 governors at odds with one another. But never mind even if we argue. Constructive criticisms would help propel the league to new heights especially in turbulent times just like where we are right now, in times when economics is not conducive to basketball," he said.

Talk about economics, and Encarnado surely knows where he speaks of being a marketing man outside of basketball. The 53-year-old marketing graduate from the University of the East is also vice president for corporate communications of Sta. Lucia Realty.

In fact, the Sumilang, Pasig native, who has three children (Tessa, 29, Dennis, 28, and Jonathan, 26) with wife Maria Elena, considers his entry into the basketball world merely accidental.

"I never intended to enter the sport full-time. We just had a group in Pasig which won several championships within the city. We became so successful na naisipan namin sumama sa isang meeting when we heard the formation of a big league which was the old PABL," Encarnado remembered.

"Everybody in the meeting was asked to put up P50,000 as seed money and not a single one declined. By force, I also had to agree although at that time P50,000 is P50,000 and it’s a lot of money. After that meeting, I got in touch with my kumpare Eddie Que and his wife Shirley Que. Nag-fifty-fifty kami," said Encarnado of the ESQ Marketing team which they formed for the PABL founding tourney in 1983.

"Then I realized we’re terribly outclassed in that league. Imagine playing the Arellano University team featuring Willie Pearson, Joey Loyzaga and Jojo Villapando and the Southern Textile Mills which was the NCC second team that time. There was a time we were high-fiving kasi we lost by only 12 points. It came to a point lumalabas kami sa likod ng (Rizal Memorial) coliseum sa hiya," Encarnado added.

But a fighter he’s ever been, Encarnado promised himself he would not leave the PABL (which later became PBL) without making up for the embarrassment he suffered in his early years in the league.

And he did more than make up as ESQ Marketing would later make a record run four straight championships. He would win three other titles with Sta. Lucia Realty and one with Otto Shoes.

At the same time, he would help shape up that premier amateur league to what it is today, serving for a long time as vice chairman of the league board then headed by RFM Corp. top honcho Joey Concepcion.

Little did he know he would also serve as team manager of the national men’s and youth teams in the late 80s to the early 90s. The high points of his stint as chief backer of the national squad included the Philippines’ conquests of the 1988 Asian inter-club and the 1991 Manila SEA Games.

Encarnado loves to remember that practically all professional stars in the 90s played under his care in the amateurs and the national teams. These included the group of Hector Calma, Allan Caidic, Adonis Tierra, Sonny Cabatu down to Alvin Patrimonio, Bong Alvarez, Nelson Asaytono, Ronnie Magsanoc, Eric Altamirano, Glen Capacio and down to Marlou Aquino, Jun Limpot, Vergel Meneses, Vic Pablo, Johnny Abarrientos and a lot, lot more.

No doubt, the man, who failed to make the grade even in inter-department basketball tournament in college, has gone a long, long way.

"I played high school basketball with the Pasig Catholic College. I thought of trying it out with the UE Warriors but when I saw Robert Jaworski, Billy Abarrientos, Rudolf Kutch, Ernie de Leon, Rudy Soriano, Epoy Alcantara in the gym, I just put down my bag and that’s the end of my playing career. Pinanood ko na lang sila," said Encarnado.

Nonetheless, Encarnado has also become a basketball star in his own right.

"Kakaiwas ko ng kakaiwas ko, isang taon at kalahati ang napunta sa akin," said Encarnado on the term he’ll be serving as PBA board chair. The league will be under his watch as it holds the transition tournament from February to May 2004 and the transition season from October 2004 to May 2005.

Not a few believe the league is in good hands during that period.