Paner to join PBA legends tour in US

Manny Paner, once the PBA’s highest-salaried player, said yesterday he will join the seniors tour in the US in March after receiving a written invitation from Abe King to play four games organized by the Washington-based non-profit organization PBA Legends USA Foundation.

King, the Foundation’s chairman and president, offered Paner a free round-trip ticket from Manila to San Francisco and back, hotel accommodations, food and interstate travel. His letter to Paner was dated last Jan. 19.

Paner, 58, works in the Bureau of Immigration where he has been employed the last five years. A PBA pioneer, he played in 12 seasons from 1975 to 1986, averaging 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 473 total games.

In King’s letter to Paner, he identified 19 players flying in from Manila to play games on March 8 in San Francisco, March 9 in Sacramento, March 15 in Los Angeles and March 16 in San Diego.

The players from Manila are Robert Jaworski, Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio, Samboy Lim, Philip Cezar, Jojo Lastimosa, Ramon Fernandez, Manny Victorino, Hector Calma, Dindo Pumaren, Vergel Meneses, Gerry Esplana, Bogs Adornado, Atoy Co, Dwight Lago, Art de la Cruz, Sonny Cabatu and Ronnie Magsanoc.

The timing for the tour is not in conflict with the PBA schedule. If the semifinals and finals of the Philippine Cup go the full route, the last game will be on Feb. 27. The next conference begins March 23. Manila legends who are involved in the semifinals are Patrimonio (team manager) and Magsanoc (assistant coach) of Purefoods and Lastimosa (assistant coach) of Alaska. Caidic, Lim, Calma and de la Cruz are also active in the PBA as managers or assistant coaches but their teams failed to qualify for the semis.

King said PBA veterans now living in the US will also see action in the tour. He named Yoyoy Villamin, Bernie Fabiosa, Marte Saldana, Noni Robles, Ricardo Brown, Peter Aguilar, Django Rivera, Chris Bade and Rino Salazar among those in the US-based roster.

From King’s list, 10 players are at least 50 years old – Jaworski, 61, Paner, 58, Co, 56, Adornado, 56, Cezar, 55, Salazar, 55, Fernandez, 54, Fabiosa, 53, Brown, 50, and King, 50. Only three players are less than 40 – Bade, 38, Meneses, 39, and Lago, 39.

Ticket prices for each game are $20 advance and $25 gate for general admission and $40 advance and $45 gate for ringside.  Proceeds will be used to support the Foundation’s charitable and educational projects in the US and the Philippines.

King said the projects include scholarship grants in the high school and college levels, medical and dental missions for the poorest of the poor with volunteer Fil-Am doctors, basketball clinics in urban centers of depressed cities and assistance to former players in dire straits.

Donations to the Foundation may be deducted from taxes of individual and corporate donors in the US under tax-exempt privileges granted by the IRS, added King.

The purposes of the Foundation are to advance and propagate the principles of sportsmanship, particularly among the youth, under the leadership of PBA veterans, to provide coordination of services undertaken for the poor and underprivileged, to undertake community-based civic projects, social advancement and athletic programs and to provide for educational scholarships to needy and deserving students. 

King said the Foundation’s thrust is towards service-to-people in the US and the Philippines.

King said Paner’s participation in the games will be a big boost to the relationship between the US and the Philippines, acting as a vehicle to provide assistance to the poor and less-endowed people.

Aside from King, the other Foundation officers are vice president Rey Santos, secretary-treasurer Ruffy Ignacio, auditor Marte Saldana, membership director Noni Robles, regional program director Rino Salazar and press relations director Rolando Abilo.

Bade, 38, is the youngest in the group. He played 59 games in two seasons for Shell in 1994-95. The former San Sebastian star lives in Milpitas, outside San Francisco, and works at the Santa Clara Medical Center.