Thanks for the memories

“It had come a long way from the independent four-man news-gathering operation it started in late 1986, composed of Frank Evangelista, newcomer Alan Jao, cameraman Rey Teodoro, and this writer. All ABS-CBN Sports was back then was daily sports news (sometimes bumped off from prime time on heavy news days) and a weekly magazine program, “Sportsweek.” That small unit was the only broadcast team to cover the 1989 Southeast Asian Games, and was hailed by SCOOP as its Broadcast Sports News Agency of the Year. It had since grown into the busiest sports event coverage unit in the country, where yours truly spent much of 24 years with the network – on and off – since 1986. How things change over time.” – “The Game of my Life,” The Philippine STAR, July 13, 2020.

When I first auditioned for ABS-CBN in mid-1986, they had just been open for a few weeks, operating out of the Benpres building above the Lopez Museum. They asked me if I understood sports. I was 21 and had been an athlete since I was five. They asked me to read the sports page to them, telling me that they already had a complete roster of newscasters for both channel 2 and dzMM, which was already broadcasting down the hall.

This started a persistent battle to get sports on the air. Aside from my various beats, I sneaked in sports stories almost daily. The network still had no vehicles, so we drove our own cars. My crusty old cameraman Rey Teodoro drove a paintless Toyota Crown Deluxe which was older than I was. I had a miniscule secondhand two-door 1978 Mitsubishi Lancer. We logged 100 kilometers a day on weekdays, 150 a day on weekends. We loved it.

One of our first live event coverage was a Tacy Macalos title fight. It was my first time to get splattered with blood and sweat at ringside, an awakening of sorts as to the hazards of the job. In the interim, I had been finding ways to get sports on the news while covering the Senate, Congress, the police and military, even Malacañang. My only sure outlet was the daily morning show, “Good Morning Philippines,” which later became “Magandang Umaga.” I stood shoulder to shoulder with colleagues who became brand names in broadcasting and various fields. I wrote, produced, edited, memorized and read the sports news Mondays through Fridays.

In 1989, our little sports team was sponsored by Project: Gintong Alay, the predecessor of the Philippine Sports Commission, to the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur. We were the only Philippine broadcast team there, and revealed the rampant cheating in basketball, tennis, karate and other sports. For this, Gintong Alay project director Bong Ilagan gave ABS-CBN Sports its first-ever citation.

This writer was also covering sports leagues that did not have a television audience. Some still don’t. Rey Teodoro and I sustained ourselves on a diet of the PBA, PABL, bowling, darts, billiards and motocross. The NCAA had no coverage, or even a crowd, so everyone missed an epic 1989 finals series spotlighting the battle between little Eugene Quilban and San Sebastian and Bong Hawkins, Eric Quiday and Perpetual Help. Quilban scored 101 points in the three-game series. Then ABS-CBN acquired the UAAP. Louie Kuerulf had built the league back up to respectability through his Silverstar Productions, and when it had grown its audience, ABS-CBN made the schools a substantial offer. Alan Jao (Andy Jao’s youngest brother) and I got the rare chance to cover our alma maters, Ateneo and De La Salle.

In 1990, I left the network, looking to broaden my experience, spending almost three years among the giants of sports broadcasting, thanks to Bobong Velez and his Vintage Enterprises. I was invited back to ABS-CBN to do solo off-tube recording of the US Dream Team playing in the Tournament of the Americas in order to qualify for the Barcelona Olympics. Even in a career full of firsts, sitting alone in a darkened room describing this historic basketball event for the country was one of those I treasure the most. Those five games were one of the biggest thrills in my life.

So much happened in that span. I had two children, became jobless, and my house burned down. After directing Dong Puno, Rey Langit and Mon Tulfo on a daily current affairs show entitled “Action 9,” I was invited back to ABS-CBN to direct “Balitang K” for the next four years by my contemporary and kumare Korina Sanchez. While there, this writer created “Knockout,” the first-ever stepladder boxing tournament for professionals. This also introduced the television audience to the wit and wisdom of Atty. Ed Tolentino. We covered much of Luzon discovering a generation of quality pugilists.

Then came the Metropolitan Basketball Association.

Originally envisioned as content for the Regional Network Group when ABS-CBN bid for the PBA in 1998, it became the center of attention when the bid was not accepted. The network placed hundreds of millions of pesos of merchandising muscle behind it. This was highlighted by a 100-day countdown (“Isang daang tulog na lang!”) It would change the course of basketball history in the Philippines, involving cities and provinces that had been neglected by the existing basketball infrastructure. The network also purchased two OB (outside broadcast) vans at great cost. One would circulate through Luzon, the other would traverse the islands of Visayas and Mindanao by land and sea. Two sets of commentators would travel to each venue for double-headers three times a week. We would have the priceless privilege of seeing our country like never before. The experience refreshed our spirits, gave us lifelong friends, and showed us what a wonderland of potential the Philippines is.

More on Monday.