Men of the moment

With the PBA second conference starting in the third or fourth week of this month, commissioner Willie Marcial couldn’t be more excited in welcoming back imports and thanking government officials for their support in rolling out the games. It hasn’t been easy navigating the route laid out by IATF in reopening the PBA with strict safety and health protocols. But since the pandemic broke out, the league has successfully staged two conferences with the first a bubble set-up in Clark and the second a semi-bubble initially at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig and later at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym in Bacolor.

IATF’s declaration of quarantine levels determines where teams may practice and the extent of their workouts whether individual non-contact or full-contact scrimmages. Now, alert levels are the guiding posts. If NCR Plus is placed under a relaxed alert level two, there’s a chance the second conference will be held back at Ynares and maybe with a limited audience. It will all depend on IATF and what protocols to impose, depending on the alert levels.

Marcial said the assistance of Sen. Francis Tolentino, MMDA chairman Benhur Abalos, MMDA general manager Jose Garcia, DFA secretary Teddyboy Locsin, DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay, GAB chairman Baham Mitra, deputy chief implementor of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19 Vince Dizon and former Rizal governor Jun Ynares has been invaluable in getting the PBA wheels moving. But he made special mention of two men whose unconditional support has been instrumental in jumpstarting the PBA’s return – Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Sen. Bong Go, both basketball enthusiasts.

Medialdea was recently the guest of honor and speaker during PhilPost’s unveiling of the Robert Jaworski “Living Legend” stamp series. In his remarks, Medialdea said as a member of Barangay Ginebra, he shares the never-say-die spirit espoused by The Big J. “I remember so vividly how astonishing and heart-stopping were the passes and plays of Jawo,” he said. “The first time I saw him play, it was nearby the Letran gym. Bata pa ako noon. Tinambakan niya ang team namin at napakasakit. Lahat ng payat na player namin pinagsasagasaan niya. The second time I saw him play was at the Rizal Coliseum in a game between UE and UST. Wala naman rumble pero magmula sa umpisa hanggang dulo, nagtitirahan sina Jawo at Danny Florencio. To this day, I remain in awe of Jawo, ang mga galaw niya sa loob ng court. He influenced millions of Filipinos to love the game. Siya ang dahilan kung bakit hanggang ngayon, sabik na sabik pa tayong lahat manood ng basketball. His brand of play was ahead of his time. I witnessed his magic on the court, his tenacity and greatness that inspire generations of Filipinos. I hope our kababayan will embody Jawo’s skills and resilience in every challenge they face.”

In a light moment, Medialdea said lately, “papilay-pilay ako at ako lang ang basketball player na hindi sumikat kasi sira na ang tuhod ko.” He also mentioned PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez as one of his basketball idols. Marcial said Medialdea has assured the league that as a PBA fan, he’ll always do his best in helping out in any way.

Go was a regular on commissioner’s row during PBA games whenever he found time in his schedule to watch the action. He’s not just a fan but also a competitive player who knows the game well. Go joined the three-point shootout during the 2018 PBA All-Star Week and the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup. He even played a season with the Muntinlupa Cagers in the MPBL. As chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, Go has played a vital role in backing Filipino athletes. He pushed for additional allowances and incentives for Filipino athletes who competed in the recent Tokyo Olympics, provided aid to athletes affected by the pandemic through DSWD, GAB and PSC and backed the establishment of the Philippine Sports Training Center and the National Academy of Sports. Beyond sports, he has moved for the passage of 13 measures to expand the capacities and upgrade the capabilities of various public hospitals and authored the Malasakit Centers Act which aims to make all existing government medical assistance programs more accessible by putting the concerned agencies under one roof.

“Without Sen. Bong and Executive Secretary Medialdea, we wouldn’t have been able to restart the PBA for the fans,” said Marcial. “Malaking pasasalamat ng PBA sa kanila at sa lahat ng mga tumulong at tumutulong sa ating liga.”