PCBL Board approves Cebu inaugural games

CEBU, Philippines - The Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League has approved during its Board meeting the other day the holding of PCBL inaugural games in Cebu on October 21-24 either at the Cebu Coliseum or at the Minglanilla Sports Complex.

PCBL is a commercial amateur basketball tournament that caters to the development and grassroots program for aspiring Filipino cagers.

"Yes, the PCBL inaugural games in Cebu is already a go," said PCBL chairman Buddy Encarnado in an interview over the phone. "It's just a matter of who are the teams participating. That's what we are working on right now."

Encarnado said the plan is to bring at least four teams in this side of the country to play bearing games that will formally kick off the league's 3rd Conference.

"We give all teams a fair deal so that no one will be left out. That is the reason why we are determining the companies that are willing to come to Cebu. If ever the number exceeds four, then we will raffle it off to ensure parity,"said Encarnado.

Encarnado said bringing PCBL outside of Metro Manila is only their first step to make PCBL a nationwide league with expansion arms in Cebu, Leyte and in other areas of Mindanao.

The former PBA top executive representing the Sta. Lucia Realtors added that part of their noble motivation to develop homegrown talents and eventually produce national team players from the provinces.

"Giving players from the countryside a yeoman's chance to get something out of playing hoops is really the direction that the PCBL wants to take. As for me, it's some sort of an advocacy," said Encarnado.

"Hopefully sometime next year as early as January, we have to create PCBL Cebu and perhaps in Leyte then revive PCBL Davao by that time," he added.  "If things go well, we have a national PCBL in the future."

With regards to the television coverage of the forthcoming Cebu action, Encarnado said the worst case scenario is that they will just tape the games then broadcast it on a later date over TV5, of which the PCBL has a contract until December 31, 2016. (FREEMAN)