And behind the giant placement ad is San Miguel Corp., the country’s biggest food and beverage conglomerate, which recently bared its plan to form two teams made up of ex-PBA players and use them as an effective marketing tool with social relevance.
The plan, which kicks off Monday afternoon with the holding of tryouts at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City, is part of a new, massive and ambitious sports program laid out by SMC, which already owns four of the 10 teams in the PBA, for the next two years.
"This is a new marketing strategy using basketball as a tool to promote the products that we produce. And this is to give an opportunity for former PBA players to earn a livelihood," said Jun Cabalan of SMC, also the current PBA chairman.
"The second objective is to promote youth development through sports. We will do this by conducting clinics for young players. On top of that we also would like to share the coaching skills," he added during a small gathering with PBA scribes Thursday.
Among those who’ve shown early interest in the program are former SMB superstars Samboy Lim, Hector Calma and Allan Caidic, now the head coach of Brgy. Ginebra. The two other PBA teams under the SMC umbrella are Purefoods and Coca-Cola.
Eric Altamirano, recently replaced as Purefoods coach by the youthful Ryan Gregorio, will be at the helm of the sports program with great help coming from Norman Black, the fine import and talented coach who has long considered the Philippines his home.
"The objective is to use name players to make it more appealing to the public. Besides, we just can’t turn a blind eye to good talents. If you want to know how strong these teams will be, the objective is that they cannot be beaten by any college team," Cabalan said.
The program, a brainchild of SMC president Ramon Ang, is limited to ex-PBA players with the older ones who can no longer play to be taken in as either referees or game officials.
Once formed, the teams will literally cross through the archipelago to hold exhibition matches against local teams, basketball and coaching clinics for the youth, and even sportswriting contests for elementary, high school and college students.
"In every place that the teams will go, we will invite schoolchildren to a sportswriting contest. And the piece they will write on is the game itself. Around 20 to 30 participants will be given special seats for a good view of the game," Cabalan added.
"The exhibition matches will be held in the barangays or barrios with one team probably in the south and the other in the north," added Ira Maniquis, team manager of Bgy. Ginebra.
The PBA teams under the SMC group will also be used in the program one way or another, especially in cases where one of them fails to advance to the quarterfinals or the semifinals of a particular conference.
Cabalan also announced a plan by the SMC group to formally retire the jersey numbers of Lim (9), Calma (14) and Caidic (8) this season, most probably during the match between San Miguel and Bry. Ginebra.
And that of Sen. Robert Jaworski?
"Well, considering the stature of the senator and all his contributions to the league itself that decision will not have to come from the team but the PBA as a whole. But of course, that should go with his permission," Cabalan said. – Abac Cordero