First-class arena awaits PBA in Palawan

Palawan lays out the red carpet for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as the brand-new P250 Million Puerto Princesa Coliseum welcomes San Miguel Beer and Sta. Lucia Realty in an All-Filipino Cup game on Saturday.

The 8,200-seat facility was three years in the making. Mayor Edward Hagedorn initiated the project in his previous term then construction stopped when he lost in a reelection bid. But after Hagedorn regained the position in a recall vote last year, work was resumed. Construction was coordinated by engineer Armando (Boy) Lustre.

Vic Eugenio of Universal Sports supplied the state-of-the-art Porter basketball goals, the Robbins maplewood flooring, and the four-sided Fair Play scoreboard hanging from the ceiling. All the equipment was installed in 30 days.

Eugenio told The Star yesterday Mayor Hagedorn plans to air-condition the building, install folding Hussey bleachers, and put up two Fair Play graphic message boards in applying the final touches to the project.

"It’s an outstanding stadium," said Eugenio. "The capacity is larger than the Ynares Center. There is a beautiful park in front of the stadium and Mayor Hagedorn has cleared the back for a parking lot, relocating the old cockpit. The general admission will be free to the public."

Eugenio said the coliseum is a showcase for Porter goals and Robbins flooring. Porter backboards and hoops, manufactured in Chicago, are found in 14 National Basketball Association (NBA) arenas, including the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indiana where the World Championships were held last year. Porter controls 52 percent of the total US market for basketball systems installations. Robbins courts, also made in the US, are used in 18 of the NBA’s 19 stadiums and in a slew of NCAA Division I schools like Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky, Louisiana State, Stanford, and Ohio State.

Universal Sports, which Eugenio owns, has distributed Porter products in the Philippines since 1991. Porter systems are used at the PhilSports Arena, Ynares Center, Makati Coliseum, Centro Escolar University in Bulacan, the General Santos City gym, San Sebastian College, Far Eastern University, the Cantada Sports Center in Bicutan, and the Brent School in Mamplasan, among others.

There are at least 15 Robbins floors in Philippine facilities, including the Araneta Coliseum.

"Our products are a little more expensive than competition because we don’t scrimp on materials and we do not compromise our quality," explained Eugenio. "Others are able to quote lower because they use less expensive wood. The result is after two years, the inferior flooring begins to warp. The value of a Robbins floor is it is treated to suit the humidity conditions of the Philippines. We use 1 1/2 inch wide maple strips to increase the life of the floor by at least 10 more years. In the long run, investing in a Robbins court will pay off."

Eugenio said a Robbins floor has no dead spots, is not slippery, and protects the players’ knees, joints, and ankles. Robbins, headquartered in Cincinnati, has been in the flooring business since 1922. It has manufacturing plants in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio.

Eugenio said he is in the process of installing Porter goals and Robbins flooring in 11 sites, including the Xavier University gym in Cagayan de Oro. He also provided ceiling mounted Porter goals at the San Isidro Catholic Seminary gym in Tarlac.

Another Porter showcase is the International School at the Fort where Eugenio installed 18 ceiling-mounted goals, 18 volleyball nets and nine badminton systems in three gyms.

Porter was founded in 1868 and initially manufactured pulleys, hardware, and hayloft equipment for barns. In 1905, the company redirected its focus to sports equipment. Today, at least 80 percent of Porter’s sales are basketball-related. Porter also produces equipment for soccer, tennis, badminton, volleyball, and lacrosse.