Sponsored by Caltex (Philippines) Inc., the tournament is in honor of the late editor-in-chief of the Manila Bulletin and first president of the Tennistars, a group of tennis-playing newsmen.
Dubbed as Tennistars vs Newsmakers, it is the third leg of the tennis circuit organized by the Tennistars. The first is the RCBC Cup and the second is the PNOC-sponsored Renato Constantino Cup.
Six ambassadors — Francis Ricciardone of the United States, Ruth Peace of Australia, Christian Krepela of Austria, Mohd Taufik Bin Modh Noor of Malaysia, Ignacio Sagaz of Spain and Herbert Jess of Germany — lead the Newsmakers team.
Also in the team are Supreme Court Justice Presby Velasco, RCBC executive vice president Jimmy Panganiban, Willie Ortiz, president of Sporteum, Cesar Tapia, president of the PNOC Shipping, Ed Villanueva and Angel Bautista of the Games and Amusements Boards, Atty. David "Bayaw" Alarcon, BIR Manila district officer and Caltex executives.
The Tennistars won the third RCBC Cup last March but the Newsmakers captured the 16th Constantino Cup last April. The series stands at 1-all.
Robert Mananquil, Tennistars president, said the fourth leg is the first Pat dela Paz Memorial Cup. To be sponsored by the PNOC Exploration Corp., it is in honor of the late Energy Secretary who worked at the PNOC before his appointment by then President Corazon Aquino.