Homecourt away from home

People are the greatest export of the Philippines. Over the last few years, not only have we seen hundreds of thousand of Filipinos find employment and citizenship in diverse places as the Middle East, Australia and the United States in the usual fields of labor, but lately, nurses and medical transcriptionists.

A smaller group of Filipinos, unable to find employment in their own country, are also making a decent living as basketball-playing imports in other countries, particularly the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) which boasts of 10 teams, each fielding a Filipino import. The teams include local corporations and business entities such as ASPAC, Garuda Panasia, Satria Muda Britama, IM Panasonic, Bhinneka, CLS Good Day, Bima Sankti, Kalila, Angsapura and Citra Satria. Satria Muda Britama finally won its first IBL Tournament title last Sunday by beating juggernaut ASPAC in overtime, 81-75. ASPAC had swept last year’s tournament. Filipino players figured prominently in many key statistical categories throughout the tournament.

Indonesians are used to having Filipinos help them with the rudiments of the game. Two years ago, Talk ‘N Text assistant coach Bong Ramos finished a two-year tour of duty as head coach of the national team. Ramos also helped facilitate the recruitment of Filipinos there. Now, former RP Cebuana Lhuillier head coach Boycie Zamar has taken the reigns. Ex-pros and college standouts like Edwin Bacani, Gilbert Malabanan, Romar Menor, Bernard de Guia, Willy Mejia, Arnel Mañalac, Mike Garcia and Rensy Bajar have all suited up for Indonesian squads. The players are dispersed among the teams through a draft. According to the players who’ve seen action there, basketball is not second-nature to the Indonesians.

"We really have the advantage there, because their level of fundamentals isn’t as high as ours," explains forward Estong Ballesteros, who last suited up for Barangay Ginebra last season after recovering from a knee injury. Ballesteros was a Metropolitan Basketball Association Sixth Man awardee with the Pampanga Dragons. "They really treated us like imports. Management and players respect Filipino players, because they know what we can do on the court."

The tournaments generally run for three months, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs.

"The difference is the age," says IBL rookie import Rob Angeles. "Most of their players are just 20 to 25 year old. Their tall players can really shoot from the outside. The problem is their big men don’t really know how to move around the basket. But we were really warmly welcomed, and in return, we taught them how we play the game here in the Philippines."

"They started taking up the sport late, so we’re really advanced compared to them," says guard Noy Javier, the top scorer in the 2004 NCAA tournament for the University of Perpetual Help. "It was my first experience playing as an import. I would get homesick. It was my first trip away from home. There were times I wanted to come back, so I just concentrated on finishing up my contract."

The common sentiment among the imports is that, since it’s a short contract, our players just suck it up and count the days until they can return home. Like all OFWs, they generally miss friends and family, and the casual social atmosphere here, where they have many places to go to unwind after practices and games.

"I missed all my barkada here. I feel sad that I wasn’t given the chance to play in the PBA anymore," says 2006 IBL Best Import Mike Orquillas, who was the top scorer in the 1997 Southeast Asian Games before getting greatly diminished playing time with Barangay Ginebra. "I really want to play in the PBA again. But if they give us another chance to go back to Indonesia, I’ll go. I’ve learned to love my teammates there, and have a lot of friends."

"What I miss the most is the playing time here at home," adds Ballesteros, who spent a season and a half getting back in shape and hoping for playing time with the Gin Kings. "In Indonesia, you can really bring out your game. That’s what I miss the most, especially now that I’m not in the PBA.

All the players wished that economic circumstances didn’t force them to seek employment out of the country. But they really didn’t have much of a choice.

"I wish we could play here instead," Angeles adds. "At least, our countrymen would see how we play. But I guess it’s okay that we were able to help Indonesians learn the game also."

And with the trend of Southeast Asian countries naturalizing players to strengthen their teams in various sports, don’t be surprised if we soon start seeing Pinoys suiting up for our neighbors‚ national teams. Coaches are already doing it. Their home courts may be far away from home, after all.

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Limited slots are available for the second Iligan City Sports Commission basketball clinic for players 9 to 17 years old from April 24 to 27. Interested parents and players may call Ricardo Abellanosa through (063) 2237763 or 0917-7160060.