Pencil ni Duncil gives poor kids fresh hope

Kettle Korn-UST’s Jojo Duncil has been a Most Valuable Player inside the basketball court. Outside it, the prolific guard is also starting to be one.

Duncil, the 2006 UAAP Finals MVP who led the Tigers to their first title in a decade this season, launched "Pencil ni Duncil," a special project aimed at helping public school students become more aware of the importance of education.

The project was launched last Dec. 19 at the Segundo Esquerra Memorial Elementary School in Dampol, Pulilan, Bulacan where almost thousands of students received pencils and calendars from Duncil.

Supported by Accel and Burlington Socks, Duncil, who is slowly but surely starting to carve out a name in the Philippine Basketball League, also gave some inspirational messages that emphasized the importance of staying in school.

"It’s his (Duncil) own little way of returning what small blessings he now receives," said Teddy Perena of TEAM, the managing firm that is handling Duncil.

"He made a lot of kids happy. Their principal Jose Talucod, in fact, was very thankful that his school became the first beneficiary of the project," he added.

Perena said the next leg of the project will probably be held next year in Apalit, Pampanga where Duncil was born, raised and started playing basketball.

"The plan is for Jojo to visit his hometown Apalit, Pampanga next, maybe hold it right on his birthday, Jan. 13," said Perena.

Duncil, who debuted in the PBL for the TeleTech Titans early this year, has been performing creditably well, ranking 17th in the MVP statistical race with an efficiency rating score of 11.29 points.

Duncil has averaged a league second-best 16.29 points for the Corn Poppers, next only to current scoring leader and 2006 UAAP MVP Ken Bono of the Cebuana Lhuillier-Pera Padala Moneymen, who has a norm of 17 points.

Aside from that, he has averages of 1.4 steals (10th), 3.57 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his first seven games with Kettle Korn-UST.

And although the Corn Poppers have yet to win a single game after seven matches in the PBL Silver Cup, Duncil has won the hearts of others, specifically the kids in Pulilan, Bulacan.