We play, we care!

A cause-oriented basketball league is bringing together players from 10 to 50 years old to compete in a friendly atmosphere where six specific advocacies are championed as a bonus.

Last year, the Burlington-Philippine Advocacy League (B-PAL) was launched on an experimental basis to unite the cage community in a worthy undertaking with a catchy slogan of "we play, we care!"

B-PAL executive director Teddy Perena thought of basketball as a means to an end because the league was primarily conceived as an instrument to promote the six advocacies of anti-drug, local tourism, oral health, anti-piracy, environmental conservation and child protection.

Surely, no one will fault Perena for exploiting the game’s popularity to benefit the six advocacies. After all, B-PAL is about basketball for a cause as a league with a mission.

Perena envisions a one-of-a-kind basketball tournament that runs from July to February with 36 teams competing in 24 venues for six titles and a general championship.

In an ambitious blueprint, the regular season is set to kick off in July with the Corporate Cup for company employees. Then, in August, there is the Children’s Cup for elementary students. In October, it’s the City Cup for high school students representing cities and towns. In November, the Club Cup will be held with players wearing the colors of associations and clubs. In January, the College Cup will assemble players from colleges and universities. Finally, in February, the Community Cup will cap the season with a competition among villages, subdivisions and barangays.

It won’t be easy organizing the six Cups but Perena is confident with support for the advocacies, the project is doable.

"Participation is by invitation," says Perena. "One game a week will be televised on a same-day delayed basis. We’re hoping for extensive publicity in print, radio, TV and the internet. School gyms will host each playing day. Booths will be set up to promote the six advocacies the day before a game and the day of the game. A fiesta atmosphere will prevail during the two days as side contests, events and product samplings for commercial sponsors will be arranged."

Perena explains that every Cup will feature only six teams, each supporting an advocacy. With six Cups in a regular season, he is on the lookout for 36 teams. Points will be awarded to each team or advocacy in a Cup and after the six tournaments, a general champion will be proclaimed.

"The whole idea is to provide the six advocacies the exposure they deserve in media, schools, communities, companies and associations," says Perena. "It’s an opportunity for the basketball community to get together with the government and NGOs in a socio-civic project."

At the same time, Perena says players from 10 to 50 will be given a chance to showcase their skills.

As a teaser, B-PAL organized an invitational tournament last Sept. 23-Dec. 2 with former PBA cager Fritz Gaston as commissioner and coach Bong Go as his deputy. Perena served as executive director and Bob Novales, associate director. The venue was the San Andres Gym with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and his son Ali, chairman of the Manila Sports Council, as hosts.

There were two divisions in the invitationals – Pilipinas Kong Mahal made up of Wilcon Builders Supply, Burlington Bio-Fresh, Skynet Travel, GNC, Office of the Solicitor General and Standard Chartered Bank and Bantay-Bata comprising Wilcon Builders Depot, The Philippine STAR, CKP 168, Wangs, PBA Press Corps and MB Hotshots.

Wilcon won the Pilipinas Kong Mahal title while CKP 168, the Bantay Bata championship.

As added attractions, B-PAL conducted a cheering competition with CKP 168 bagging top honors and a women’s free throw shooting contest with GNC taking the Pilipinas Kong Mahal title and Wilcon the Bantay Bata crown.

After the tournament, organizers named the mythical fives of both divisions. Ver Roque (Star), Manny Mendoza (MB), Derrick Hubalde (CKP), Ronnie Zagala (CKP) and Rodel Mallari (MB) made it to the Bantay Bata first team while Jonathan Tarronas (Skynet), Gian Fernandez (OSG), Paul Dizon (GNC), Marlon Manas (Wilcon) and Terry Torio (Wilcon) were cited in the Pilipinas Kong Mahal division.

Perena is now recruiting teams and players to participate in B-PAL’s first regular season. Interested parties may contact him at 894-3576 or 0918-9217160. Playing for a cause has never been as enjoyable. B-PAL deserves credit for introducing something meaningful to playing the game.