Alvarez: Charter change key to stronger PBA

TIANJIN – Burger King’s Lito Alvarez, the newly elected chairman of the PBA board of governors, yesterday said he would pursue a move for a change in the PBA charter to make the league stronger and more entertaining to Filipino basketball fans.

Quantifying all their expenditures for a season, Alvarez and the other governors figured the league is holding a P1.2 billion extravaganza for basketball-loving Filipinos, in particular, and the nation, in general, in a year.

In their planning session here over the weekend, Alvarez shared his ideas geared towards generating more revenues that could help recoup the ballclubs’ huge expenditures.

“No. 1 in my priority list is to introduce changes in our constitution. I think it’s about time to revisit the PBA charter. In doing so, we might be able to change the concept of the league from an organization to a corporation. Just by changing the concept, we would strengthen the league,” said Alvarez.

“If we don’t change it, we won’t get significant increase in our income. Making it a corporation would generate more revenue streams for the league. In doing that, we can pursue having our own coliseum which would give us income in venue rentals, titling rights, parking, stall leases and others,” Alvarez added. “PBA is PBA. It’s easy to sell. We have to maximize it.”

Alvarez has formally assumed the league chairmanship from Alaska’s Joaqui Trillo. He presided over the meeting attended by Purefoods’ Rene Pardo, Rain or Shine’s Atty. Mert Mondragon, Sta. Lucia’s Buddy Encarnado, Ginebra’s Robert Non, San Miguel’s Ely Capacio, Coca-Cola’s JB Baylon, Barako Bull’s Tony Chua and Smart Gilas’ Patrick Gregorio, representing Talk n Text’s Ricky Vargas.

Alvarez also wants an amendment in the PBA charter allowing “brand alliances.” He mentioned teams in football major leagues carrying brand names as Emirates, Samsung, Sony-Ericsson and Ziemen among others.

“If all the teams would be open to this, I really believe teams can already be self-liquidating. Even high-budgeted teams would recoup a lot. Their expenditures could go down to P5 million to P10 million a year. Convert that in terms of advertising, it’s very cheap in exchange to what you’d get in TV and print exposure,” Alvarez said.

Change in format (back to three conferences a season), a one-game-a-day schedule, a developmental league and a women’s league are among the other things in Alvarez’s mind.

The board has approved financial budgets for the year but set another meeting in Manila to tackle the new chairman’s proposals.

Discussion on Smart Gilas’ proposal to team up with Barako Bull at least in the coming All-Filipino tourney was deferred for another meeting.     – Nelson Beltran