PBAPC Awards draws corporate support

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps (PBAPC) Awards will have as major sponsors Smart Sports, San Miguel Corporation and Alaska Milk that will take place on Sept. 29 at the Sapphire Room of the Gateway Shopping Complex in Cubao, Quezon City.

The PBA scribes will give plaques for the Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year trophy, the Danny Floro Executive of the Year, Defensive Player, Comeback Player, Mr. Quality Minutes, All-Rookie Team and Referee of the Year.

Two recipients of the Raffy Japa Presidential Award will share the spotlight with the winners, and a short audio-visual presentation for the late Willie Caballes, the Manila Bulletin assistant sports editor and former PBAPC president who passed away last April, is in the program.

Hosting the annual awards are veteran sports broadcasters Quinito Henson, Ed Picson and Patricia Bermundez-Hizon. Also backing the event are PBA, Solar Sports, Accel Sports Wear, Coca-Cola and the Araneta Center.

Last year, after Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng wiped out two scheduled affairs, the Awards was finally held at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City with Chot Reyes of Talk ‘N Text getting the Baby Dalupan trophy and San Miguel Corporation chief executive former Amb. Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco chosen Executive of the Year.

Ginebra executive Henry Cojuangco, now a Tarlac congressman, accepted the award for his elder brother.

Others feted were Wynne Arboleda, Jason Castro, Mike Cortez, Arwind Santos, Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, Jared Dillinger, Sol Mercado, Bonbon Custodio, Larry Rodriguez and Throngy Aldaba.

Santos, winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2008, ended up tied with Alapag as Order of Merit winners in PBAPC’s Player of the Week program.

They won the Player of the Week honors thrice each and, thus, shared the trophy.

Arboleda was the Best Defensive Player for the second time in the last three years, Castro was Mr. Quality Minutes, Cortez was the Comeback Player of the Year and Aldaba the Referee of the Year. Norwood, Dillinger, Mercado, Custodio and Rodriguez comprised the All-Rookie Team.

The event, which will honor PBA personalities who excelled during the previous PBA season, will start at 7:30 p.m.