'Amazing Race' spices up PBA All-Star events

MANILA, Philippines -  An intriguing version of the “Amazing Race” will be a special attraction in the “Hala Bola” PBA All-Star extravaganza in Boracay on May 18-23 with 10 pairs vying for honors in a race against time, it was disclosed by organizer Cre8 Events Asia president and CEO Carlo Quevada yesterday.

Cre8 bought the All-Star rights from the PBA and is set to launch the biggest mid-season affair since it was institutionalized in 1989. Another property that Cre8 recently acquired was Mutya Ng Pilipinas, a beauty pageant that advances winners to several international competitions, including Miss Asia-Pacific and Miss Asia Tourism.

Quevada, a PBA alternative governor as Rain Or Shine’s business development manager, said the All-Star version of the “Amazing Race” is called “Hala-bolan” featuring teams made up of a Mutya contestant or a showbiz celebrity and a PBA legend or player. So far, confirmed to participate in “Hala-bolan” on May 21 are legends Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic and Kenneth Duremdes.

“We’re negotiating at the moment to hold mini-versions of ‘Hala-bolan’ in various SM malls as a way to introduce the event to the fans,” said Quevada. “Since news came out that we’re staging ‘Hala-bolan,’ fans have been talking about it. I think it’s an exciting innovation that will draw a lot of attention.”

Quevada said the full schedule of activities for the All-Star event will be announced at a press conference on April 28. He mentioned that Salton Travel is the official booking agency offering discounted airplane fares and hotel rates with all-access passes to the different events, including the North-South All-Star Game at the 1,400-seat, fully air-conditioned Boracay Eco-Village Resort and Convention Center. The official All-Star hotels are the Alta Vista and Fairways Blue Water.

Quevada said on May 19, the PBA will visit nearby Carabao Island where the All-Stars are to engage in mangrove planting, coastal clean-up, fruit-bearing tree planting, basketball court painting and spreading goodwill to patients in a hospital.

“The visit will be historic,” said Quevada. “Imagine, PBA All-Stars dressed like pirates in a pump boat accompanied by Boracay Mayor John Yap leaving Puka Beach at 10 a.m. to be met halfway to Carabao Island in the middle of the sea by Carabao Island Mayor Phil Tandog, also in a pump boat. It will be a ceremonial endorsement of Mayor Yap to Mayor Tandog. Then, when the All-Stars invade Carabao Island, they will be met by 200 ‘baylehan’ dancers on the beach. Mayor Tandog will host a lunch in his home then the All-Stars go back to Puka Beach at about 2 p.m.”

Quevada said another innovation is the staging of the “Hug Of War,” one of three contests in the beach games scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on May 19. “The ‘Hug Of War’ is our proprietary event,” he said. “The global launch will be in Boracay. It’s like a tug-of-war except instead of a rope the participants will be hugging each other in a chain link. There will be 12 to a team. Each team will be composed of PBA players, Mutya contestants and local and foreign tourists. The ‘Hug Of War’ is sponsored by Suretite Super Glue whose slogan is ‘Todo dikit, hayop ang kapit.’ The two other beach games are a three-on-three volleyball and the ROS or Rain Or Shine sand castle making contest where the children of PBA players will participate.”

A fashion show featuring 15 PBA players and 15 Mutya beauties will cap the May 19 events from 8 to 10 p.m. with dinner to be served

Quevada said the extravaganza will be the biggest All-Star spectacle in PBA history. “It will be the Olympics, a jamboree and a campus fair all rolled into one,” he said. “It’s Crea8’s first project and we’re doing everything possible to make it a huge success.”

Quevada said a basketball clinic and a visit to an indigenous community of Atis are scheduled in the morning of May 20. Then, in the afternoon, the PBA players go to work at 5:30 p.m. with the All-Star Skills Challenge Events – the slam dunk competition, the three-point shootout and the obstacle challenge – and the Rookies versus Sophomores Blitz Game.

Four-time slam dunk king Niño Canaleta has begged off from this year’s joust to relish his “Hall of Fame” status, leaving the derby wide-open for the likes of Kelly Williams, Gabe Norwood, J. C. Intal and Rey Guevarra to shine. In the three-point shootout, defending titlist Mark Macapagal will try to fend off the likes of Dondon Hontiveros, Mac-Mac Cardona, James Yap and Jimmy Alapag. Defending Obstacle Challenge champion Jonas Villanueva will be back to take on three-time titleholder Willie Miller and Alapag.

On May 22, the All-Star Game is set at 5:30 p.m. The North will be coached by Ato Agustin whose starters are Mark Pingris, Mark Caguioa, Kerby Raymundo, Norwood and Miller. The South will be coached by Chot Reyes whose first-stringers are Yap, Eric Menk, Jay Washington, Williams and Cyrus Baguio.

Yap was the top vote-getter with 31,437 ballots. Collecting at least 20,000 votes were Menk, Washington, Pingris and Williams.