Simple but meaningful PBA opening rites

MANILA, Philippines - In an unprecedented launch, the PBA opens its 39th season tomorrow with a country-wide hook-up of the traditional parade of teams and muses from three different venues to signify the pro league is national in scope.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud said yesterday the opening rites will be simple and in keeping with tradition.  â€œWe will dedicate our simple opening rites to all of our kababayan who were affected by Yolanda,” said Salud.  â€œWe want them to know that they are in our prayers and that the PBA will continue to be of help to them in the long road to normalcy.  The ferocity of competition they will see on opening day will in no way be reflective of our lack of understanding of what truly matters in life and sympathy for those impacted.  Rather, it will be a showcase of the brave hearts of our players who all want to serve as inspiration to our countrymen at this time.”

PBA operations director Rickie Santos said the launch will be bare bones without the lavish trappings of extravagant production numbers.  The parade of teams and muses is a staple of every inaugural ceremony and will stay in the program as part of tradition.  Santos said PBA chairman Ramon Segismundo’s theme of “One PBA, One Philippines” is reflected in the simultaneous staging of opening day games in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Segismundo explained that “One PBA” is about democratization and league expansion while “One Philippines” is the synergy between the PBA and Gilas and the FIBA World Cup campaign in Spain next year.  The league slogan of ‘Kampihan Na’ will continue but will be resonated to the next level with a wider reach through TV5 and the emphasis that the PBA is truly a national league with a heart for all Filipinos.  

The TV5 coverage will begin at 1 p.m. tomorrow with the launch highlighted by the parade of teams and muses from 2 to 3 p.m.  Cebu will start the parade with Meralco and Talk ‘N’ Text then Davao with Alaska and Rain Or Shine and finally, Manila with the rest of the teams.  TV5 will air the Barangay Ginebra-San Mig Coffee game live at 3 p.m. from the Smart Araneta Coliseum while the Meralco-Talk ‘N’ Text encounter will be shown on Aksyon TV live, also at 3 p.m.  The Davao match will be telecast live on TV5 starting at 5 p.m. The Meralco-Talk ‘N’ Text game will be replayed on TV5 after the showing of the Davao contest.

An all-star entertainment show bannered by TV5 performers will fill up the time from the 2 p.m. parade of teams to the 5 p.m. tip-off of the Alaska-Rain Or Shine game at the University of Southeastern Philippines gym in Davao City.   The PBA and TV5 are teaming up to make sure fans are glued to their seats in the venue or homes watching TV from the start of the nationwide coverage until the end.

Teams are tight-lipped on who their muses are but the scuttlebutt is actress Marian Rivera will lead the Ginebra parade, TV5 “Never Say Goodbye” actress and Artista Academy winner Sophie Albert and Stephanie Rowe will appear for Meralco, GMA actress Lauren Young for Air 21, 5-7 volleyball star Gretchen Ho for Petron, Jessy Mendiola of “Maria Mercedes” telenovela fame for San Mig Coffee, TV5 actresses Chanel Morales and Danielle Lee for Talk ‘N’ Text, GMA telenovela actress Maxene Magalona for Globalport, Miss Earth 2012 Teresa Fajksova of the Czech Republic for Barako Bull, Mutya ng Binibining Pilipinas Koreen Andrea Medina for Rain or Shine and Mutya ng Davao Fila Guia Hidalgo for Alaska.

The season welcomes 22 rookies all of whom were picked from the first to the third rounds in the recent draft.  Globalport has the most freshmen with six while newly-crowned Governors Cup champion San Mig Coffee comes next with four.  The six Batang Pier rookies are R. R. Garcia, Terrence Romeo, Nico Salva, Justin Chua, LA Revilla and surprise recruit Jopher Custodio who was chosen in the third round from MLQU.  Custodio, however, is in the injured/reserve list.  The four Mixer newcomers are Justin Melton, Isaac Holstein, J. R. Cawaling and Ian Sangalang.  Other rookies in PBA rosters are Eric Camson of Air 21, Chris Exciminiano and Ryan Buenafe of Alaska, Jeric Fortuna and Carlo Lastimosa of Barako Bull, Greg Slaughter and James Forrester of Barangay Ginebra, Jeric Teng, Alex Nuyles and Raymond Almazan of Rain Or Shine and Eliud Poligrates and Robby Celiz of Talk ‘N’ Text.

Only Petron and Meralco are without rookies but the Bolts enlisted four veterans from other teams, namely, Kerby Raymundo, Gary David, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and A. J. Mandani.  Petron added veterans Chris Ross and Yousef Taha via offseason trades.  Other veterans with new teams are MacMac Cardona and Elmer Espiritu of Air 21, Leo Avenido of Alaska, Denok Miranda, Rob Labagala, Willie Miller, Mark Isip, Willy Wilson and Rico Maierhofer of Barako Bull, Bryan Faundo, Emman Monfort and Jay-R Reyes of Barangay Ginebra, Leo Najorda, Jewel Ponferada, Enrico Villanueva and Eric Menk of Globalport and Noy Baclao and Rob Reyes of Talk ‘N’ Text.   Kelly Williams returns to the Tropang Texters lineup after an eight-month layoff to focus on treatment of a blood disorder.  Williams’ comeback signals another remarkable recovery in his inspiring basketball journey.