MVP, Gilas to grace PSSBC cage rites

MANILA, Philippines - Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan has been invited as special guest in the third Philippine Secondary School Basketball Championship (PSSBC) Ironcon Builders Cup which unwraps Saturday at the Chiang Kai Shek College gym in Tondo, Manila.

Aside from Pangilinan, who chairs PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc., others expected to grace the opening rites are PBA chairman Pato Gregorio, Ricky Vargas of Talk ’N Text and SBP executive director Sonny Barrios.

The opening, which starts at 12 noon, will also feature the Gilas Pilipinas team, led by coach Chot Reyes and Jimmy Alapag, which will receive the P1 million bonus from three PSSBC Governors – Hapee Toothpaste’s Dr. Cecilio Pedro, Blackwater-Ever Bilena’s Dioceldo Sy and Freego’s Eduard Tio – for their inspiring performance in the FIBA World Cup in Spain recently.

“It is with great pride that we welcome Mr. Pangilinan, he’s the one who encouraged us to bond together and to put up this tournament,” said PSSBC chairman Jimi Lim. “Like Mr. Pangilinan, our main thrust is to help these players achieve their goals not only to become collegiate stars but also to become Gilas players someday.”

“We have at least 10 players who can be tapped as possible members of Gilas Cadet training pool and a number of promising players since some of them are barely 15 years old,” added Sy.

With the support of other Fil-Chinese businessmen, including Rain or Shine’s Terry Que, Dickies Underwear’s Rudy Yu, Jumbo Plastic Linoleum’s Jimmy dela Cruz and MEC Computers’ Leoncio Chua, the league has become a major event among high school players based on the response of the various teams.