ILOCOS Norte’s offer to the PBA is not limited to hosting the pro league’s Philippine Cup.
According to Marvin Espiritu, PBA teams could even do their much-sought scrimmages in the province while waiting for the season to start.
“Kung gusto nilang mag-ensayo para lang makapagsimula na sila… baka sakaling mas payagan sila doon,” the long-time business partner and close friend of Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday.
“Baka doon mas madali silang makakuha ng approval na mag-5-on-5 habang naghihintay sila kung kailan ang laro.”
The proposal to host the PBA teams’ scrimmages came on top of Manotoc’s offer to have the season-opening tournament held at the Centennial Arena in the provincial capital of Laoag City.
The 5,000-seat venue is familiar ground to the PBA, having hosted the All-Star games in 2005 and 2012.
Espiritu first broached Manotoc’s idea to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and the idea took an official tone in the latter’s recent conversations with the youthful governor.
“Kausap ko si Gov. Matthew Manotoc last week at kahapon, ino-offer niya mag-host ng bubble sa Ilocos Norte,” Marcial related last Tuesday.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya, alam mo naman kaibigan natin si Gov. Matthew,” added Marcial. “Sinabi ko ‘yung mga kundisyon, kung papano. Sabi niya sige, sabi ko hintayin lang natin kung saan ang direksiyon ng governors.”
The offer would have to take the back seat for now as the PBA’s first priority is to have everybody inoculated and from there be allowed to do full-contact scrimmages and play the Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
The PBA had planned to play under a semi-bubble concept at the hilltop venue starting last Sunday, but that was put on hold when Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan and Cavite were put under ECQ starting March 29.
The quarantine level has since been eased to MECQ until the end of April, but even with the NCR Plus being placed under the more relaxed GCQ it would still not be enough for the teams to be allowed group practices, much less for the PBA season to start at Ynares.
Espiritu said the Ilocos Norte offer remains on the table.
“Just in case. Kumabaga, exploratory talks. Open si Matthew to the idea of hosting the PBA,” related Espiritu. “Nagkaroon ng talks na ganito kasi nga nakatiwangwang PBA natin.
Para matuloy lang, tumutulong kung ano maitutulong.”
