Spreading holiday cheer

The holiday season isn’t over and this Sunday, we’ll be awarding prizes to 20 winners of our Christmas Contest, called “Pasko Sa Enero” presented by PSC, at 10 a.m. right outside Starbucks in Molito, Alabang. Aside from the awarding, there will be a raffle with the grand prize a Molten leather basketball from SBP and the traditional open-house at Starbucks.

Over a thousand entries flooded our email with others coming through X-Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and The Philippine Star office on Sucat. The entries were from all over Metro Manila (Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, Manila, Las Piñas, Pasig, Marikina, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa) and Biñan, Calamba and Liliw, Laguna; Calumpit, Sta. Maria, San Jose del Monte and Malolos, Bulacan; Sta. Ignacia and Capas, Tarlac; Lipa City and Batangas City, Batangas; Calauag and Lucban, Quezon; Calasiao, Pangasinan; Sasmuan, Lubao and Guagua, Pampanga; Malita, Davao Occidental; Jordan, Guimaras; Ormoc, Leyte; San Mateo and Binangonan, Rizal; Balabac, Palawan; Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Gen. Trias and Imus, Cavite; Lucapon South, Zambales; Liloan, Cebu; Bacnotan, La Union; San Antonio, Nueva Ecija; Llorente, Eastern Samar; Balanga and Samal, Bataan; Numancia, Aklan and Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Each entry had answers to three questions and an essay on suggestions to make the PBA’s 50th anniversary especially memorable. The first question was tough: Who were the high school teammates on opposite sides in this season’s UAAP men’s basketball finals? JD Cagulangan and Joshua David were La Salle Greenhills teammates while Kevin Quiambao, Janjan Felicilda, Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres and Terrence Fortea were NU Bullpup teammates.

The second question was a breeze – 10 teams in the EASL this season. And the third question was easy, too – superfeatherweight or junior lightweight division where Flash Elorde reigned and where Mark Magsayo and Charly Suarez hoped to win the world boxing championship.

The essays were a good read and we’re forwarding the suggestions to PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro. One idea is to allow UAAP’s and other collegiate leagues’ foreign student athletes the privilege of applying for the PBA draft as locals. Another is to make a foreign guest team a permanent fixture in the Commissioner’s Cup and still another is to revive the two-import format with no height restrictions.

The 20 winners will be announced in this column tomorrow. From the cash that we raised (PSC, MVP, Alex Campbell, Hermie Esguerra, NorthPort, Terrafirma, NLEX, Marife Barrera, Danny Espiritu, TNT, Sen. Bong Go), we’re giving P20,000 for first prize, P10,000 for second, P5,000 for third and P2,000 each for the fourth to 20th prizes. We’re also donating cash to St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Parish in Alabang, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Muntinlupa, Casa Miani San Jose Orphanage in Alabang and St. Padre Pio National Shrine in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. We’re setting aside an amount for the Starbucks open-house. Many thanks to our other sponsors/donors POC president Mayor Bambol Tolentino, San Miguel Corp., MVP Group, Meralco, Magnolia, Rain or Shine, Blackwater, Phoenix, Blackwater, Converge, Sonak Corp., PBA, SBP, Rommie Chan and JoyRide Super Taxi Airport Hatid Service.