These are Bacolod City of Butch Desini, Tarlac City (Bong Natividad), M. Lhuillier-Kwarta Padala (Michel Lhuillier), Cebuana Lhuillier (Danny Francisco), Forward Taguig (Mayor Freddie Tinga), Ozamiz-Shineway Ham Sausage (Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog), Spring Cooking Oil (Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla) and two teams from Pampanga managed by Allan Trinidad and Msgr. Edgardo Pangan.
Other teams invited to participate are Olongapo City of Mayor Kate Gordon and Secretary Richard Gordon, Virginia Foods of Felix Tiukinhoy and TPG Davao of Vito Orcullo.
According to NBL executive president Tac Padilla, the tourney will be televised from start to finish.
Final meeting in preparation for the national championship will be held at 12 noon on Friday at the Valle Verde Country Club.
Meanwhile, the Vis-Min leg of NBL’s first regional championship will kick off on March 19 at the Angel Medina gym in Ozamiz City.
Luzon leg titlist Ozamiz Shineway Ham Sausage, which finished with a 4-1 record, will meet its finals rival, Forward Taguig (4-1) in the main game at 7 p.m.
The other opening matches pit Spring (2-3) against Wang’s Ball Club (0-5) at 4 o’clock and Cebu’s M. Lhuillier (3-2) against UA-Pampanga (2-3) at 5:30.
For more details regarding the NBL national championship, contact NBL Secretariat (Cecille/Maripaz) at tel. No. 811-1374/75.