The PBA board of governors, in a meeting Monday night, unanimously approved the request made by national coach Aric del Rosario through league commissioner Noli Eala.
The RP team is added in the cast composed of the top six teams in the All-Filipino Cup plus one club team each from Japan and South Korea. The Japanese have confirmed their participation in the tourney which will stake $20,000 for an international team which will win the championship.
On the entry of the Nationals, the tourney will now have nine teams divided into two groups with one having five teams and the other four. They play a single round robin with the top two teams from each group advancing to the cross-over semifinals.
The Nationals’ participation is limited only in the elimination round but their games will have bearings on the win-loss records of the eight other teams.
"This development will surely boost our bid to retain the SEA Games crown and help us improve our showing in the ABC men’s championship," said Del Rosario.
"Hindi lang tayo matutulungan mabatak ng mga PBA teams, makaka-experience pa tayo ng laban against a Japanese ballclub and a Korean team," the veteran mentor added.
Del Rosario said he intends to make another cut in the national pool in the second week of April after showcasing their wares in a series of exhibition games against PBL teams.
At the moment, Del Rosario still has 22 players in the pool. The national hopefuls are pointguards Celino Cruz, Paul Artadi, Dennis Madrid and Loreto Soriano, wingmen James Yap, Emerson Oreta, Cyrus Baguio, Mike Bravo, Jamaal Vizcarra and Don Villamin, forwards Wesley Gonzales, Rich Alvarez, Nino Canaleta and big men Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Alwyn Espiritu, Al Magpayo, Mark Isip, Bernzon Franco and Gerard Jones.
Training earnestly since December last year, the Nationals’ first assignment is to defend the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) crown right here in Manila on May 5-10.
They make a return stint in the ABC men’s championship in China in September before gunning for another title-repeat in the SEA Games in Vietnam in December. The Philippines was banned from playing in the last ABC championship because of the leadership crisis that hit the Basketball Association of the Philippines.
"Ang ganda ng timing ng PBA Invitational. Pagkatapos ng stint namin doon, pa-peak na kami in time for the ABC championship," said Del Rosario, who is assisted by coaches Boyzie Zamar and Dong Vergeire – both veterans of the SEABA and SEAG wars.
Del Rosario said he is forming a team which can run and shoot from the outside.
Tipped to be shoo-ins in the team are Artadi, Yap, Baguio, Gonzales, Alvarez, De Ocampo and Pingris.
The Philippines ruled the last SEABA and SEAG with a team bannered by then MBA stars Romel Adducul, Christian Calaguio, John Ferriols, Eddie Laure, Ercito Victolero, Omanzie Rodriguez and Vince Hizon under Zamar. The Nationals swept their rivals in both tourneys.