Ex-PBA cagers tapped for four SMC teams

San Miguel Corp. completely overhauled yesterday the composition of its management staff in all its four teams in the Philippine Basketball Association, tapping one former player to sit on the league board of governors and four others to assume managerial positions.

Ely Capacio was appointed San Miguel Beer’s representative to the PBA board while Chito Loyzaga, Eric Altamirano, Ed Cordero and Hector Calma are team managers of San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods and Coca-Cola, respectively.

Rene Pardo was promoted from team manager to governor at Purefoods while Arnold Africa and Hector Guballa were named new governors of Ginebra and Coca-Cola, respectively.

There was no statement from the SMC management but sources said the revamp was made to pave the way for probably much smoother operation in the front offices of the four ball clubs.

The previous officers were said to be overloaded with work as they are also attending to their respective jobs at SMC.

Incidentally, SMC also tapped a former player in Peter Martin to sit as team manager of Viva Mineral Water in the PBL.

Before his appointment as San Miguel board representative, Capacio, 48, was alternate board representative at Purefoods. He played seven seasons in the league from 1979 to 1985 with Tanduay and Purefoods.

Altamirano, 37, meanwhile, was chief officer of the San Miguel Beer Touring All Stars before being tasked to handle the Ginebra operations. He played six seasons from 1989 to 1994 with Alaska Milk, Pepsi Cola and Shell and was a winning coach with Purefoods in the 1997 All-Filipino and with Mobiline in the 1998 Centennial Cup.

Loyzaga, Calma and Cordero suited up for the SMB All Stars together with other ex-pros including Samboy Lim, Benjie Paras, Ato Agustin, Pido Jarencio, Bonel Balingit and Zaldy Realubit among others.

Managerial job is nothing new to Loyzaga who even held the commissionership at the MBA before its demise. Loyzaga, 45, was team captain at Ginebra for a long time under coach Robert Jaworski.

Calma, 43, also used to be a team skipper at San Miguel where he spent all his nine years of pro career.

Cordero, 44, played nine years in the PBA with Toyota, Manila Beer, Tanduay, Shell and Alaska. He was among Ramon Fernandez’s deputies during his stint as MBA commissioner.