Danny to retire here

PBA legend Dancin’ Danny Florencio has lived in San Francisco for over 20 years but plans to retire in Marikina, his hometown, three years from now when he retires from his job as a hospital utility clerk and is assured a lifetime pension – in dollars, of course.

Florencio, 59, is one of 10 honorees to be inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in enshrinement rites at the Araneta Coliseum this afternoon. The ceremony will be held in between the Easter Sunday twinbill featuring Welcoat versus Purefoods in the first game and Red Bull versus Barangay Ginebra in the second.

The other Hall of Famers are San Miguel Corp. chairman Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., coaches Ron Jacobs and Dante Silverio, former league president Domingo Itchon, import Norman Black, two-time MVP Abet Guidaben, pioneer pro Manny Paner, writer Tony Siddayao and broadcaster Pinggoy Pengson.

Florencio’s bosom buddy and cousin Antonio Santos, 71, will stand in for the star with the acrobatic moves during the rites. His brother Edgardo or Ding, 73, will also attend.

Santos said he’s been Dancin’ Danny’s close friend since they were teammates in an inter-town basketball tournament when he was a rising star at UST. He became Florencio’s manager, adviser and chief backer.

"We’re both from Marikina and we played together in the inter-town except that I was much older than him," said Santos. "I saw him rise to stardom from being a junior player at Feati to UST to the PBA until his last team, Galerie Dominique, in 1983. Then, he decided to migrate to the US with his family."

Florencio, the youngest of four children, was married to Benny Torres. Their daughter Kelly, now 29 and married with two children, went to St. Paul’s College in Quezon City as a PBA scholar under the league’s educational program for players’ dependents. Florencio eventually divorced and remarried a Biñan nurse Hermosa or Nene in San Francisco. Nene works in the same hospital as Florencio.

"Danny and Nene plan to build a house in Marikina where they will retire," said Ding. "Nene earns very well as a chief chemist."

Last February, Florencio was in town for a three-week visit. Santos, a businessman with interests in real estate, shoe manufacturing and beverage distribution, arranged a reunion with former Crispa players at the Riverboat restaurant in Marikina. Among Florencio’s co-cagers who showed up for the reunion were Bogs Adornado, Philip Cezar, Atoy Co, Billy Abarrientos, Jun Celis and Johnny Revilla.  

Ding said Florencio is about 30 pounds overweight and has a bulging belly but he’s started to get back in shape, shooting basketballs into a hoop he put up in his backyard. 

"Danny blames his wife for his weight because she cooks really good food," laughed Ding. "Lately, Danny’s been getting together with former PBA players living near San Francisco like Big Boy Reynoso (insurance agent), Rudy Kutch (warehouseman) and Francis Arnaiz (working for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger) to play halfcourt games in parks. They play against blacks and those who think they can beat the oldies. They bet on the games so it’s a lot of fun and they end up winning easy money."

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Only Paner, Black and Silverio will be at the rites to personally receive their awards.

Cojuangco, who is abroad, will be represented by his son Mark, a congressman from Pangasinan. Jacobs’ wife Menen will accept the revered coach’s award. Itchon’s youngest son Tonet, director of the corporate banking group at Citibank, will represent one of the league’s founding fathers. Guidaben’s daughter Maribeth will stand in for the former Crispa center who now lives in New Jersey. Siddayao’s son Binky will receive the award in his late father’s behalf while Pengson’s wife Pochit will represent the late broadcaster.

Itchon passed away at 79 in 2004. For close to eight years, he was the PBA president until the end of the 1982 season. Aside from Tonet, his other children Agnes and Nanny will be at the coliseum today. Itchon’s other children Jojo, Mickey and Collet live abroad.

Jacobs would’ve loved to visit the stadium where he gave Philippine basketball some of its most cherished moments (who can forget Jacobs’ masterful coaching of the national team over China in the 1982 Asian Youth finals?) but his wife Menen said he’ll be there in spirit. Jacobs is recuperating in his Makati home from a stroke he suffered in late 2001.