Playing for a good cause

There’s a basketball league that’s creating good vibes around town because teams are playing for charity and it’s oriented towards public service. The league is called the UNTV Cup organized by the “public service” TV station UNTV and its second season started last February with 10 entries.

Tournament commissioner is PBA legend and Mapua Cardinals coach Atoy Co assisted by deputy Ed Cordero. The age floor for players is 32 years old and teams are allowed to bring in two guest imports. The league is a haven for ex-PBA players who’ve still got game like Kenneth Duremdes, Zaldy Realubit, Don Camaso, Jenkins Mesina, Ariel Capus, Jeff Sanders, Kiko Adriano, Gerard Francisco, Poch Juinio and Arnold Gamboa.

UNTV’s Daniel Razon thought of creating the cause-oriented league and the first season last year was a huge success with the Judiciary Cagers claiming the initial championship over six contenders. PNP’s Ollan Omiping, who was Purefoods’ second round pick in the 2006 PBA draft out of the University of the East, was named MVP. The first season invited celebrities to join the action. Actors like 1996 Olympic silver medalist Onyok Velasco, Zoren Legaspi and Eric Fructuoso brought added glitz to the league.

UNTV awarded cash prizes to the top four finishers from P1 Million to P150,000. The money wasn’t distributed to the players. That was never the intention. The money was earmarked for charity. Judiciary, as champion, gave its P1 Million reward to the earthquake and calamity victims in Bohol and Cebu and the standoff war victims in Zamboanga. Second placer Philippine National Police (PNP) donated P500,000 to the Masonic Charities of Crippled Children while third placer Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) gave P250,000 to the AFP Educational Benefit System Office. Fourth placer Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) contributed to the Cancer Warriors Foundation.

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To emphasize the league’s public service character, teams now put up booths at the entrance of the playing venue for the public to know what they may avail of and for representatives to attend to inquiries. From seven teams in the first season, the league has grown to 10 entries – the AFP Cavaliers, the House of Representatives Solons, the Department of Justice Avengers, the Local Government Unit (LGU) Vanguards, the Malacanang Palace Patriots, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Black Wolves of coach Yoyong Martirez, the Philhealth Advocates, the Judiciary Magis of the Supreme Court, the PNP Responders and the Senate Defenders.

Each team has adopted a charity to play for. Here’s the list of beneficiaries: Senate, Adopt-A-Banca Project in Iloilo and the Khyte Foundation; PNP, Special Education Assistance Program of the PNP; AFP, the Educational Benefit System Office of the AFP; Philhealth, Cottonglengo Filipino (an orphanage of disabled children); MMDA, Neonatal ICU of the Philippine General Hospital; DOJ, Confederation of Older Persons Association of the Philippines; House of Representatives, Congressional Spouses Inc. Foundation; LGU, Blas Ople Policy Training Center; Malacanang, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Judiciary, to be announced.

The Sunday games are televised live on UNTV with Sev Sarmenta anchoring the coverage. Former PBA cagers Ronnie Magsanoc and Jolly Escobar alternate as analysts on the TV panel.

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While the PBA veterans dominate the action, they aren’t the only attractions in the league. Senators Sonny Angara, Jinggoy Estrada and Alan Peter Cayetano play for the Defenders. San Juan Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, a former La Salle varsity player, suits up for the Vanguards. Congressmen Neil Tupas, Jr. and Gerald (Samsam) Gullas are standouts with the Solons. TESDA director general Sec. Joel Villanueva sees action with Malacanang.

Sen. Angara recently became a YouTube star with a video of his halfcourt shot that beat the third quarter buzzer in a UNTV Cup game. Sen. Angara is a fan of the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. Last Sunday, the Senate Defenders qualified for the six-team quarterfinals with an 87-78 win over LGU. Former PBA guard Billy Reyes, whose brother Chot coaches the Gilas national team, called the shots for the Senate whose regular playing coach is Lino Ong. Billy is sports director at Mapua.

Sen. Estrada, playing in only his second game this season due to injury, shook off the brace protector in his left knee and delivered quality minutes in a winning cause. Sen. Estrada wore his familiar No. 7 jersey. Duremdes, now coaching Adamson in the UAAP, led the Senate charge with 37 points, 22 rebounds and five assists.

Asked if he’s been invited to join the Kia expansion team in the PBA, Duremdes who is from Marbel, South Cotabato, just smiled. “I don’t know if Congressman Manny (Pacquiao) will agree if I come for practice only once a week,” he joked. “Besides, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up with Cong in the morning uphill climbs he’s planning for the players.” Duremdes, was the PBA MVP in 1998 and turned 40 last January.

Sen. Estrada is a known basketball aficionado. During his elementary and high school days at Ateneo, Sen. Estrada’s varsity teammates included Chot Reyes and Meralco senior vice president Al Panlilio. Chot was the point guard, Sen. Estrada the two-guard and Panlilio the shooting forward.

The Senate got off to a rousing start this season, defeating the Solons, 83-72, then suffered a string of losses. The win over LGU was critical as it broke a tie for sixth place with the Vanguards, assuring the Defenders of a quarterfinals slot. This Sunday, the Senate plays AFP at 3 p.m. and MMDA battles Malacanang at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.