MANILA, Philippines – Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche arrived in the country on Sunday to learn more about the team and the Filipino culture and at the same time personally thank the prime movers behind his naturalization process.
The new Gilas Pilipinas’ big man met Rep. Robbie Puno and Sen. Sonny Angara, the authors of the Blatche naturalization bill, over lunch hosted by the national team chief backer and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan inside the Meralco compound.
Angara asked Blatche if he eats rice and the new Gilas prospect quickly answered in affirmative.
“Yeah, I am a Filipino,†Blatche told the senator with a big smile.
Blatche feels he already is. But technically, he isn’t yet.
“The president still has to sign the bill,†Angara told Blatche.
Even if President Benigno Aquino Jr. fails to sign the bill, it will naturally become a law once the 30-day grace period lapses on June 30. However, the deadline of submission of the documents of naturalized players to the FIBA world also falls on the same date.
“Maganda na nagpunta siya rito para makita ng mga kababayan natin ang kaniyang desire to become a Filipino. Actually, it’s a promise he fulfilled,†Puno said in a TV interview with the Sports 5 crew documenting Blatche’s brief 3-day visit here. “I hope na makita ito ng ating mahal na pangulo para mapirmahan na niya ang bill dahil nauubusan na tayo ng oras.â€
Blatche had his first taste of Filipino cuisine. He feasted on lechon cebu, kare-kare, US roast beef with a choice of caldereta or bistek tagalog sauce, grilled shrimps, chicken galantine and lumpiang hubad, fresh buko juice, sago’t gulaman and halo-halo.
The 27-year old Syracuse, New York native fell in love with kare-kare and halo-halo at first taste.
“It was amazing especially that vegetable and meat where you put a sauce on top and the dessert. I didn’t feel jetlag after lunch,†Blatche later told PBA courtside reporter Erika Padilla in the PBA’s Sports 5 Center show in between Sunday’s double-header.
He is hoping that he will have more of it as he continues to embrace his new adopted home.
Blatche is scheduled to have a courtesy call to the Senate and DFA office on Monday. There is also a plan to take Blatche for an overnight stay at Boracay and then watch a PBA game live before going back to the United States. And as soon as he leaves the country, Blatche vowed to bring the Filipino heart with him, plunge back to training and be ready for the FIBA World Cup.