Not just gateway to the North

The NLEX Road Warriors are headed to Barangay Engineer’s Hill in Baguio for a basketball clinic on Feb. 28 in line with the one-month Panagbenga Flower Festival and Manila North Tollways Corp.’s celebration of its 10th anniversary.

NLEX team manager Allan Gregorio said head coach Boyet Fernandez and assistant Jojo Lastimosa will conduct the clinic for kids in the age range of 12 to 15 with the Road Warriors. “NLEX is not just the gateway to the North but also our connection with the people of the North,” said Gregorio. “It’s also the reason why NLEX supports cycling through Le Tour and Ronda Pilipinas. Some of the greatest Filipino cyclists came from the North, particularly Pangasinan, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, and NLEX’ support for cycling is our way to salute the sporting legends from the North.”

Gregorio said NLEX is also pushing for domestic tourism. “In the second quarter of every NLEX game in the PBA, you’ll see a 1 1/2 minute video on the giant screen in the stadium showing the wonderful destinations of the North,” he continued. “You’ll see Subic, Mount Pinatubo, the landmark churches of the North in Bulacan and Manaog, Vigan and other heritage destinations. This, too, is part of our campaign to invite tourists to the North.”

Last Tuesday, the Road Warriors attended a two-hour evening program celebrating NLEX’ 10th anniversary in the SkyDome of the SM North City. Asi Taulava, MacMac Cardona, KG Canaleta, Jonas Villanueva, Enrico Villanueva, Aldrech Ramos and teammates were mobbed by fans who toured NLEX’ interactive exhibit on the third floor.

“Asi was given All-Star attention,” said Gregorio. “He’s the guy everyone went to. Asi came with his five-year-old daughter. He projects a nice, wholesome image of a family man, a good example for fathers and parents.”

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In the interactive exhibit, Asi squeezed into a miniature jeepney-like vehicle driven by foot pedals.  Since the vehicle fits only three, how Asi managed to get in was quite a feat. The NLEX showcase also provides a virtual travel along the North Expressway via apps on computers. In one exhibit, you’re captured by radar for speeding and in another, you’re checked for overloading by a weighing scale. A photo gallery features NLEX’ state-of-the-art control room and smiling tellers, among others.

Over 200 came for the program which was capped by Martin Nievera singing his most popular tunes. Metro Pacific Tollways president Ramoncito Fernandez was called on stage to talk about the vision for the future, noting the recent integration of the NLEX and SCTEX toll systems and the expansion to Thailand and Vietnam. For his part, Manila North Tollways Corp. president Rod Franco spoke about how it all began with the transformation of the North Diversion Road into NLEX, how critical was the support of the MVP Group, how difficult it was to survive the Asian economic crisis and the Mount Pinatubo eruption and how gratifying it is to look back the past 10 years and face the future with a bright outlook.

“Of course, Mr. Franco cited the Road Warriors’ winning tradition in the PBA D-League, winning six of seven conferences before moving up to the PBA,” said Gregorio. “Mr. Franco recognized the achievements of the Road Warriors, their dedication, attitude and commitment to succeed. That’s what we hope to bring to the PBA.”

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On its first PBA season, NLEX is experiencing growth pains. In the Philippine Cup, the Road Warriors finished 10th. In the ongoing Commissioner’s Cup, NLEX is winless in three games.

“Right now, we’re 0-3 but two of our losses could’ve gone either way,” said Gregorio. “We’re adjusting to our import Al Thornton’s style of play. We’re staying positive. Coach Boyet is upbeat. There are no big issues pulling the team back. We’re evaluating how Al matches up against bigger imports and if we should look for a post defender to help Asi out. We saw in the Alaska game, how Vic Manuel attacked Al’s defense. We couldn’t ask more from Al. He’s a true professional. We know he’s not 100 percent and he’s playing hurt but he’s out there giving it his all.”

Gregorio said with every game, there is improvement. “Once we’re over the hump, we know we can get on a roll,” he said. “What we like about Al is he doesn’t mind the physicality, he’ll play through the bumps. We understand once Denzel Bowles finishes playing in the Chinese league, he’s a free agent because he hasn’t played in the PBA for two years so no team has his rights anymore. Maybe, we could go after Denzel or someone like him. This is something we’ll discuss and assess.”