PBA salaries back to normal

MANILA, Philippines — With a clearer picture on its return plans, the PBA is all set to lift the 20 percent salary cut it imposed on teams and league personnel last month.

Commissioner Willie Marcial said the players, coaches, assistant coaches and team staff as well as PBA employees affected by the policy will begin receiving their full salaries this coming week.

“Starting May 18, normal na uli ang salaries,” Marcial told The STAR.

The pro league implemented the cutback when all activities, including the non-contact cluster physical conditioning sessions, were suspended due to the spike in new COVID-19 cases.

The policy aimed to help ease the burden on the team owners, who have been fully supporting the entire PBA family since the pandemic started last year.

Per PBA board ruling, salaries will be restored once 5-of-5 scrimmages start. However, the deducted 20 percent will not be paid retroactively.

Pending issuance of clearances from local government units (LGUs) and appropriate government agencies, the teams are expected to go back to the gyms in the coming days.

Meralco looms as the early bird as it’s set for a 10-day bubble training in Ilocos Norte.

“We’re leaving (for Ilocos) tomorrow morning (today),” said Bolts manager Paolo Trillo, whose team has already completed the two RT-PCR tests required prior to actual training.

The PBA has arranged closed-circuit practices in Batangas City as an alternative site for the Inter-Agency Task Force-approved scrimmages for the ballclubs in general community quarantine (GCQ) and modified GCQ areas.

Most of the squads are hoping to get the go-signal to sweat it out in their old hubs in Metro Manila, which has shifted to GCQ “with heightened restrictions” status after two months under strict enhanced community quarantine and modified ECQ levels.

“They’re waiting for permission from the LGUs,” Marcial said.