PBA finalizing requirements for Pampanga restart

MANILA, Philippines — The PBA is ironing out additional requirements to be submitted to Pampanga local government unit (LGU) with hopes of getting a word this week if it could momentarily seek shelter there for the resumption of its shelved 46th Philippine Cup.

Included in the said documents are the total number of PBA delegation and certification of acceptance from hotels for the semi-bubble set-up plan within the vicinity of the nearby North Luzon province.

PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro said they are looking for four lodging venues. Up to seven squads would stay in a hotel and two squads in a resort both in Clark while three more clubs would be in a villa within Angeles.

One hotel is designated for the PBA staff and the TV5 production team. Three gyms for practice and main playing venues are also being eyed.

“We will submit those additional requirements, so hopefully by this week, we will know already,” Castro told The STAR after the league had previously submitted an official request letter to Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda.

Though the plan is a semi-bubble setting from the teams’ respective hotels to the game venue, the PBA said it would implement strict protocols to achieve a ‘full bubble-like’ environment like last year through a meeting with team managers and captains.

Last year, the PBA staged a safe and successful season under a full bubble set-up at the Quest Hotel and AUF Sports and Cultural Center in Clark, where the teams stayed for more than two months.

The league earlier had to find an alternative venue like Pampanga, which is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), following the implementation of the strict enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila.

If given permission, the PBA would stay in Pampanga until restrictions ease up in Metro Manila and games could already be allowed at its original venue in Pasig City.

The PBA last Aug. 3 suspended play at the Ynares Sports Arena almost midway through the elimination round since opening the season last July 16.

The league since then had already gained clearance from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to resume elsewhere so long as it is under simple general community quarantine (GCQ) or MGCQ.