The country’s most popular regional basketball league, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is moving forward in spite of the health crisis that is ravaging the country.
This was the assurance given by league founder and CEO, Manny Pacquiao, during his online meeting with team owners and representatives on Saturday.
“Tuloy-tuloy ito,” said Pacquiao, who added that he has a lot more in store for the league that he started back in 2017.
Aside from making a commitment to finishing the stalled Lakan Cup, Pacquiao added that the fourth season would start on June 12. However, it remains to be seen what format would be adapted by the league given the health crisis the country and the world is facing.
The league’s priority, though, is to finish the league’s third season, which was halted back in March. Representatives of the protagonists of the finals of the North and South Division finals also bared their readiness to do battle once again.
San Juan and Makati are tied at 1-1 while Davao Occidental and Basilan are also knotted at 1-1 in their respective best-of-three affairs.
The league said it has already forwarded its proposed health protocols to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases and is just awaiting for feedback. Should it be given the green light, the MPBL would resume the division finals and then, the national finals in March.
The teams’ owners and coaches were thrilled to hear of the development.
“San Juan is all-in,” said former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, the Knights’ co-owner.
“Makati will be there fighting,” said Super Crunch co-owner Paolo Orbeta and head coach Beaujing Acot. (JNP)