MANILA, 21 November 2003 — The Department of Education has tapped the services of the players of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to boost the agency’s sports program nationwide.

Education Secretary Ediberto de Jesus said they have chosen selected group of PBA players to serve as “right role models for the children” in schools nationwide.

Among those chosen were Don Allado and Mike Cortez of Alaska Acers, Kirby Raymundo of Purefoods, Dondon Hontiveros and Nick Belasco of San Miguel, Jeffrey Cariaso of Coca-Cola, Jimmy Alapag of Talk ‘N’ Text, Cris Calaguio and Tony dela Cruz of Shell, Paulo Mendoza of Sta. Lucia, Eric Menk and Rommel Adducul of Brgy. Ginebra, Ren-Ren Ritualo and John Ferriols of FedEx and Enrico Villanueva of Red Bull Barako.

These players from the PBA, undoubtedly one of the largest sports organizations in the country, will serve as the “face” of the agency’s sports program in public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

“We have done this with the welfare of the children in mind and in line with the health and nutrition program of the department. We believe that we have to develop their talents in their early stages of their education,” De Jesus said.

With the sports program, the DepEd head also said schoolchildren’s athletic prowess, as well as their academic abilities, would be developed.

“This is the first step so that they can compete not only in the national level but also in the international competition,” De Jesus said.

De Jesus and PBA Commissioner Noli Eala have already signed a memorandum of agreement to utilize the PBA players in the campaign materials for the program.

Eala said that with the program offered to them by DepEd for the PBA players to act as spokespersons, they could “create something different.”

“We have created the PBA as a vehicle of entertainment but we also wanted to be socially relevant and dynamic. So when this program was offered to us, we welcome it with open arms,” Eala said.

Under the DepEd Challenge program, the agency aims to eliminate the problem of malnourishment among schoolchildren.

A recent study conducted by the department showed that 30 percent of children, with ages between 6 and 12, are found to be underweight.

Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz said that aside from the feeding program and the physical fitness awards, DepEd is also contemplating of putting up a National High School Basketball program.

“This is where the PBA players come become the spokespersons to the 18 million public school children nationwide,” Luz said.

Luz was the one who presented the idea to Eala and scouted and selected PBA players for the program.

Interestingly, the PBA has gone through a series of “storms” this season.

Controversies such as the television coverage, the advertising brouhaha involving Beam Toothpaste, the Fil-sham issue and the drug scandals that netted some of the league’s superstars have all contributed to the dwindling of gate attendance.

Eala has actually tried to “rescue” the league by coming up with promotional gimmicks such as the Toyota-Crispa matchup, which served as a “front-act” to the All-Star Weekend of the PBA last June. The amiable PBA commissioner also revived the ongoing one-on-one match up.

He also revived the Reinforced Conference, which was one of the original conferences instituted by the PBA during its formative years in the 1970s, replacing the Governor’s Cup.

At the same time, Eala brought back the Invitational Cup, though it proved to be a flop considering that the foreign teams invited were patsies.

Eala has also reconnected with the fans on a personal level, seating himself and his staff amid the crowd while treating fans to watch the action from the sidelines.

He also has created special boxes where fans can mingle with celebrities while watching games and will be served on by waiters.

“With all these changes and by our own admission that this is a transition phase for the league, we had very little expectations about attendance because we understood there was the possibility that fans would simply wait and see what the new PBA is all about before coming into the games,” said Eala.

Already, Eala said he plans on giving a more detailed presentation to help the board members better understand his proposals.

“On paper, it’s hard to see its merits,” he said, referring to his 20-page proposals provided each governor. “There might be a need to further graphically explain my proposals.”

Eala said he remains open to suggestions or amendments but added meat of his proposals stand.

Meanwhile, Alaska team owner Wilfred Uytengsu threw his allout support behind Eala’s three-pronged proposal for next season.

“It is a bold plan, but one with merit,” said Uytengsu.

Himself a former league chairman and among the most outspoken members of the board, Uytengsu gave his nod of approval on Eala’s plan, saying it’s high time the league seriously considers a shift to a one-championship format.

Insisting the traditional three-conference season has become monotonous, Uytengsu said a one-championship format could raise the stakes for teams in every game, consequently bring out more energy from the players and eventually make for more exciting matches.

“The three-conference format is no longer as attractive as it used to be. I think the time for a single national championship has come,” he explained. “It will force all teams to put it all on the line because there will be no next time, no next conference and as a result, the fans will appreciate better and harder played games.”

He also supported Eala’s resolve to put the league at the forefront of the national team program, saying: “It’s also an important component of the overall plan.”

But Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao said he has his reservations about the proposed move — not so much on the plan, but on the timing.

Guiao, a former PBL commissioner who is credited for bringing the semi-pro league back to its feet in the late nineties, said the time may not be ripe for a single championship season after the league’s shift to a two-conference format this year yielded lukewarm results.

“It may be too big a risk at this time,” he said. “I would be more encouraged if this year’s shift to a two-conference format yielded good results. But that is not the case. So why go deeper into the risk?”

Guiao said he would rather see the league choose between sending teams to the Asian Games or the Asian Championship — but not both.

Earlier, Bert Lina, owner of PBA team FedEx, warned the PBA, saying the league’s days are numbered

Lina said even with a merry mix of sensational imports and other promotional gimmicks, the league would fail in its bid to lure fans back into its venues if the issue against the so-called Fil-shams is not settled soon.

Lina, who team entered the PBA early last year, broke his silence for the first time on the worsening state of the pro basketball league, citing a lot of factors for its continuous decline.

He particularly blamed the Fil-sham mess and the high cost of tickets as reasons for the continued decline of gate attendance in Asia’s first ever pro league.

“The people are fuming mad because of Fil-shams who are still playing in the PBA,” said Lina, who urged the professional league to expedite its work in ridding the pro league of the Fil-shams. “They feel cheated because of this Fil-sham controversy.”

The Senate committee on games, amusements and sports, under Senator Robert Barbers, had earlier recommended to the Bureau of Immigration the deportation of eight Fil-foreigners, led by Talk ‘N’ Text’s Asi Taulava, but the Department of Justice has yet to withdraw the citizenship it gave to the eight.

Lina pointed out fake Filipino cagers are pulling the league down. He earlier suggested that the PBA reduce its ticket prices, especially those in the lower and ringside sections to bolster gate attendance in the league.