Fans of local basketball got some very good news after the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases gave the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) its approval to go ahead and restart the stalled Philippine Cup in a “bubble” setting at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

The huge announcement was made by league chairman Ricky Vargas and commissioner Willie Marcial who was joined in a virtual press conference by Vince Dizon, who is the president and CEO of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), and Noel Manankil, the president and CEO of Clark Development Corp.

After spending six months on the shelf because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resumption of the PBA on October 11 is expected to be a breath of fresh air for sports fans all over the country.

“We are happy, we are ready. The players are ready to go. It’s all now in the hands of our commissioner to see this executed to perfection,” Vargas said.

“This is a happy event. I think it’s a milestone in Philippine sports. We waited so long, six months or more. The PBA has put everything into this bubble,” added Vargas.

Vargas also shared his gratitude to Dizon for being “our hero and big supporter who made this happen.”

Dizon actually made a presentation before the IATF and detailed the protocols and procedures that will be observed during the two-month “bubble” tournament that is expected to end with a champion being crowned during the second week of December.

Teams and PBA staff will be staying at the Quest Hotel while the games will be held at the Angeles University Foundation gym. Teams will be departing for the “bubble” on September 28 and 29. (JNP)