THE Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is keen on finishing their stalled Lakan Season and has now pinpointed a possible venue for its “playoff bubble.”
According to MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes, former senator Jinggoy Estrada has offered their family’s sprawling property in Tanay, Rizal to be the league’s venue for the resumption of the league’s playoffs, if and when it is given the green light by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
“Inoffer niya (Estrada) yung area nila sa Tanay, Rizal and it’s fit for us dahil may gym, may mga guest rooms, fit for four teams (He offered their area in Tanay, Rizal and it’s fit for us because it has a gym, and guest rooms that fit four teams),” shared Duremdes during his appearance on the Philippine Sportswriters Association web forum on Tuesday morning, September 15.
“Pinakita niya yung gym and rooms. Parang fit siya for a bubble dahil private property, malayo siya, kumpleto, may kitchen at dining hall. We just need to go there to inspect. I think it’s possible. Okay naman yung gym, wooden, hindi nga lang aircon pero ang importante dun, ma-control mo yung bubble. Walang makakalabas, walang makakapasok (He showed me the gym and the rooms. It looks like it’s fit for a bubble because it’s a private property. It’s far, complete with a kitchen and a dining hall. We just need to go there to inspect. I think it’s possible. The gym looks okay. It’s not air-conditioned but the important thing is the bubble can be controlled. Nobody can easily go in or out),” Duremdes added.
The MPBL playoffs was already in its division finals stages with San Juan and Makati duking it out in the North, and Davao Occidental and Basilan battling in the South.
Duremdes also disclosed that the Smart-Araneta Coliseum and Subic are two other venues they are considering although all that hinges on whether or not they get the go signal from the IATF.
“So far, yung plans ng MPBL as per our founder-CEO Senator Manny, kailangan talaga tapusin yung national finals. Hindi tayo makagalaw sa ngayon dahil for the past few months, hindi pa inallow yung amateur basketball contact sports. Tayo naman sumusunod sa IATF guidelines, hindi rin tayo makapag-set kung kailangan tayo makapag-resume (So far, the plans of our founder-CEO Senator Manny (Pacquiao) is to finish the national finals. We can’t move right now because for the past few months, amateur basketball is not allowed. We adhere to IATF guidelines and that’s why we can’t make any plans on when we will be able to resume),” explained Duremdes. (JNP)