Back in the early 1980’s, a businessman by the name of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. had a dream: to have a pool of players representing the Philippines on a full-time basis. The pool of players played under the banner of Northern Cement.
Thirty years later, another businessman is planning to continue this dream, as Bounty Agro Ventures Incorporated, the company behind Chooks-to-Go, is willing to finance a Gilas team that is composed of full-time National Team players.
In a surprise during the Chooks-to-Go-hosted send-off for Gilas Pilipinas to the Jones Cup, BAVI President Ronald Mascariñas made a pitch that his company is willing to finance a team that will be composed of a large pool of full-time players. And the company is willing to do this so that there will not be a problem between the National Team and the PBA when the home-and-away games of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers roll around.
“The main objective really is for the country to play in the Olympics so ang Pilipinas, just like all other countries, challenge dun sa schedule ng mga professional ball club,” said Mascariñas, who was seated right beside Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice chairman Robbie Puno.
“We’re making this offer; If we can work out with the SBP and the PBA, we’re willing to finance a full time national team players.
“Gusto ko sana full time na national team. Wherever, kung saan man tournaments yan, hindi papalit palit,” furthered the founder of Chooks-to-Go. “We may not have the tallest team, not have the most talented team, but kung ang team natin ay matagal na magkasama, in terms of teamwork, we might have that, that might be the asset of the Philippine team.”
Though it might sound like a spur of the moment thought for the businessman, as talks of buying out an existing PBA team have stalled and the SBP are still waiting for the PBA’s approval to send in league veterans to the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, it seems that Mascariñas has laid out a plan to make this dream possible.
“You serve the country well, doon ka sa National team, if you serve the country, we will give you the max compensation, and we will take care of your livelihood after your playing career,” Mascariñas shared, as players who will enlist with the team will be given an outlet of either Chooks-to-Go, Reyal, or Uling Roasters.
And this idea all began 30 years ago, when a young Ronald Mascariñas was following the journey of Northern Cement.
“Actully yun talaga pattern ko eh,” the entrepreneur recalled.
“I was younger at that time, talagang di mawala sa isip ko yun na napakalakas ng team na yun, yung Northern Consolidated team na yun. I hope we can do something similar to that.”
