The PBA will donate all proceeds of the Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals opener between TNT and Ginebra to the victims of Typhoon Kristine.
League vice chairman Alfrancis Chua announced on Thursday to open the pre-Finals presser at The Atrium at Enderun Colleges in Taguig.
“If you can see kung anong nangyayari sa bansa natin, mga kapatid natin na nasalanta, so nag-usap kami ni Commissioner, ni Chairman: We decided ‘yung Sunday’s game, ‘yung proceeds nun, lahat ido-donate namin,” he said.
The donation will go to the Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc., the corporate social responsibility of TV5, the PBA’s broadcast partner since 2011.
“‘Yung ibibigay ng PBA para sa mga nasalanta sa baha, we will entrust it to Alagang Kapatid Foundation ng TV5,” league chairman Ricky Vargas said.
“Alagang Kapatid will report on how they used the proceeds that were given to them by the PBA,” added Vargas, who’s also the Tropang Giga governor.
It was an easy decision among Chua, Vargas, and Commissioner Willie Marcial to lend a helping hand to those victimized by Kristine, which made its landfall in Isabela on early Thursday morning and ravaged numerous provinces and cities.
“Nandito tayo preparing for Sunday’s game, and them, they’re preparing kung may matitirhan pa sila o may makakain pa. Ipagdasal natin sila,” Chua said.
“Kung sino pang gustong tumulong, nananawagan po ako na sana tulungan natin ang ating mga kapatid,” added the San Miguel Corporation sports director, who’s also been serving as Ginebra team governor.
TNT head coach Chot Reyes, meanwhile, encouraged his former Gilas Pilipinas wards to revive their team tradition of helping out in calamities.
“We’d like to activate Cap Japeth [Aguilar] and LA [Tenorio]. Sa Gilas, we have a tradition. Basta’s merong ganitong sakuna – there’s a typhoon or earthquake – they always contribute. Gawin natin ulit,” said the ex-national team mentor.
The best-of-seven series is a rematch of the previous Governors’ Cup title bout in 2023.
Game One is on Sunday, October 27, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
