The PBA on Wednesday launched the #PBAituloyAngLaban campaign in an effort to help the government in the fight against COVID-19.
The advocacy simply aims to remind the general public to strictly follow health and safety protocols so as to help slow down the dreaded virus.
“Inilunsad natin ang #PBAituloyanglaban upang bigyang diin ang kahalagahan ng pagsunod nating lahat sa mga safety protocols na ipinatutupad ng gobyerno,” Commissioner Willie Marcial said in a report by the league’s website.
“Ito lang ang paraan upang mapababa natin ang pagkalat ng coronavirus,” the fourth-year league chief furthered.
In a virtual presser last week, Marcial bared that Season 46 will only be allowed by the authorities if COVID-19 cases will go down — cases have spiked since late March, leading to the implementation of stricter lockdown measures.
That is why the amiable executive called on the players and coaches to help the league in reminding the public to abide by the health protocols.
“Nag-meeting kami with coaches and players na tulungan din tayo na sabihan natin ang taong-bayan na magtulong-tulong para sa ating bansa na mapababa natin ang cases,” he was quoted as saying.
And it looks like they have heeded the call. Marcial said that coaches and players of the league’s 12 member ball clubs have started using #PBAituloyanglaban in all of their social media platforms.
The commissioner, last Saturday, went to his hometown of Batangas City as he spoke with its local government unit to discuss the possibility of the city serving as a practice venue for teams since it is under GCQ only.
Marcial got the nod from Mayor Beverley Dimacuha and Rep. Marvey Marino, and he is set to return there on Friday to formalize the details.
Meanwhile, the league has written the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) seeking approval to enable teams to commence scrimmages by May 16.
Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal — otherwise known as the NCR Plus Bubble — are under the stricter MECQ until May 14 and the PBA hopes that lockdown measures will ease up after that.
