The PBA will impose a salary reduction on its teams and personnel as the league tries to cope with the financial stress brought about by the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said Tuesday that he recommended to the board of governors a 20-percent pay cut among the players, the coaches and their assistants, team managers, and some of the league’s employees.
“Ang kasama doon ay players, coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, at halos lahat ng PBA personnel,” said the amiable executive in a virtual press conference held a day after the board meeting.
The utility staffers, meanwhile, are exempt from the slaary cut. “Ang hindi kasama ay ‘yung mga utilities. Hindi kasama sa cut na napag-usapan namin with the governors,” Marcial shared.
The fourth-year league chief then explained his suggestion, saying that it is the PBA’s way of giving back to the ball clubs that have undeniably been generous to their people amidst the global health crisis.
“It’s about time na kami naman magbigay ng kontribusyon sa mga teams, sa mga teams owners sa liga na sinuportahan kami for 16 months,” he said.
“Inalalayan kami, walang bawas sweldo, pinrotektahan ang mga players, PBA staff. So sinasabi ko, ipakita naman natin sa mga team owners, sa governors, na may konti tayong tulong,” he furthered.
“Sinabi ko nga, may mga kumpanya na nagtatanggal ng mga trabahador, pero tayo, ‘di tinanggal. May mga emplayado na no work, no pay, pero tayo, maski na walang game, pinasu-swelduhan. Inexplain ko sa kanila.”
Fortunately, no one had issues with the plan. Marcial said that no one from those affected complained as they understood why.
“Wala namang umangal. Walang umangal sa kanila,” said Marcial, who met with team representatives prior to the presser to convey the agreed-upon conclusion in the board meeting that tackled mainly the plan for Season 46.
Marcial said that the cut among players and coaches will begin in May, but will not take long provided that the COVID-19 situation eases up. Salaries will go back to the usual terms once teams have permission to do scrimmages.
Team practices still hinge on community quarantine measures imposed by the government. Per-batch workouts once again stalled when Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna — otherwise known as the NCR Plus — came under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) due the resurgence of COVID-19 cases the past weeks.
“Pinag-usapan namin sa board meeting na oras na magsimula ang scrimmages, ibabalik na ‘yung normal.”
