PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas declined to give the exact figures the league will be spending for the staging of its bubble in Clark for its season restart, although he admitted that it is “quite a sum of money”.
“Maybe we should not even advertise the cost. I apologize. For a two-month conference we are spending quite a sum of money to see this through,” he said in a Zoom presser moments after the board of governors’ meeting Thursday.
Setting up such is quite costly, to say the least. For the NBA bubble the NBA setup in Walt Disney Resort in Florida, the league reportedly spent 180 million dollars to mount its own campus.
Vargas, though, tipped his hat to Commissioner Willie Marcial for being able to bring in sponsors for the bubble. He added that all 12 teams have been spared from spending even “a single centavo” for this project.
“The nice part with this is your PBA, just like the NBA, has enough cash flow to sponsor this whole tournament,” the TNT governor said.
“The teams will not spend a single centavo for this whole bubble.”
Marcial, on the other hand, had also declined to comment when asked about the matter.
“Kung pwede, ‘wag na nating pag-usapan,” he said. “Pasensya na, ha? Chairman ko, hindi na nagsalita.”
Marcial, however, expressed his gratitude to National Action Plan Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon for helping Asia’s pioneering pro league in pushing through with its plans.
The amiable executive said that Dizon helped the league avail of discounts with the hotel the league will use, as well as securing the Angeles University Foundation Gym, among others.
“Tinulungan niya ang PBA kung paano maka-discount ng mabuti sa hotels. Ang laking bagay din doon sa Angeles University [Foundation], pati sa mga ibang amenities. Ang laki ng itinulong ni Secretary Dizon dito,” he said.
Dizon is also the President and CEO of the Bases and Conversion Development Authority. He made a presentation to the board last Friday regarding the logistics of the Clark bubble, which eventually turned into reality.
The Presidential Adviser on Flagship Programs was joined in that presentation by Clark Development Corporation President Noel Manankil, another person to whom Marcial is immensely grateful.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Secretary Dizon at sa presidente ng Clark, si Mr. Noel Maninkil. Sila po talaga ‘yung key persons na kausap ko halos araw-araw — six times a day po ang tawagan namin. Sila po ‘yung malaking tulong sa project na ‘to.”
