PCBL Has New Tasked from SBA

By Rey Joble InterAksyon.com, 8 October 2015

The newly-formed amateur commercial league Pilipino Commercial Basketball League (PCBL), headed by chairman Buddy Encarnado, was launched on 7 October night and already it is set to play a major role in Philippine basketball.

Encarnado, the longtime representative of the now-defunct PBA franchise Sta. Lucia to the PBA Board of Governors, revealed that he has been given a seat as a director in the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) and that the amateur league has been tasked with the duties of forming the national teams that will compete on the Southeast Asian level – the SEABA Championship and SEA Games.

He added the assignment comes from SBP president Manuel V. Pangilinan himself.

“Coming from no less than MVP and Chot (Reyes), without even setting foot on the court, the SEABA and the Southeast Asian Games were already given to PCBL,” Encarnado told a small group of sportswriters.

“That’s how much trust they have in the program that we have presented. It’s now a challenge to the players of PCBL as I have made the orientation. Let us now accept the challenge. We want to be recognized and we’ve been recognized. Now it’s time for us to show the recognition given to us by SBP.”

For the past several years, the Southeast Asian-level tournaments were the responsibility of the Gilas cadet program, with the country’s top young prospects like Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks and Troy Rosario having the chance to represent the nation in the regional tilts.

But with uncertainty regarding the formation of the national teams due to the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) unveiling of a new competition format that could conflict directly with the schedules of several professional domestic leagues, including the PBA, the assignment of the SEABA and SEA Games tournaments – some of which are qualifying tournaments for the Asian level – to the PCBL could be the first step in a restructuring of the national program.

“We have pledged, all the members of the PCBL, we will do our share to help out the national team by taking care of SEABA and small leagues, we will now be able to let them concentrate on the primary objective and that is those tournaments leading to the Olympics and World basketball,” added Encarnado.

The PCBL is envisioned to be a throwback to the amateur leagues of old, like the MICAA and the PABL, where players from all over the country will have the opportunity to showcase their skills.

Among the teams participating in the league are Encarnado’s Sta. Lucia Realty, Foton from Pampanga, Cagayan Rising Suns, Jumbo Plastic, Kaima Tile Masters, Kama Motors, Supremolex, and Euromed.

For Encarnado, it feels good to be back after being away from basketball for the last five years – since the Sta. Lucia franchise was acquired by Meralco in 2010 after being part of the PBA for 17 years.

Being given a seat in the SBP board following the creation of the PCBL has put Encarnado, an experienced basketball executive, a chance to be back on spotlight.

“I have been invited by the SBP to sit in the board because one of the seats will be given to PCBL. (MVP) wants me to be the representative,” he added.