Philippines - So young, yet so rich S.B.P. allocates p74 million three-year budget for national cagers

From businessmirror.com.ph
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IT now pays—extremely generously—to become a member of the men’s national basketball team.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has in its coffers a cool P74-million budget for the men’s team it is honing for major international competitions.

Included in that juicy fund is a whopping P180,000 a month allowance—or salary?—that would go to the team’s top players for a guaranteed three years—repeat, three years!

The budget covers that three-year period, the same number of years the SBP has inked Serbian coach Rajko Toroman to prepare the team.

SBP executive director Noli Eala told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Shakey’s United Nations branch that some of the players on the team have already signed their contracts on Monday.

The contracts provide compensations comparable with the professionals in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) where Eala once served as commissioner.

The program is also comparable with the Northern Consolidated squad in the early 1980s which business tycoon Danding Cojuangco bankrolled. That team produced the likes of Hector Calma, Samboy Lim and Allan Caidic.

“But I told them, ‘Let us not play because of the contracts. This is just for your economical security,’” said Eala. “We just want it to be attractive for them to join the national team, wherein I can pull out 12 players and play Fiba tournaments easily. That is the whole concept of having a pool.”

Eala said the SBP program calls for a P14-million budget on salaries or allowances on the first year, P24 million on the second year and P36 million on the third year.

The SBP executive director, however, did not specify how much each of the players will be receiving, although he revealed that those who already signed their contracts are Ateneo’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Chris Tiu and Ryan Buenafe; Far Eastern University’s (FEU) JR Cawaling and Mark Barroca; Letran’s RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra; San Beda’s Ogie Menor; and San Sebastian’s Jason Ballesteros.

He also did not say where the funding came from—although all fingers appear to be pointing toward SBP president Manuel Pangilinan, the Smart-PLDT head.

“Their first reaction was more of a shock than happy in terms of what they are getting,” Eala said in the weekly session sponsored by Shakey’s, Accel, Brickroad gym and Aspen spa, and MedCentral Medical Clinic and Diagnostic Center.

Other members on the team are Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo, JV Casio, and Rico Maierhofer of De La Salle, Filipino-American Joey Deas of Rockhurst University in Kansas, Greg Slaughter of University of Visayas, Dylan Ababou of University of Santo Tomas, Mac Baracael of FEU, Paul Lee of UE, Peejay Barua also of De La Salle, Martin Reyes of UP, Rico Fajardo of University of Cebu, Magi Sison of UP, Terrel Theophile of the Pampanga Buddies, Jervy Cruz of UST, Arvie Bringas of San Sebastian High School and Philip Paredes of Reedley.

Eala said the salaries or allowances are intended to inspire the players to remain on the team.

“In the program, besides the money, they get playing time and prolong their PBA career because they are not going to play in the PBA early. They get to play internationally and be handled by a foreign coach. Maganda for their careers and their financial standing, too,” Eala said.

Toroman was elated by the fact that the developmental pool will remain intact in the next three years. He plans to train the pool in Serbia and the United States to hone the players for international tournaments like the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Laos, the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and the 2011 Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship.

“We need to play a lot of games outside the country together. That is one way of improving the players,” Toroman said in the same forum.

Eala also said the developmental pool can play in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) even with the contracts.

“The contract is in the presumption that they are exclusive with the SBP. We have no intentions of competing with PBL, the only problem is napipigilan ’yung pag-attend ng practice because of their commitment with the PBL. If PBL owners will allow them to continue to practice with their teams, we are okay,” Eala said.

The developmental pool will compete in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Champions Cup tentatively set from March 3 to 7 in a still to be announced venue.