It all started when Chino Trinidad, the Commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Team, asked me to be their "spokesperson" to the the Batangas City officials, headed by Mayor Eddie Dimacuha. He wanted the first game of the 5-game championship series of the concluding conference of the league. At that time, we have not yet ascertained who will play whom for the championship.
Until it became evident that Harbor Center, the a team seeking to make history by winning the title five times in a row, will meet Hapee Toothpaste, bannered by the popular Fil-Am, Gbe Norwood.
The first game was record-breaker for the PBL as far as attendance is concerned. Manila sportswriters put it at around 6,000 spectators. Hapee took game one, on a come-from-behind-win. The Batanguenos rooted for them as they were the underdogs.
Chino and the team-owners were so thrilled that they asked me to set up game four (and a possible game five) in the same venue -- the newly opened Batangas City Sports Complex. And indeed game four was held there -- that game gave Harbor Center an unprecedented fifth straight championship.
I had to do a lot of leg work for the teams, especially for Harbor, as their team manager is a personal friend. Th staff of the coliseum kept calling me to ask for this and for that. The PBL office would ask me to talk to them on their behalf. I had to do a lot of press relations chores, e.g., introducing the PBL bigwigs to the Mayor, entertaining the Manila sports media, coordinating with the teams for interviews by the local media colleagues, calling some restaurants and hotels to make reservations, assuring the coliseum staff of the PBL's appreciation, etc.
I thought that this would help Batangas City to be recognized as a sports and tourism center, and possibly open some business opportunities. Who knows?
2 comments:
Ang ganda talaga sa Batangas! lalo na sa Taal at Talisay.
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