PBA eyeing at least two conferences for 46th season

After salvaging their 45th season by holding the Philippine Cup in a biosecure bubble in Clark, Pampanga, the PBA is now hoping to hold at least two conferences this year.

The PBA successfully completed its All-Filipino conference in Clark in early December, with Barangay Ginebra emerging as champions of the tournament that saw all 12 teams stay in the bubble.

While it remains to be seen if the league will hold its conferences in another bubble, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has said that they are hopeful they can hold more than one competition in 2021.

"Tingnan natin kung kakayanin natin ang three conferences. Kung hindi, baka two," Marcial said during an appearance on "Power and Play" with former PBA Commissioner Noli Eala.

"At least two conferences lang ang magagawa natin," he added. "Kung makakagawa ng tatlo, good. Pero at least two conferences, pilitin natin, magawa natin for next year."

Given the restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was all but impossible to hold import conferences in 2020. Marcial acknowledged that the situation with the health crisis will dictate whether they can hold at least one import conference this coming year as well.

He is hoping that by June, there will be more clarity regarding the pandemic, particularly when it comes to travel restrictions. The Philippines has currently banned foreigners from 20 countries until January 15 because of the new COVID-19 variant.

"Siguro by June, July, makikita na natin ang galawan," said Marcial.

"One, papayag ba ang import na pumunta dito? Two, 'pag pumunta ba ang import dito, may quarantine pa ba?" he added. "So iniintay natin."

One possibility that Marcial is looking forward to is that the prospective imports will already be vaccinated even before they sign with PBA teams.

"Baka may vaccine na sila. Pagpunta nila dito, may vaccine na sila. So, safe sila, at hindi na sila mahahawa," he said, noting that this will likely make the imports more willing to travel to the Philippines to play.

"Sabi nila, siguro by then may vaccine na lahat ng mga Amerikano, sana, ang mga imports. So hindi na sila takot bumyahe, hindi na sila matatakot lumaro sa atin, hindi na rin sila matatakot mahawa, kasi may vaccine na sila," he said.

"So sana, ganoon."

There are still plenty of questions that are up in the air regarding the next PBA season, but these questions won't be answered until February or March, said Marcial. Most of their plans will of course hinge on government regulations, as Marcial notes that they need the go-signal of the Inter-Agency Task Force to push through with their competitions.

"Anong papayagan ng gobyerno, para makapaglaro ang PBA?" he said. "So as of now, hindi ko pa masagot. Siguro by February or March, malalaman na natin." 

"Pero ang balak pa rin natin, matuloy doon sa anniversary natin ng April 9, kung papalarin tayo," he added.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/01/03/21/pba-eyeing-at-least-two-conferences-for-46th-season

Mariel and Miggy Carandang for speedo

Mariel and Miggy Carandang

Miggy is wearing Arena ARN-4091 WHT Silicone Swimming Cap, AGL-1400 EMBL swimming glass (mirror Swedish type) and Speedo Endurance+ Neuron Men’s 8cm Brief – Dark Blue and Sky Blue (8-009333322) and sister Mariel wears Speedo Aqua V Silicone Swimming Cap - Black (8-087750001), Speedsocket - Black (8-705891549) and Fastskin FS-Pro Women’s Recordbreaker Costume – Black (8-008153218) and shot on location at Loyola Schools Swimming Pool, Ateneo de Manila University.

A. Carandang dominated the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly, 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle, 200m and 400m individual medley categories and wears arena ARN-4091 WHT Silicone Swimming Cap, AGL-1400 EMBL swimming glass (mirror Swedish type) and speedo endurance+ Neuron Men’s 8cm Brief – Dark Blue and Sky Blue (8-009333322) and sister Mariel dominated the 800m freestyle and 200m and 400m individual medley categories and wears speedo Aqua V Silicone Swimming Cap - Black (8-087750001), speedsocket - Black (8-705891549) and FASTSKIN FS-PRO Women’s Recordbreaker Costume – Black (8-008153218)

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, December 23, 2020

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, December 23, 2020

Pia Cayetano wants cyclists exempted from mandatory face shield rule

 Sen. Pia Cayetano on Tuesday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19 to exempt cyclists and joggers from the mandatory wearing of face shields, saying the transparent head gear could cause accidents.

Cayetano, a former national athlete and a triathlete, issued the appeal a week after the national government said face shields - just like face masks - are now required to be worn in all public areas.

"As a cyclist, I’m very concerned about the safety of fellow cyclists being required to use face shields," Cayetano said in a tweet.

"This could drastically impair their vision and perception of space, which may lead to accidents," she said.

The senator also urged the IATF to allow joggers not to wear face shields when they are in open spaces.

"Recognizing the role of exercise in promoting mental and physical health, I also ask the IATF to exempt joggers from the requirement when jogging in open spaces, provided they observe social distancing measures," she said.

Health experts earlier questioned the policy of wearing face shields in public, saying it could impair breathing for some people.

"Equipment alone will not protect us from COVID-19, even with the face shield and face mask. It's important to follow guidelines to protect us from the coronavirus infection," infectious disease expert Benjamin Co said in an earlier interview.

"I think they should review the recommendations," he said.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/22/20/pia-cayetano-wants-cyclists-exempted-from-mandatory-face-shield-rule

UAAP hopes to open Season 84 in September 2021

The UAAP is targeting a "traditional opening" for its upcoming season, after being forced to cancel Season 83 for health and safety reasons. 

UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag acknowledged that at the moment, there have been no discussions so far regarding the target opening date for Season 84.

"But kung walang discussion, we stay with the default which is the traditional opening. And that's September of 2021, if all goes well," he said in a press conference, Thursday.

"Hopefully, the vaccines are here, and we have better protocols, the situation has improved. So that's the target, the traditional opening," he added.

The UAAP Board of Managing Directors and Board of Trustees can still make adjustments, Saguisag added.

The league terminated Season 82 in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with several events left unfinished -- including the highly popular women's volleyball tournament. Other competitions, including athletics, did not even start. 

While everything remains up in the air, Saguisag is doubtful that the league will hold a preseason, citing the risks involved in setting up such a competition. 

"We are preparing for next season," he stressed.

As for the eligibility of the student-athletes, that has yet to be discussed as well by the various stakeholders.

"All eligibility matters na affected for Season 83 will be tackled at the proper time," said Saguisag. "Right now, we will definitely sit down and discuss each and every nuance."

"The Board of Managing Directors has a history of being responsive and dynamic, and now we also have another layer of wisdom with the Board of Trustees. So I am confident that we will come up with the right adjustments to address the concerns of everyone," he added.

Though Season 83 will not be held -- the first time a UAAP season has been cancelled since World War II -- Saguisag said it will not be stricken from the record books. "We cannot just skip a season," he explained. The league, when it returns, will hold Season 84.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/17/20/uaap-hopes-to-open-season-84-in-september-2021

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, December 13, 2020

Basketball: Thirdy rusty in return, as NeoPhoenix snaps skid

Thirdy Ravena returned to the basketball court on Saturday, as his team San-En NeoPhoenix picked up a 83-69 blowout win against Levanga Hokkaido in the Japan B.League.

Ravena, who has recovered from COVID-19, had yet to get his conditioning back, showing signs of rust after being sidelined for 2 weeks.

The former UAAP superstar scored 5 points to go with his 3 rebounds and a couple of assists.

He caught the virus on November 27, and when he recovered was allowed to join team practice.

Stevan Jelovac led the way for NeoPhoenix with 21 points to break the slump and improve the team's record to 3-17.

San-En will play Levanga again on Sunday.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/12/20/basketball-thirdy-rusty-in-return-as-neophoenix-snaps-skid

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, December 9, 2020

Enchong not taking it against stars who jump ship

In a recent digital conference, Enchong Dee said that he understands fellow Kapamilya talents who opted to accept job offers from other networks. He stated that he can’t blame them for simply looking for jobs.

“They need to work in order to earn. A lot of my contemporaries are breadwinners. Considering the shutdown of ABS-CBN and the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, you can’t take it against them if they do projects for other TV stations,” he related.

It is public knowledge that at present, many Kapamilya stars can be seen appearing in shows produced by other networks, particularly, TV 5. Some of these stars include Piolo Pascual, Maja Salvador, Catriona Gray, Billy Crawford, Jake Cuenca, Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Alex Gonzaga, Pokwang, Ria Atayde, Beauty Gonzales, Miles Ocampo, and Maris Racal. 

Meanwhile, some also decided to leave Star Magic like Julia Barretto and McCoy de Leon who recently inked a contract with Viva Artists Agency. Bea Alonzo has also sought new management after 19 years with the Kapamilya’s talent management arm.

As for Enchong, he still remains loyal to ABS-CBN.

“Yes, for 15 years! But actually, during these critical times, I’ve realized that you can’t measure loyalty by staying in your mother studio. As I’ve said, times are hard and everybody needs to earn a living. It just so happened that I was able to prepare before the pandemic hit.”

https://manilastandard.net/showbitz/columns0/shticks/341543/enchong-not-taking-it-against-stars-who-jump-ship.html