MANILA – This year’s restart of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup is good to go following the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) on Thursday.
PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said there was already a clearance for the bubble-style resumption of the All-Filipino conference at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Pampanga on Oct. 11.
“We are happy, we are ready, the players are ready to go. It’s all now in the hands of the commissioner to see this plan executed to perfection,” Vargas said.
Testing czar Vivencio Dizon of the National Task Force against COVID-19, meanwhile, said the IATF-EID allowed the resumption since the league’s protocols are stricter than the Joint Administrative Order (JAO).
“Makakasiguro tayo na safe ang bubble,” Dizon said. “The protocols in the JAO and in the PBA bubble differ. PBA has a stricter protocol than the JAO, thus the PBA was given provisional authority.”
“Testing protocols are more stringent. Kahit nasa bubble itself, regular pa rin ang testing and monitoring. They will use the Stay Safe app in terms of monitoring their symptoms,” he added.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, for his part, said all activities will be done inside the bubble. Deadline of submission of lineups will be today, while players can enter the bubble from Sept. 28 to Oct. 10.
“Pinayagan na ang scrimmages, pinayagan na ang games,” Marcial said. “Teams who will head to Clark on Sept. 28-29, will be tested again, and will be under quarantine for 24 hours.”
Tournament format will be single-round robin elimination. Top four teams after the elimination have a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals against the fifth to eighth team. Semifinals will be best-of-five and finals will be best-of-seven.
The 94-78 victory of defending champion San Miguel Beermen over Magnolia Hotshots during the opening day of the Philippine Cup last March 8 will count in the team standings./PN
