By JONAS TERRADO
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial bared the league is losing at least P30 million per month in revenue due to the suspension of games caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marcial said in the second online session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association that conservative estimate since the Philippine Cup was halted in mid-March are coming from gate receipts, the PBA’s television deal with TV5 and sponsorship deals.
“Parang lahat ng negosyo na naapektuhan at parang napipilayan, ganun rin ang nararamdaman ng PBA,” said Marcial, who was joined in the weekly forum by deputy commissioner Eric Castro.
The PBA, however, is glad that it has enough savings coupled with financial assistances from member teams to spend on wages of its personnel.
Forty-one employees comprised the PBA’s workforce at its league office in Libis, Quezon City.
“Buti na lang meron tayong savings at yung parang equity ng mga teams, dahan-dahan inaabot muna sa PBA para gamiting sweldo,” Marcial said.
The loss of revenue does not include teams which Marcial said continues to pay its players, coaches and utilitymen despite the suspension.
But Marcial said players whose contracts expired during the suspension are receiving allowances from their teams that own their rights. The league’s Board of Governors had earlier approved that teams won’t be allowed to make any transactions until practices resume.
Once the PBA receives the nod of the Inter-Agency Task Force regarding the resumption of practices under strict health protocols, players can negotiate with their mother teams on an extension for five days or they’ll a free agent.
The PBA is still waiting the response of the IATF regarding its proposed guidelines but having practices may perhaps give the league something to look forward as far as the fate of the 45th season is concerned.
Marcial and the Board of Governors won’t decide until August if the season can resume. That being said, Marcial gave an optimistic approach.
“Seven to eight ang sa akin na matutuloy,” Marcial said when asked from a scale of 1 to 10 if the PBA season can be salvaged.
“Malaking bagay talaga itong ginawa ng PBA. Dahan-dahan yan, hindi lang basketball, pati ibang sports matutulungan natin,” he added.
Castro seconded Marcial’s sentiments, adding it can be a model for the eventual return of sporting events in the country.
“PBA will be a gauge for most of our sports. We can set as a model for other events,” said Castro.
“So I hope i-consider ng IATF yung request natin. So it will be a step-by-step. Again practice, and then later on, we can proceed to our games.”
PBA games are still barred under a General Community Quarantine and Modified General Community Quarantine, though training sessions may resume if the IATF agrees to the arrangements proposed by the league.
