The state-run People’s Television Network (PTV) has launched the Unity League, a grassroots tournament for ESports that aims to produce potential national esports athletes under Team Sibol.
For its initial venture, Unity League will hold the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang nationwide tournament open to all Local Government Units (LGU) willing to field their squads.
This was announced by PTV General Manager Analisa V. Puod during the press launch of the league Monday, Feb. 12, at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City.
Apart from providing the needed TV coverage along with broadcast partner Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13), Puod was able to enlist the help of the House of Representatives and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to bolster the league’s logistics.
“The lifeblood of any sport is at its grassroots, and PTV is proud to be a part of the Unity League, which will become a training pool for esports talent in the country,” shares Puod. “It’s time for us to claim our dominant place in esports the way we have in other disciplines such as boxing, billiards, track and field, martial arts, basketball, and more.”
Seemingly impressed by the Unity League’s goal, no less than House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez committed to raise the financial bonanza being offered by the tournament.
“We want to inspire all our stakeholders here, we are upping the ante, so we will be awarding to the champion two million pesos. Second place one million pesos and third place half a million pesos,” as announced by Romualdez who attended the presser as the event’s main guest.
Initially, PTV offered a total cash prize amounting to P1 million, with P500,000 going to the league’s inaugural champions.
The speaker was accompanied by Rep. Zaldy Co, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco.
PTV has also tapped the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO) to handle the technical and operations aspects of the league, ensuring top-notch nationwide tournaments.
PESO is the recognized National Sports Association (NSA) of the International Esports Federation (IESF), which is the world governing body of Esports and is also a member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
PESO Executive Director Marlon Marcelo said the Unity League will eventually stage several more Esports game categories to provide a major avenue for young but untapped talents around the country.
“The first season of the Unity League will feature Mobile Legends as our first game title. In the upcoming seasons, we would want to organize other esports categories such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Valorant, and Tekken.” said Marcelo.
Esports has been a medal event in the Southeast Asian Games since 2019 and made its Asian Games debut during the 2022 Hangzhou Games in China.
The National Esports Team, also known as Team Sibol, has won seven gold medals in the last three SEA Games. It won three Gold Medals upon its debut in the 2019 SEA Games, and two each in the 2021 and 2023 SEA Games.
On the professional level, the AP.Bren team from the Philippines has won the recently concluded MLBB M5 World Championship.
Meantime, the Unity League will conduct regional qualifiers namely in North Luzon, South Luzon, National Capital Region, Visayas and Mindanao and will be open to any Filipino 18 years old and above.
Registration starts February 13 in NCR, February 24 in North Luzon, March 16 in South Luzon, March 23 in Visayas and March 27 in Mindanao, details of which will be posted via the league’s official social media pages.
Speaker vows House support for esports development, sees PH becoming the dominant force in gaming arena
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday vowed the full support of the House of Representatives for the development of esports in the country as he expressed confidence the Philippines could cement its position as a dominant force in the gaming arena.
Romualdez made the commitment in his message during the launch of the Unity League and its inaugural Mobile Legends: Bang Bang nationwide tournament at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City.
“As the leader of the House of Representatives, I assure you that we are fully committed to supporting the development of esports in the country,” said Speaker Romualdez.
“We believe in the power of youth, innovation, and technology to bring about positive change. Together, let’s make history and prove that the Philippines can be a dominant force in esports, just as we have been in other sports disciplines,” he added.
The country’s esports athletes have scored significant wins in the international scene, including the gold medal the Philippine National Esports Team (Sibol) bagged in the 2023 IESF Mobile Legends: Bang Bang event held last August in Romania.
The Philippines likewise clinched the gold and silver medals at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang for the male and female categories, respectively, in May last year in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Romualdez bared that the House will help provide funding support, through the Philippine Sports Commission, to offer a prize money of P2 million for the winning team, P1 million for the runner-up, and P500,000 for the third-place winner. Likewise, Romualdez agreed to suggesstions to double the prize money for the regional competition, originally pegged at P60,000 for the first place, P30,000 for the second place, and P20,000 for the 3rd place winner.
Speaker Romualdez was accompanied in the event by Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co and Secretary General Reginald Velasco.
According to Speaker Romualdez, the launch of the Unity League is a pivotal moment in the history of Philippine esports and a bold step towards recognizing and nurturing the immense talent pool in our country.
He noted that the Philippines has a rich tradition of excellence in various sports and can extend this legacy to the digital arena through the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang nationwide tournament.
“By opening this platform to all Local Government Units (LGUs), we are tapping into the grassroots level, where the heart of Philippine esports beats the strongest,” Romualdez said.
He commended PTV4, its broadcast partner IBC-13, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Philippine Esports Organization (PESO), for their vision and efforts in making the Unity League a reality.
Pointing out that esports has rapidly evolved from being a pastime to a global phenomenon, Speaker Romualdez exhorted the young athletes participating in the tournament to showcase their skills and be part of something bigger than themselves.
“Do not look to the Unity League as a mere competition. It is a chance to showcase your skills, to represent your communities, and to be part of something bigger than yourselves. It is an opportunity to be at the forefront of an exciting and emerging field, to potentially become national esports athletes under Team Sibol, and to contribute to our country’s success on the international stage,” Romualdez said.
“Remember, every champion was once a contender that refused to give up. So, I encourage you to seize this opportunity, to dream big, and to work hard. The future of Philippine esports looks bright, and it’s up to us to ensure that it shines on the world stage.”
