Says PBA team to serve as one of the program's ambassadors.
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) recently launched its sports advocacy program, which would
serve as one of the company's vehicles to reach out to the community it serves. Central to the said
program is furthering Meralco's role in economic development through socio-civic sports endeavors.
Meralco recently has had its share of the limelight in Philippine sports as it made a comeback to
professional basketball with its entry into the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Meralco
President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, however, said that this whole program is more than just
about basketball. In a press conference during the Meralco basketball team launch at the Meralco
corporate offices in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City, Pangilinan said, "Basketball serves as a perfect
springboard for us to carry out our sports advocacy given the fact that the sport transcends all
social strata in the country. Our advocacy revolves around the concept of a ‘Basketboy', a
representative of young talents from the marginalized poor sector who possess the distinctive
potential of becoming future basketball stars. With a professional sports team to serve as an
ambassador of our program, we hope more people will embrace our vision of giving hope to the dreams
of many of our young aspiring athletes."
Meanwhile, Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources Ramon B. Segismundo, who will
also act as the Meralco team's governor in the PBA, said that among the company's current sports
advocacy projects is a basketball scholarship program. Through this program, talented high school
students from poor families will be given the chance to attend college and play for the country's
best universities. "It is central to Meralco's advocacy to nurture these young talents by opening up
opportunities and providing them the needed guidance to advance their development," Segismundo
shared.
Aside from the scholarship program, the Meralco basketball team also established a partnership
program with a charity in which part of the team's PBA gate revenue share will be donated to the
charitable organization.
Segismundo shared to the media that Meralco has chosen the well-esteemed local charity Caritas
Manila (Church of the Poor) to be its partner. With its reputation as the leading social arm of the
Archdiocese of Manila, Caritas Manila was selected among a number of organizations because of its
empowered mission for total human development and improvement of the urban poor family. These are
goals that Meralco considered as most consistent with those of its sports advocacy. In fact, the
logo of Caritas Manila will be seen alongside Meralco's logo on the Meralco basketball team's
jersey. "Every time one buys a ticket to watch a Meralco PBA game, a percentage of that purchase
will be donated to Caritas Manila," Segismundo said.
Segismundo also mentioned Meralco's past basketball history as a driving factor for joining the
current PBA roster. He said, "Meralco intends to relive its glory through building a team of winners
that will live up to the company's own basketball legacy. The strength of a competitive team
powered by a strong sports advocacy hopes to catapult MERALCO into a powerful contender and future
champion in the league, and at the same time, help and assist the less privileged in life."
Meralco has had a rich basketball tradition. Back in the 1970s, the Meralco team, known as the
Reddy Kilowatts, won the 1971 championship in the old Manila Inter-Commercial Athletic Association
(MICAA). The team was bolstered by basketball legends Robert Jaworski, Jr., Francis Arnaiz, brothers
Alberto and Tino Reynoso, Orly Bauzon, Alfonso Marquez, Jimmy Mariano and Larry Mumar and was
handled by Lauro "The Fox" Mumar.
The current Meralco PBA team will be known as the MERALCO BOLTS. Its roster includes: Marlou
Aquino, Yousif Aljamal, Pong Escobal, Bitoy Omolon, Ogie Menor, Beau Belga, Mark Cardona, Chris Ross
and Gabby Espinas among others. The team's head coach is Ryan Gregorio. He will be assisted by a
competent coaching staff composed of Ronnie Magsanoc, Boyet Fernandez, Patrick Fran and Xavier
Nunag. Virgil Villavicencio, meanwhile, will assume the role of team manager and Dino Martin the
function of liaison officer. Meralco's Chief Finance Officer Betty Siy-Yap will serve as alternate
governor in the PBA.
Pangilinan said, "Meralco's sports program goes well beyond the confines of the court. It is meant
to be a shared experience between the company, the players, the staff and the community at large
where basketball and sports in general become synonymous with ‘the game of life'. Sports, then,
becomes a key enabler for learning skills and imbibing values necessary for success in life."
