Pinoy basketball on a quest for excellence

by Smart Speak Bulletin

March 3, 2009

Underlying the euphoria of Talk n Text copping a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) crown after a long six-year wait is the desire to bring its winning ways and quest for excellence to the global arena and gain the respect of the international basketball community.

Such is the force that drives business leader Manny V. Pangilinan and the companies he leads – particularly SMART Communications – to promote a culture of triumph in the various basketball organizations they support from the amateur to the professional ranks.

The vision though is not just to win but also to utilize basketball, boxing and any sport for that matter as avenues for shaping the values of the citizenry – especially the youth. And this is why the grassroots takes precedence in the development of the popular sports of basketball and boxing that Pangilinan and his business organizations support.

This much Pangilinan underscored in a speech he delivered last February 20 during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night where he was honored as Sports Patron of the Year.

“The suggestion here is that athletics is a means available for us to influence and shape ethical behavior. The role of sports in illustrating, expressing and reinforcing important values is significant and should not be ignored,” he said.

His mindset is shared across the business organizations he heads, particularly at SMART whose Chief Wireless Advisor Orlando B. Vea best sums it up: “Championing the cause of Philippine sports is our new passion at SMART. And like the Talk n Text Tropang Texters, we put our hearts into every game.”

Bring back the glory



Guided by this philosophy, Pangilinan continues to immerse himself in a sport that is very dear to Filipinos – basketball. As president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), he applies his corporate experience collectively with those of PLDT and SMART to professionalize the sport and inspire those involved in it to constantly aspire for excellence.

Together with the hardworking officials of SBP, which include close business associate Ricky Vargas – who is SBP vice chairman and governor of Talk N Text in the PBA – Pangilinan has embarked on a mission to use all the resources at the disposal of the national sports association in order to bring back the glory that was once the Filipinos’ in Asian basketball.

In his two years as SBP president, Pangilinan and his team have made significant progress particularly in equipping coaches as well as referees, and upgrading their skills to global standards.

He reported during the PSA Awards Night that the SBP’s Coaches Commission was well on its way to licensing, accrediting and training coaches on a national scale. By the end of 2009, SBP expects to have 2,000 Green-corded Level 1 coaches and 500 Bronze-corded Level 2 coaches. Coaches at the highest or gold level will be endorsed to FIBA – the world governing body for basketball. A national convention of all registered coaches is scheduled in November.

Stressing the need for impartial and competent officiating, Pangilinan also reported that the SBP Technical Commission is now implementing a National Referees Development Program which has two legs – education and leveling. SBP has increased its number of international referees from six to 10 with one more pending assessment.

And like in boxing which Pangilinan and SMART also support, SBP has established national basketball training centers in Cebu and Davao to bring expertise and know-how closer to the grassroots. SBP is also forming youth teams in various age categories and is currently putting together a national women’s team.

The calendars for both the coaches and technical commissions as well as the SBP national team are full until the run-up to the London Olympics in 2012. The national developmental team’s pool of eligible players formed under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is scheduled to leave for training in Serbia late this month and in the US next month.

Pangilinan capped his brief report on SBP with a reassurance that his commitment as well as the commitment of PLDT and SMART to Philippine basketball is “unconditional.”

Crowning achievement



For his dedication to basketball and his professional involvement in the country’s basketball federation including “all the trials and heartaches that come with it,” the long-time sports benefactor has been amply rewarded.

All the basketball organizations he supported have won major crowns in the last six months – the San Beda Lions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), and of course the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the just concluded all-Filipino conference in the PBA. Even in the junior PBA tournament, the young Talk n Text team emerged as champion.

“This unique grand slam illustrates the winning attitude that we at SMART, personified by our chairman, would like to share with everyone especially now that Filipinos may be feeling engulfed by a culture of defeat owing perhaps to current global difficulties,” said Danilo J. Mojica, Head of SMART’s Wireless Consumer Division.



It is this same winning attitude and a close affinity with consumers that inspires Pangilinan and SMART to support basketball, boxing, taekwondo and tennis from the fruits of developing affordable, technologically advanced products and services that enable Filipinos anywhere in the world to be in touch. Indeed, this mindset encompasses the whole spirit of Tropa ng Tagumpay. Like the brand the team represents, hard work, intensity and passion for excellence have paved the way for success. This was particularly evident during the thrilling PBA finals series when Talk N Text supporters would shout “Laban tropa!” and players would respond with a resounding “Puso!”

A myriad subscribers and fans cannot be wrong. After all, everybody loves a winner and being able to call oneself a tropang texter has become somewhat of a trendy buzzword among PBA fans.

As Ricky Vargas, the Talk n Text alternate governor in the PBA, put it: “Winning the championship on the seventh game of the series is only half of the story. Our story began when we experienced the pains of losing. Slowly, we obtained the rewards of hard work and teamwork. We believed that nothing could stop us from achieving our dreams despite the tremendous challenges and trials we encountered. In our hearts and minds, we knew we could do it. If we want to win another championship, let us remember these memories which brought us together to number one. The journey has just begun. Let’s make it happen one more time … again and again.”

That, indeed, is the spirit of triumph and victory.