The future of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) was given more clarity after it was announced that Chooks-to-Go will be handling the league’s basketball operations from here on.
In an announcement made on Monday, Chooks-to-Go said an agreement was reached at the weekend between its President Ronald Mascariñas and MPBL founder Manny Pacquiao for the rotisserie firm to take a more prominent role in the handling of the league.
The latest development elevates further the partnership between the two groups, which started in December 2019 when Chooks-to-Go signed a five-year deal to be the MPBL’s title sponsor.
In agreeing for Chooks-to-Go to have a more active role in the league, Mr. Pacquiao said they took into consideration its organizational skills and go-getting mindset as attested by successful tournaments it has mounted in the past years, particularly in the 3×3 basketball scene.
Earlier, the future of the MPBL, which started in 2017, was rendered uncertain after Mr. Pacquiao, also a sitting senator of the republic, announced his bid for the presidency in next year’s national elections.
Mr. Mascariñas, for their part, said they are ready to take on the challenge involved in operating the MPBL, signifying their intention to work with league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes.
The MPBL is currently in the early stages of holding an invitational tournament for its member teams to close out the year while Chooks-to-Go is also planning to integrate its 3×3 basketball program with the MPBL.
While they are going to be more involved in the MPBL, Mr. Mascariñas assured that they remain committed to supporting regional professional leagues Pilipinas Vismin Super Cup and National Basketball League-Pilipinas, which are in line with the organization’s thrust of leveling the playing field for players in the countryside and for them to have same opportunities in basketball as a source of livelihood. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
