MANILA, Philippines—Gabe Norwood, the sensational Filipino-American who starred for the national squad and for Hapee Toothpaste in the Philippine Basketball League, has applied for the PBA draft, the pro league’s media bureau said Tuesday.

The Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Office had given foreign-raised Filipinos until Tuesday to apply for the draft, which takes place on Aug. 31.

Jared Dillinger, who is currently seeing action for the Pampanga Buddies in the Liga Pilipinas, also beat the deadline for application, along with Charles Water.

Water is a relative of Sta. Lucia Realty top gun Kelly Williams.

Norwood was a last-minute recruit for the national team that played in the FIBA Asia Olympic qualifying tournament in Tokushima, Japan last year. That team, coached by Chot Reyes, finished ninth in the tournament.

The former George Mason U star in the US NCAA then suited up for Hapee, leading the squad to a pair of runner-up finishes in the PBL.

This early, Norwood is a consensus No. 1 pick in the August draft, if he can submit his requirements on time.

Cagers raised abroad must submit several documents to prove their Filipino lineage. Among these documents is an affirmation from the Department of Justice.

“We are asking them to submit their requirements weeks before the draft to give us time to go over their authenticity,” said media bureau chief Willie Marcial.

Norwood has already submitted his Philippine passport, which he used for the Tokushima joust, his birth certificate and auxiliary documents proving his Filipino lineage.

Hapee team manager Bernard Yang said Norwood “is now waiting for his papers from Malacañang,” to make official his application for the draft.

A Malacañang document will cut short the circuitous route to a DoJ affirmation.

Norwood is currently in the United States taking a vacation. He is expected to arrive two weeks before the draft.

Among those who have already applied for the draft are Fil-Ams Solomon Mercado, Rob Reyes and Kevin Dalafu and De La Salle University’s TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva, University of the East’s Mark Broboran and Kelvin Gregorio, Far Eastern University’s Jeff Chan, National University’s Jonathan Fernandez and Jason Castro.

Castro is set to leave for Australia on Wednesday to fulfill his contract with the National Basketball League’s Singapore Lingers. He will play there until March next year.

He has already left his papers with player agent Danny Espiritu and the PBA board has allowed him to participate in the draft despite his absence. The team that picks him will earn his playing rights just in case Castro won’t play a second season in Australia and decides to fly home.

Expected to also join the draft are Ateneo de Manila University’s Ford Arao, Philippine Christian University’s Beau Belga and Mapua Institute of Technology’s Kelvin dela Peña.

The rookies will attend a training camp before the draft.