MANILA, Philippines—PBA players are no stranger to drowning in cheers from the fans whenever they play.
But with the league on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s their turn to give the adulation.
The players from San Miguel Corporation’s three franchises in the PBA provided much-needed moral support to the country’s medical frontliners battling COVID-19 through a series of video messages posted in the company’s Facebook account.
San Miguel, Ginebra, and Magnolia all took the time to reach out and express their gratitude even as SMC sports director Alrancis Chua said the teams have pooled money as their help to the medical workers.
“To all our frontliners, we thank you for all your sacrifices. You are the real Most Valuable Players to us Filipinos,” said the Beermen’s six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo in Filipino.
“We at the San Miguel Beermen are praying for your safety. We have also teamed up to help you with your needs. Let’s just pray always. I know that we’re going to get through this. Thank you for everything that you have done. We salute you. God Bless,” added Fajardo.
Several players have already helped before including Terrence Romeo who’s helped several hospitals with his campaign wherein he and his wife gave out personal protective equipment, food, and supplies.
“You can expect that we will help in the best of our abilities,” said Romeo in Filipino.
“Us here in the San Miguel group, the Ginebra team, San Miguel team, and Magnolia team have talked with each other and we’ve raised some funds as our help,” said Chua in Filipino. “Thank you and salute to all of you. You are the real brave ones.”