MANILA, Philippines—Team owners doled out assistance to the personnel of Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League after it ceased play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several owners have been giving out financial aid to the league’s employees since April 12, less than a month after President Rodrigo Duterte imposed enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of the virus.
Davao Occidental-Cocolife team owner Claudine Bautista gave out a fresh batch of financial assistance to the MPBL staff while Bong and Rian Cuevas of Nueva Ecija donated 100 sacks of rice.
Zamboanga-Family’s Brand Sardines also gave out boxes of different variants of its products to the league’s staff and employees.
“Mr. Cuevas and the Mayor commiserate with the people in these trying times,” said Jai Reyes, team manager of Nueva Ecija. “They want to help ease the suffering of the people.”
League commissioner subsequently thanked the team owners for extending help to the staff who’ve been hit after the lockdown was imposed.
“We want to thank our league members, the team owners who donated to our daily employees,” said commissioner Kenneth Duremdes in Filipino. “This is when you can really see the Bayanihan spirit.”
“They saw that the other members of our league needed help, so they extended their hands and gave an assist.”