Boxing legend and Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) owner Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao and Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) President Ronald Mascariñas today launched a partnership that changes the face of Philippine basketball.
Uniting two sports giants for the league’s Lakan Season, Chooks-to-Go MPBL was feted in an elaborate ceremony at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City.
With over 30 teams from all over the country, MPBL is the largest Philippine basketball league.
“Ito ang tunay na liga ng mamamayang Pilipino,” Mascariñas said, referring to the league’s teams representing the country’s major cities.
Sen. Pacquiao, meanwhile, commended Chooks-to-Go for supporting basketball through the years, as a way of giving back to the community that made the company successful.
“This is the beginning of a strong and long partnership between MPBL and Chooks-to-Go,” Pacquiao said.
Also present at the festive event were Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas director of operations Butch Antonio, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Legal Commission Chairman Aga Francisco, BAVI Chairman Tennyson Chen, MPBL Governor and Pampanga Congressman Dong Gonzales, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Commissioner Eric Altamirano, and former Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes.
The event also featured a surprise for Sen. Pacquiao, who will celebrate his birthday on December 17. The boxing champ received a birthday cake with the colors of the Philippine flag, after which Mascariñas promised him of Chooks-to-Go’s support for MPBL for five years.
Chooks-to-Go has been advocating nationalism through sports for three years now. Early this year, it founded the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 league, which aims to represent the country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and to kindle love of country among Filipinos.