Ramon Ang, SMC, offer free testing for PBA employees

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Philippine Basketball Association is taking baby steps to turn the resumption of its 45th season into reality amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the national government imposed quarantine rules in the Philippines – effectively prohibiting mass gatherings, the PBA had to suspend basketball operations until further notice.

Through the downgrade of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to the general community quarantine (GCQ), the PBA has seen a glimmer of hope towards the long-waited comeback after SMC president and chief operating officer, Ramon S. Ang, offered free testing for all PBA employees including the players and the coaches.

With the PBA already mapping out protocols and schemes for their resumption, the testing is one of the most important steps to hurdle and become the baseline of where they can start with.

“It’s a very important step because it allows us to see how we can draft future protocols. From this, we can now observe and learn how to conduct tests and how soon we can get results,” said PBA commissioner, Willie Marcial.

Ang, as the owner of three PBA franchise teams, the Magnolia Hotshots, Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel, and the San Miguel Beermen, expressed his full support towards the PBA’s decision-makings for the resumption of the league.