HAVING concluded their fifth season, MPBL officials are already looking forward to the next one.
Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes yesterday said league founder Manny Pacquiao is bent on maintaining or surpassing the success gained by the league moving forward.
The league is looking to open its sixth season by March next year, just three months after the Pampanga Giant Lanterns emerged as the new national champion following a 3-0 sweep of Bacoor Strikers in the finals last week.
“Right after ng championship, nagpatawag agad ng meeting si Sen. (Pacquiao). So nagse-celebrate pa ‘yung buong Pampanga, nandun na kami sa bahay niya kasi he’s excited dahil nakita niya ‘yung growth and success ng league and gusto niyang magkaroon agad ng plano this early,” said Duremdes the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
While Pampanga was a dominant force in the playoffs, becoming the first team to sweep the finals, Duremdes noted the Lanterns were the fifth different national champion in five seasons of the league so far.
Batangas emerged as the inaugural champion, followed by San Juan, Davao Occidental, and Nueva Ecija.
“Kung mapapansin Ninyo, ang MPBL is an unpredictable league. Walang dominant teams. History-wise, since our inaugural season, wala pang nakapag-back-to-back championship. And ngayon ang magiging barometer naman ng mga teams ‘yung Pampanga,” the PBA great said in the public service program backed by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
“‘Yun ang pinaka-exciting na part ng MPBL. Hindi mo alam kung sino ang mananalo,” said Duremdes, adding last year’s finalists, Nueva Ecija and Zamboanga, were both eliminated in this season’s playoffs.
“Nakita natin ‘yung improvement and level playing field at ‘yung quality ng mga players nag-improve talaga ng malaki.”
That, he said, may been the reason why the MPBL finally breached the one million followers on its Facebook page.
“It was quite an achievement for the league,” said Duremdes.
After the holiday break, Duremdes said the MPBL will hold its pre-season games twice – one in the North and one in the South, which will both be televised.
Duremdes said the MPBL is also looking to add more games to its schedule by next season, while two more teams have submitted letters of intent to join the regional league.
