LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Feb. 16 (PIA) – Basketball fever burns bright in Pangasinan with the official entry of the "Pangasinan Heat" into the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
 
Fueled by the desire to ignite passion for sports among the youth, the homegrown team was formally welcomed into the national league during a contract signing ceremony held on Thursday at the Provincial Capitol.
 
Dr. Cezar Quiambao, the franchise owner of Pangasinan Heat, said the pact is one way of supporting the basketball players in the province to further hone their skills and soon become homegrown basketball players.
 
Quiambao said Pangasinan Heat, the 29th team in the MPBL, is a symbol of the province’s constant heat of the sun, which is the main ingredient in the production of salt, or "asin," from which the province derived its name.
 
“This could really be the tool to market the province of Pangasinan aside from youth development,” he said.
 
The team manager, Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste, said that the team’s motivation for joining the MPBL is not financial gain but rather the respect and honor that it will bring to the province.
 
Celeste said the majority of the team is composed of 8 to 10 Pangasinan homegrown players.
 
“But we cannot avoid getting imports from other provinces if we want to be a formidable team. So we are getting five to seven imports outside Pangasinan,” he said.
 
Meanwhile, Governor Ramon Guico III expressed his full support for the team that aims to promote sports development.
 
"This will give our youth something to strive for when they participate in sports," Guico said, adding that it will support the provincial government’s goal of fostering greater growth in society.
 
Guico clarified that since the team is a franchise, the fund will be coming from the franchise owner and no government fund will be used.
 
MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes emphasized that the Pangasinan team's composition is well-aligned with the league's vision to develop local talent, offer increased opportunities, and provide exposure for players to shine in the MPBL.
 
Among the well-known basketball players who hail from Pangasinan are Marlou Aquino, Danny Ildefonso, and Lordy Tugade, who were introduced as team consultants.
 
The opening of the next season is on March 16 and will be held in Calasiao town. (JCR/AMB/EMSA/MANP/PIA Pangasinan)