Regarding the tragic event that just occurred

In basketball games, teamwork and great leadership most of the time will prevail over a very tough opponent. No matter how good the opponent may be or how tough the challenges they’ll present you, your team will always come out on top if you learn to trust one another. In most parts in this tragic event that hit us, I guess it’s also safe to say that what we have when all’s all is gone, much like basketball, is one another.

I am very happy to see people in the news, whom despite having some rough times on their own, managed to help their neighbors, especially the old ones who’s struggling for survival. I’m happy to see people interacting, people who’ve sent their own donations whether it may be in the form of cash, food, clothes, medicine or other necessities. My hat is off to everyone who even in the tiniest things have shown sincerity in helping out our fellow Filipinos in this tragic event that just occurred.

With that being said, my heart goes out to all the people who’ve lost their love ones, who lost their houses, who lost everything. I have a friend here who just had his house flooded up to the second floor and my God, I’ve never seen a place so devastated before. While I was helping them fix their house yesterday, I can’t help but think about how lucky we were who wasn’t affected by the storm one single bit. I then made a vow to myself to give out and help, even in the littlest things possible.

And you, if you’re reading this, that means you still have the means to help. I encourage you to help out. Think for one second of how lucky you are and then decide if you want to do help or not. Lots of people are still in need. Lots of organizations are still looking for volunteers and donation. That’s why here I am, encouraging you, that if you aren’t that affected by the Typhoon, to help out.

Here are the hotlines of Government, NGOs and other business groups where you can find the information on how to interact and help out. (From Inquirer)

Rescue Operations

National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) (+632-9125668, +632-9111406, +632-9115061, +632-9122665) Help hotlines: (+65 734-2118, 734-2120) ndcchelpdesk@gmail.com
Philippine Coast Guard (+632-5276136)
Air Force (+63908-1126976, +632-8535023)
Metro Manila Development Authority (136)
Marikina City Rescue (+632-6462436, +632-6462423, +632920-9072902) Pasig Rescue Emergency Number (+632-6310099)
Quezon City Rescue (161)
San Juan City Hall Command Post (+632-4681697)
Bureau of Fire Protection Region III (Central Luzon) Hotline: (+63245-9634376)
Senator Dick Gordon (+639178997898, +63938-444BOYS, +632-9342118, +632-4338528)
Senator Manny Villar (+639174226800. +639172414864, +639276751981)
Philippine National Red Cross (143, +632-5270000)
Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter operations center hotline: (+632-6350922, +632-6347824)

Rubber boat and chopper requests

NCRPO (+632-8383203, +632-8383354)
Private citizens who would like to lend their motor boats for rescue please call emergency nos: +632-9125668, +632-9111406, +632-9122665, +632-9115061)
You can also text (+632917-4226800 or +632927-6751981) for rescue dump trucks.
For those who are able to lend 4×4 trucks for rescue: Please send truck to Greenhills Shopping Center Unimart Grocery to await deployment, Tel No. (+632920-9072902).
Petron & San Miguel Corporation are lending choppers for rescue operations, call/text: (+632917-8140655) ask for Lydia Ragasa

Power supply concerns

Meralco (+63917-5592824, 16211, +63920-9292824) If you want service cut off to your area to prevent fires and electrocution.

Donations of heavy duty flashlights needed for rescue operations in Cainta, Rizal area. Contact Cielo at (+632918-8824356)

E-Donations

SMS: text RED to 2899 (Globe) and 4483 (Smart)
G-Cash: text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882
TXTPOWER.org: Paypal, Smart Money (5577-5144-1866-7103), G-Cash (0917-9751092)

Cellphone services

FINDERSERVICE. For Smart, text wis to 386.
FINDERSERVICE. For Globe, text find to 7000.

Maps

A group composed of Serge Gregorio and Franklin Naval has put up an interactive rescue map (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&

Again me and the rest of Hoops.blink.ph crew wish you guys the best.

Your HooPh Basketball Site Is A PBA Finalist

First, the nomination. = Happy.

Now, HooPh made the finals of the Philippine Blog Awards (PBA) Sports Blog Category. = Happier.

If ever we win? = Happierer.

The complete finalist list are the following:

Big Lakers Fan
Bleachers’ Brew
HooPh - Philippine Hoops Blog
Lakers Today
Sports and Tech sa Pilipinas
The Bull Runner
Victorious One

To the one two three who nominated us, salamat. To the PBA organizers, thanks for the finals inclusion. Just like in the playing hoops, regardless of the wins & the losses, may the Awards Night itself be an overwhelming victory for us all, the Philippine blogging folks.

Cheers!

(We tried 2x to secure one slot but to no avail. I guess we’ll do it again and hope the 3rd time is a charm.)

Solar Sports First Fives Introduced (Anchors, Analysts, Etc.)

Solar Sports “first fives” of anchors, analysts, courtside reporters and interviewers are out.

ANCHORS:

1. Mico Halili - One of the better anchors today. Just don’t pair him with Barry Pascua and he’ll lose the appetite to do good on his play by play.

2. Vitto Lazatin - Please Vitto, DO NOT SHOUT! And, enough of the Kamla imitation.

3. Ed Picson - This guy is an institution and a goodluck charm for Ginebra San Miguel. Right Neil?

4. Paolo Trillo - Uhm, he’s better doing the sidecourt reporting. His dad is a better anchor I think. Remember the early Vintage days?

5. Jude Turcuato - Kaboom! He’s the boss!

Read more

Hoops Philippines, Nominated at PBA

Hey, just like to make a shout-out that your blog Hoops Philippines (or as we try to call this, HooPh) is nominated over at PBA.

Not this PBA.

But this PBA.

The category is under the SPORTS division. [A blog that reports and discusses events and issues about Sports. It could be about boxing (both pro and non-pro) or it could be about marathon running. More often the distinction here is that this blog covers competitive sports.] Read more

Purefoods & Ginebra, Tied as most popular teams in PBA?

Sometimes I don’t believe polls anymore. (Check out the poll now at the right column, Homer Se is the most valuable player out there. :-) )

SWS survey says that the Purefoods Giants and the Barangay Ginebra Kings are the most popular teams in the Philippine Basketball Association. Tied.

Ok then, tell that to the Araneta and PBA accountants and they’ll give you the book that says, gate receipts for Ginebra games are over the top. A pol sci grad will argue the science of survey, but to me, 1ooo respondents can’t cover the masses.

That’s why I don’t trust surveys that much. I don’t quite believe an answer by one dude, having siesta then SWS agent knocks on the door, rings the bell and asks some questions too.

SWS agent asks, “Which are your favorite PBA teams, if any?” Dude still sleepy, remembers the juicy hotdog he took at lunch time, he answers, PUREFOODS! Read more

DOJ Says Norwood is a Filipino and is BEIJING Bound. Wait, WHERE???!!!

DOJ Says…

“Cager Norwood is Filipino.”

Response be: Great news for Philippine Basketball fans. So, we got the guard spot covered for 10 years for international meets.

DOJ Says…

“Cager Gabriel Daniel Norwood is a Filipino citizen and can play for the Philippine Team in the Beijing Olympics, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.”

Response be: Say where? Beijing Olympics? What event? Memo to DoJ people: If you go over the newspaper, there’s this thing called SPORTS SECTION. Sometimes, you need to go there. It’s usually at the back. Read more

Sonny Cabatu: Lucky To Be Alive

When Sonny Cabatu left Manila to play a series of exhibition games with the PBA Legends in the US last March, he had no premonition of an impending tragedy.

Cabatu, 47, finished the Legends tour and was with friends in Long Beach when he took ill. It started with a fainting spell in a Filipino store where he just bought load for his cellphone. He didn’t know what came over him. What he remembered was losing consciousness and being helped into a car.

After 10 minutes, Cabatu collapsed again, this time as he was about to enter a friend’s home. An ambulance came to rush Cabatu to the hospital.

As he was stretched out in the emergency room, Cabatu thought he wouldn’t live to see another day. The blood pressure gauge showed no reading. He was numb from the waist down. Something was wrong. He felt like sleeping but his friends told him to stay awake because there was a chance he couldn’t be revived. Full Read>>>

UAAP Season 71 Schedule

Got this one from a friend. Will post my UAAP entry in a few weeks.

July 12 - Araneta Colisuem (?)
12:30 PM - Opening by University of the Philippines
02:00 PM - UP vs NU
04:00 PM - UE vs UST

July 13 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - AdU vs FEU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs ADMU

July 17 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UST vs UP
04:00 PM - FEU vs DLSU

July 19 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - ADMU vs AdU
04:00 PM - NU vs UE

July 20 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UP vs FEU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs UST

July 24 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - AdU vs NU
04:00 PM - UE vs ADMU

July 26 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - AdU vs UE
04:00 PM - NU vs DLSU

July 27 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - ADMU vs UP
04:00 PM - FEU vs UST

July 31 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UST vs NU
04:00 PM - FEU vs ADMU

August 2 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UP vs DLSU
04:00 PM - UE vs FEU

August 3 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UST vs AdU
04:00 PM - NU vs ADMU

August 7 - Philsports Arena
02:00 PM - UE vs UP
04:00 PM - AdU vs DLSU

August 9 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - FEU vs NU
04:00 PM - ADMU vs UST

August 10 - Araneta Coliseum
02:00 PM - UP vs AdU
04:00 PM - DLSU vs UE

September 14 - Cheerdance Competition

Pros and Cons Of Solar Sports or ABS CBN Coverage of the PBA

ABS-CBN Pros

- Clearer TV signal than RPN-Solar (at least, in my town).
- Better line-up of sports/basketball analysts. For one, I am a fan of TJ Manotoc anchoring.
- Tested and reliable network
- Good marketing record

ABS-CBN Cons

- It will surely take some logistics, resources and funds off the UAAP. Expect a little slacking on UAAP coverage.
- I don’t know where to put this, pro or con (I feel this is negative), but expect PBA players guesting on ABS CBN shows. MOST ESPECIALLY, THE DREADED WOWOWEE GUESTING. (Wowowee, a town fiesta kinda game show aired on national TV! What a cheapo. Siyeeeeet! And I don’t get it, why the hell are the Wowowee female hosts shouting. Ihas, ‘di kami bingi!)
- Clearly, no more MBA revival for sure.
- Lopez/ABS-CBN monopoly of sports entertainment (or power/energy for that matter, or TV and Radio news monopoly for that matter) is BAD for us sports consumers.
- They’ll surely (force)field Dianne Castillejo to cover basketball games. What sports was she into in the 80’s? Ahhh, TENNIS!
-Stricter Policy on YOUTUBE uploads. This is a HUGE negative man. ABS CBN is known for really going after unauthorized video uploads of their content. So,in case ABS CBN holds the rights, things might change in that regard. A lot of OFWs are banking on Youtube to get their PBA highlights and video clips. Read more

Some random basketball stuff from the Internet

A filler post. Will promise to continue writing as soon as the Lakers eliminates the Jazz tomorrow. Hahaha

Pay up, Sir Charles!
LAS VEGAS (AP)—Charles Barkley acknowledged he owes a $400,000 gambling debt to a Las Vegas Strip casino and promised Thursday to repay it after a prosecutor said the retired NBA star faced criminal charges.

“My mistake,” Barkley said in an interview at a pro-am golf tournament in Hoover, Ala. “I’m not broke, and I’m going to take care of it.” Read more

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