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Celebrating Filipino Basketball at Year End

Lou-Maningas-Cabalona

By: Lou Maningas Cabalona

 

Houston-based Sheryn Regis, who rose to fame after winning 2nd place in the first season of Star In A Million a nationally broadcasted Singing competition in the Philippines, gave audiences the chills with her gloriously high belts while warming their hearts singing old Filipino classics such as “Usahay” and “Rosas Pandan”. Joel Sebag, an Inspirational gospel pianist based in Arkansas who started as a piano prodigy, also rendered a number of beloved Christian songs like “Give Thanks” and rendered medleys of classic Broadway favorites much to the audiences’ enjoyment.

After the hugely successful concert organized by Ms. Marife Callender, I wLet me give a disclaimer here from the onset.

I must admit that I was not a fan of basketball growing up.

Despite having close friends in grade school who were, I mean, are die hard Ginebra fans (referring to the local Philippines Basketball team, Ginebra San Miguel), women simply outnumbered the men in our household. That meant, we followed the New York and Milan Fashion Week specials on RPN Channel 9 and we placed our no-money bets on the next Ms. Universe or Ms. World instead of who will win the the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) season.

Later on though, studying in a university that is as serious with basketball as with being Catholic, I also got touched by the hoops-mania when our De La Salle Green Archers Basketball team won National championships for 4 consecutive starting my Junior year.

Whether I or my family was big into basketball or not, I always knew the sport is much loved in the Philippines and among all Filipinos. So much so that Shaquille O’Neal, former center for Los Angeles Lakers, was quoted as saying that he found no other people in the world that loved basketball as much as Filipinos do when he visited the Philippines in 1997.

In the Philippines, It is a sport that is played from the high tech sports complexes of the richest neighborhoods to the make shift barely half court side street of the slums to the most remote towns in the mountains (I have seen this first hand during our Medical missions), with full athletic gear or just your trusty old tsinelas (slippers).

It is a game – truly a passion – that transcends age, gender, social class and generations.

It was no surprise to know therefore that out of the very many organizations Filipino Americans establish in the USA, a basketball association is something that would definitely be right in our court!

Last December 30, I was invited as a special guest at the Year End Fundraiser Gala of the FABA Chicago held at Bobak Signature Events in Woodridge, IL and met many hard-core FilAm basketball fans in the Chicago- area.

The Filipino American Basketball Association of Chicago was originally established in 2012 under the name FABA-IL, then changed to FABA Chicago in September of 2016 under the leadership of Ed Regacho and Elmer Parcon.

Head of Basketball Operations, Regacho, shares that “Our main objective is to encourage the value of health and wellness through the sport of basketball”.

They hold various basketball events such as NABA National Tournament every year during Labor Day weekend participated in by various teams in different venues across the USA and Canada. Throughout the year — and yes, even during winter, they organize developmental programs for their youth league and participate other charitable tournaments as they are now advertising in their website. Their regular league divisions encourage participation from players 16 and under to 40 and above – which means any age at all — and is open to all nationalities for most divisions.

Their Year End Gala which also was also an impressive concert hosted by Alpha Nicolasin with performances by some of the Top Chicago- based singers, Emilio Nicolasin and Bless Peterson and newcomer, Joan Baguios, aims to raise funds for these programs that also strive to “cultivate and foster good sportsmanship, strong playing skills, and develop camaraderie among players” as mentioned in their website.

Glenn Bermejo, who serves as FABA Chicago Coordinator, doesn’t stop at basketball though. Some of the other events the organization puts together throughout the year include karaoke nights and poker tournaments for its members.

The American colonial government first introduced basketball in the Philippines in 1910, making it part of the physical education curriculum in schools, amusingly, intended to be an activity meant for girls only. But it has come so far as becoming the symbol of the resilient spirit of the Filipino people when during the aftermath of the most devastating Typhoon, Haiyan hit the country, visiting journalists such as Todd Pittman and Anderson Cooper noted that basketball hoops was one of one of the first, if not the first, structure to come up after the storm.

In “Signs of life amid misery reveal Filipino’s spirit”, Pittman writes, “As a foreign correspondent working in the middle of a horrendous disaster zone, I didn’t expect to see people having a good time — or asking me to play ball. I was even more stunned when I learned that the basketball goal was one of the first things this neighborhood rebuilt … It took a moment for me to realize that it made all the sense in the world.”

Truly, Basketball will be in the hearts of Filipinos wherever they go and whatever circumstance they encounter in life.

All the best this 2018 to all FABA Chicago members and leaders!

If you are interested in joining FABA Chicago, check out their website at www.fabachicago. com

Incidentally, the National Basketball Association is holding a Filipino Night on January 26, 2018 during the Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers game at the United Center in Chicago. Watch out for a possible feature on Filipino American LA Lakers player, Jordan Clarkson in the coming issues.

Happy New Year to all Via Times readers and hardcore fans! Thank you for your continued support! We hope to bring you more interesting stories, thought provoking insights and exciting features and interviews in 2018.

Louella Maningas Cabalona is a singer, actor, and Senior Manager for Business Analytics, Sears Holdings. She is the lead singer of the Filipino Folk band, SamaSama Project; an active Board member of the League of Volunteers for Relief Expeditions and the Young Business United and is one of the inaugural delegates of the FYLPRO Immersion program of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC. She is passionate about sharing Filipino culture in the modern world and actively supports all outstanding Filipinos around the globe. If you would like to connect, email louellarose@gmail.com

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Media table at the FABA Event. (Counter clockwise from Top Left) Robby Reyes and Donna Reyes of FilAm NOW TV, Louella Cabalona, Entrepreneur Carmel Arden, Concert Promoter Bobby Milagrosa, Baron Cabalona, Danny Domingo (Photo Credits: Gerald Eustaqio)

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The artists and producers of the show (Fr L to R) – Louella Cabalona, Sheryn’s Accompanist and husband, Earl Echiverri, Sheryn Regis, Producers Marife Callender and husband and Joel Sebag. (Photo Credits: Sombeb Mukherjee)

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The FABA Chicago membership and guests during at Bobak Sinature Events for the FABA Year End Gala event (Photo Credits: Gerald Eustaqio)

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Basketball is a favorite pastime even in the mountains of Mindoro Occidental among the Mangyan Tribe. Taken during the February 2017 Medical mission of League of Volunteers for Relief Expedition. Bottom picture: Volunteers of L.O.V.E. – Jam Sombilon, Louella and Baron Cabalona, Dr. Ariel Tolentino, Merle Salazar, Brothers Danny and Ruben Salazar (standing)

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Quick selfie with Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra during the Jan 2017 Filipino Night with the Bulls game at United Center

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