PhP 2M awaits Chooks MPBL Invitational champ

Ronald Mascarinas

As always, Ronald Mascarinas comes up with a surprise.

As announced by the BAVI head honcho in cooperation with league founder Manny Pacquiao, the Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League champion is expected to net a couple of million pesos, which provided the 22 teams present with a delightful incentive for their participation in the tournament, which takes place from December 11-23 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Runners-up will not come up empty handed, as they would receive PhP 500,000 for second place and PhP 250,000 for third.

Mascarinas notes, "This is not just a simple re-start we wanted our league to be at par with the best of the world."

The competition format was also revealed during the event, which sees the teams drawn by league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes into four pools.

Datu Cup champions San Juan has been slotted into five-team Group C, alongside Nueva Ecija, Sarangani, Valenzuela, and Muntinlupa.

Inaugural VisMin Super Cup champions Basilan also was drawn into Group B, with Laguna, Marikina, Makati, and Bicol.

Group A contains Caloocan, Pasig, Bacolod, Iloilo, and newcomers Negros, while completing the field in Group D are Manila, Rizal, Imus, GenSan, Mindoro, and Bulacan.

Duremdes expressed appreciation to the Chooks-to-Go group for their full support of the league's return after a long hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given the schedule and teams involved, five-game playdates will take place during the eliminations, with a select few to be broadcasted on live television.