The agreement reached in the exploratory talk between Mayor Walter “Bong” Marquez of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Legend Edward Joseph "E. J." Feihl on September 16, 2022, is about to blast off this coming November 19 (Saturday). The meeting was held in Sablayan, where the 7'1" cager, along with top honchos of Okada Elite Eagles Club, came to visit the mayor in his office.
Marquez, approximately 5'3" in height, may be one of the shortest mayors of the province, but for sure, Feihl was the tallest Filipino professional basketball player ever to play in the PBA. Feihl is just two inches shorter compared to the tallest Filipino in basketball history held by 7'3" Raul Dillo who played for the University of the East (UE) in the 1990s and the San Juan Knights in Metropolitan Basketball Association or MBA many years ago.
E.J. played for two seasons at Barangay Ginebra before his trade to Purefoods for the late Cris Bolado. The PBA's Gentle Giant played four seasons with the Hotdogs then returned briefly to the Palanca franchise. He had short stints with Alaska, Red Bull, and Welcoat before his retirement in 2007.
PBA legends Allan “The Triggerman” Caidic, Willie “The Thriller” Miller, Jerry “The Defense Minister” Codiñera, Marlou “The Skyscraper” Aquino, Vince “The Prince” Hizon, Gherome Ejercito, and of course, E.J. "The Gentle Giant" Feihl will play against the cream of the crop basketeers of the province.
My mother is an avid fan of Caidic since his Presto days. She is very eager to see her favorite player in person but she is having a hard time now traveling. An autographed photo, if not a signed jersey of the Triggerman will be just fine for her. We just celebrated her 84th birthday last November 9. She said that Caidic looked like my long-deceased father.
I still remember how she cursed Sonny Jaworski to the high heavens when the Living Legend was caught on camera making a slit-throat gesture while her crush is lying on the floor in pain, vomiting. It was a game between Gordon's Gin and Caidic's San Miguel Beer sometime in April 1997. It was the same year when Gordon Gin's E.J. Feihl was traded to Purefoods.
But this is not the first time that PBA legends came to Sablayan and had an exhibition game. Feihl and Aquino played at our Astrodome on April 22, 2012, exactly a decade ago, together with our very own Nelson “The Bull” Asaytono, Val “Flash” David, and Noli “The Tank” Locsin. The event was supported by basketball fans all over the town. It was held when World Earth Day was celebrated.
Talking of basketball, Mayor Bong and Vice-Mayor Edwin Mintu, a basketball player himself, had a tie-up with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) specifically by conducting the Technical Officials’ Accreditation and Licensing Training last October 2. The other sports enthusiast from the local legislative board is Honorable Manny Tadeo, a basketball coach during his heydays. The handpicked point person for the sports program is Mr. Jhyson Daingdingan.
The Marquez-Mintu tandem’s First Sablayan Festival of Sports will be unveiled in the coming days, presenting badminton, baseball, billiards, boxing, chess, and basketball tournaments. We hope that this could attract many local tourists from all over.
The upcoming loop show, dubbed “All-Star PBA Legends sa Sablayan”, will take place at the Sablayan Astrodome at around 6:00 in the afternoon, coinciding with Philippine Farmers’ Day. They are expected to teach a thing or two to our homegrown hoopsters in this particular outing.
VIP tickets are sold for Php 500, and general admission coupons are for 300. KMB Fuel Station and MRG Group of Companies sponsor it. Before the game, there will be a motorcade that will go around the main thoroughfares in town. Tickets are available at KMB station in Sitio Busaran, this municipality.
According to its organizer, the game is their humble way of giving a bonanza of basketball entertainment dedicated to the youth of her town of birth after two years of suffering the agony of the COVID-19 pandemic. This hopefully alleviates the two-year hunger for flesh-and-bone basketball among the local fans.
The game will offer a raffle, and the winner will get a brand new Rusi Motorcycle as a prize to the lucky ticket holder. As a basketball lover and in my official capacity as the municipal administrator, I invite everyone, for it will be one heck of a once-in-a-blue-moon show!
The First Sablayan Festival of Sports included.
The above unguarded moment photo of Mayor Bong and E.J. Feihl brings this personal reflection: A public servant and an athlete do not attain their full heights until they play and serve with complete dedication. They are both giants in many aspects. And both are gentle too.
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(Photo from Mayor Bong Marquez’s Facebook Page)
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