Conduction the recent Philippine Cup under bubble in Clark, Pampanga proved to be quite an expense for the Philippine Basketball Association.
After spending P65 to P70 million, commissioner Willie Marcial said the PBA is reconsidering its plans if they can still hold another such conference again this year.
And Marcial believes that many factors in the next conference will now depend on the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.
“Ang laki, pero at least napantayan ang cost. Pero magbigat pa rin. Titingnan nating kung sa April ay may vaccine na at kung anong klaseng bubble ito,” said Marcial.
The two-month bubble conference was held from November to December at the Angeles University Foundation in Clark, Pampanga.
And it ended with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel coming out as the new All-Filipino conference champion.
Competitions could still be held in Pampanga, or it could once be held again at the Araneta Center in Cubao, and if the board of governors will give in to the clamor to hold it within Metro Manila.
And it could even be done in a venue where fans will be able to come and watch the games.
Marcial added that they could the matches under a closed circuit-type of bubble.
Under the closed circuit option, members of the team will have limited movements between home and venue like what they did when the squads were still practicing.
The PBA successfully held a two-month bubble conference last year at Clark, Pampanga.
But aside from its remoteness from Metro Manila, the league also had to shell out a massive budget ranging between P65 to P70 million to run the bubble that saw the 500-plus strong delegation billeted at the Quest Plus Hotel in Mimosa and games played at the Angeles University Foundation gym.
