UNTV Cup 2’s ceremonial toss with the man behind the UNTV Cup, BMPI-UNTV’s CEO Kuya Daniel Razon, at center court as league commissioner Atoy Co looks on. (Rodel Lumiares / Photoville International)

In the first edition of UNTV Cup, four charitable institutions received assistance from their partner team’s winnings. 

This season, ten teams will battle it out for the crown and the league-sponsored financial assistance they could provide for their partner organizations. 

UNTV Cup, a basketball league for charity by different government agencies, is the brainchildof BMPI-UNTV CEO and Chairman Daniel Razon.

Almost P2 million is at stake in the second round of the tournament, as the eventual champions will win P1 million. The runner-up team will receive P500,000, the third team will win P250,000, and the top four team will get P150,000. 

The Beneficiaries

With ten teams, ten charitable institutions are expected to get a chance to win financial assistance from UNTV if their partner government agencies earn a place in the tournament.

The Philhealth Advocates will be partnering with the Cottolengo Filipino, an orphanage for disabled children in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The Department of Justice will be donating their possible winnings to the Confederation of Older Persons Association in the Philippines (COPAP), a partner of the Coalition Of Services of the Elderly, Inc.

Beneficiaries of each team enters the court as they are being introduced during the opening of the UNTV Cup Season 2 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines on February 11, 2014. (Prince Maverick Medina Marquez / Photoville International)

Meanwhile, the Local Government Units Vanguards will be giving the proceeds of their run this season to the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, an organization that promotes women rights and empowerment.

Last year’s runner up winner Philippine National Police Responders will be supporting their Special Education Assistance Program. The aid will support the scholarships of the dependents of police officers who were killed or injured in action. 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Cavaliers will again have the AFP Educational Benefit System Office as their chosen recipient. The Cavaliers were able to donate the P250,000 as their third place prize last year, which they used to augment the scholarship fund of the dependents of soldiers who were killed or incapacitated while on duty.

The MMDA Black Wolves has the Philippine General Hospital – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which takes care of newly-born babies in need of immediate attention, as their partner. 

New team Senate Defenders has two NGO’s as their partners in this season of the UNTV Cup – the Adopt-A-Banca Project and Kythe Foundation Inc. The Adopt-A-Banca Project provides livelihood for seaside villages by sponsoring fishing boats while the latter is an NGO providing support for children suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer.

The House of Representatives Solons has the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc., which promotes socio-civic and developmental initiatives among the wives, husbands, mothers and daughters of the members of the Lower House. 

Another new team Malacanang Patriots, which is tagged as a team to watch in the tournament’s second edition, will be partnering with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

Defending champions Judiciary Magis has yet to finalize their partner charitable institution. Last year, they donated their P1-milion prize to the earthquake victims in Bohol and the war victims in Zamboanga.

Praises for UNTV Cup Concept 

The players and the beneficiaries of UNTV Cup 2 are all praises of the said tournament conceptualized by Kuya Daniel Razon.

“Charitable po yung event na ‘to kasi po talaga pong napupunta po sa amin.” (This is really a charitable event because we really receive the proceeds from the event), exclaimed Rodelyn Rodillas, a fourth year Business Economics student from UP Diliman. 

Rodillas is a scholar of the AFP-Educational Benefit System Office, one of the recipient charitable institutions in the first UNTV Cup.

She praised Kuya Daniel for conceptualizing the project. “Bale po napakabait … naisip po nila ‘yung ganitong event… ‘yung mag-conceive po ng ganitong event na nakakatulong po sa mga tao.” (He’s really kind, because he conceptualized this kind of an event that really helps the people.)

Former PBA MVP Kenneth Duremdes, who now plays for the Team Senate Defenders, heaped praises for the league-for-a-cause, as well as the people behind it. 

Duremdes pointed out in an interview, “Actually this is a hit, this is a very good project. I mean, naalala ko yung unang appearance ko dito, ‘yung exhibition games namin with the Legends.” (Actually this is a hit, this is a very good project. I mean, I remember my first appearance here, in an exhibition match with the Legends.)

Senate’s Kenneth Duremdes in an interview after the opening match between the Defenders and the HOR Solons. Duremdes was the game’s best player with 36 points and 8 assists.
(Madelyn Milana / Photoville International)

“Nakita mo yung support ng crowd, which means maganda yung ano, patakbo ni Bro. Daniel at ni Bro. Eli dahil well organized, well supported by the crowd,” (You can see the strong support of the crowd, which means that Bro. Daniel and Bro. Eli are managing the tournament well because you can see that it is well-organized and well-supported by the crowd.), added the former PBA cager.

He added, “Nakita mo naman ang daming government agencies na sumasali, ‘cause they know na malaking bagay. One step closer. Parang nilapit natin sa mga kababayan natin ang basketball.” (You can see that many government agencies are joining the league, because they can see that it is a big help. It is one step closer. It is like bringing the game of basketball closer to the people.)

(Written by Jerlo Kevin Rialp)