PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF REP. PUNO REP. PUNO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues in the Sixteenth Congress, nothing gives us greater pleasure than to recognize a great performance when we see it. I rise today to recognize the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team, which last night bagged the silver medal in the 27th FIBA Asia Championships, earning it a coveted slot to finally participatate among the world’s best in the upcoming FIBA World Championship in Madrid, Spain next year. Mr. Speaker, today is a glorious day for Philippine sports. Through the unpararelled team effort, strong determination and unwavering commitment of the Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines was able to register the strongest finish yet in 27 years in the FIBA Asia Championships. Basketball- loving Filipinos all over the world have long believed that we can sustain, and even surpass this impressive showing not only because of our national team’s proven basketball skills and acumen but because finally, we now have the organization, teamwork and resolve to unite under one flag and country, toward the attainment of a common and shared goal. Today is a day of jubilation, Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, as we celebrate not just a victory on the basketball court, but of the triumph of the undying Filipino competitive spirit and unrelenting will to succeed. Several factors, events, and people came together and saw fruition in the years and months leading up and culminating in our national team’s inspiring performance from August 1 to 11, 2013. First of all, I salute the players, they were the ones who played hard, spent a lot of early mornings and late nights for practice and team meetings. They spent countless hours perfecting the offensive and defensive schemes. To all of them and I will name them one by one according to height—Jimmy Alapag, LA Tenorio, Jason Castro, Gary David, Larry Fonacier, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, Japeth Aguilar, Junmar Fajardo, and the player to whom our colleagues of the Fifteenth Congress bestowed Filipino citizenship by way of legislated naturalization, Marcus Douthit. To all of them, the country owes you a debt of gratitude for your accomplishment. On behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the players. To the coaches and team management: head Coach Chot Reyes, Assistant Coaches Norman Black, Nash Racela, Jong Uichico, Ryan Gregorio and Josh Reyes; and Team Manager Butch Antonio, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the team management. To the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) under the visionary leadership of its Chairman, Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan—the group that spared no expense and finally took Philippine basketball to greater heights and worked tirelessly to host the event in our shores, thus giving us the decided advantage of the home court, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the SBP. To the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) headed by Commissioner Chito Salud and its member teams: the Global Port Batang Pier, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Talk n Text Tropang Texters, Petron Blaze Boosters, San Mig Coffee Mixers, Air 21 Express, Alaska Aces, Barako Bull Energy Cola and the Meralco Bolts—they adjusted their schedules, they lent their players to the national cause, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank the PBA. Finally, Congress. For the first time, we, in the House of Representatives can claim to have concretely contributed to this victory with the approval of this Representation’s House Bil No. 2307 during the Fifteenth Congress or the Act Granting Philippine Citizenship to an Exceptional Athlete, Marcus Eugene Douthit. To the coauthors who had pledged their support until its passage: Congressmen Jun Tupas, Pidi Barzaga, Dennis Socrates, Gabriel Quisumbing, Nelson Dayanghirang, Jorge Almonte, Rommel Amatong, Rod Antonino, PJ Garcia, Benhur Salimbangon, Emil Ong, Manuel Agyao, Agapito Guanlao, Rodante Marcoleta, Angelo Palmones, Bong Bravo, Anton Lagdameo, Roger Mercado, Lucy Torres-Gomez, Dan Fernandez, Nancy Catamco, Randolph Ting, Arnulfo Go, Cesar Jalosjos, Mark Sambar, Bambi B. Emano, Mark Enverga, Miro Quimbo and all of the Members of the Fifteenth Congress. In the Senate as well, for filing its counterpart bill up to its approval, to ex-Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Francis Escudero, on behalf of the Filipino people, I thank Congress. Last but not the least, the Filipino people. This is our victory. To the 15,000 or so supporters who flocked to the SM Mall of Asia Arena every day that proved to be a daunting crowd to our Asian opponents since the first game against Saudi Arabia till the last game against Iran; to those who watched on TV and were one with the entire nation in the belief that we could once again regain basketball supremacy in Asia; and for those who silently gave their support through prayers, to you, the Filipino people, I give you my thanks. Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues of the Sixteenth Congress, our country has participated in only three FIBA World Championships – in 1954, 1974 and 1978. Up to this day, the Philippines is the only Asian nation which has won a bronze medal in the FIBA World Championships in Rio De Janeiro in 1954. Mr. Speaker, the Philippines also once dominated the FIBA Asia Championship, (formerly known as the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship), being the pioneer champions during its inauguration Manila in 1960, followed by four more championship in 1963, 1967, 1973 and finally in 1985. This 2013, Smart Gilas Pilipinas National Basketball Team has given the country our strongest finish since 1985, and brings together all the key elements proven to be necessary for success. 1. A long term program – Coach Chot Reyes was named head coach and a pool of 17 players for the national team were named in February 2013. 2. The Philippine Basketball Association’s full support – The PBA extended its all-out support that proved to be a crucial element leading to the success of the SBP’s program. It lent its best players and adjusted the tournament’s schedule so that the members of Gilas Pilipinas could train unhampered and remain fully committed to the team. 3. Financial support – In 1985, it was former Amb. Danding Cojuangco who provided financial backing to the formation of our men’s national basketball team, then called the Northern Cement team with naturalized players who were granted Philippine citizenship through a Pres. Decree issued by then President Ferdinand Marcos. Those players were Jeffrey Moore and Dennis Still. And in 2013, it is businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, through the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, who has provided the funding necessary to form and train the most formidable team that we have had so far since we last won a FIBA medal in 1985. 4. A naturalized basketball player in the person of Marcus Eugene Douthit. Mr. Speaker, naturalization has become a key element in international basketball competitions and FIBA member countries across the globe have lost no time in naturalizing foreign basketball players to boost their stock in international tournaments. Some of these countries include: Russia, Germany, Japan and Spain with the likes of JR Holden, Chris Kaman, JR Sakuragi as well as Serge Ibaka and Nicola Mirotic. Also seen in this last national teams at the 27th FIBA Asia Championship were Jerry Johnson for Kazakhstan, Jimmy Baxter for Jordan, CJ Giles for Bahrain, Jarvis Hayes for Qatar and Quincy Davis for Chinese Taipei. Marcus Douthit was granted Philippine citizenship on March 15, 2011 by this Congress and started playing for the Philippine team. Mr. Speaker, the naturalization of Marcus Douthit was an integral part of a long-term program of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas that began in 2008. Among the programs of the SBP, this naturalization was one of the measures undertaken by the organization to help ensure that the Philippine team would be able to turn out an impressive performance in the FIBA Asia Finals. This decision was proven wise on the part of the SBP. Douthit led the 27th FIBA Asia Championships with the most number of defensive rebounds and total blocks; and with per game averages of 11.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and a 43.2 field goal percentage. Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues, of the Sixteenth Congress, our task is not yet complete. There is still much work to be done. We have achieved our objective of securing a slot in the FIBA World Cup, but not our dream of becoming Asian champions. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today, to urge Congress to naturalize, not one, but at the minimum two players identified by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas for the national team that would serve as back-up players to one another in case any one of them gets injured. Thus, the Philippine national team avoids the inconvenience of jeopardizing the whole program in the event of an injury to any one or two of these naturalized players as what had happened when Marcus Douthit, in this last FIBA Asia Cup, became physically impaired during the championship game and was unable to play against Iran. This, among other efforts, will help sustain our world-class performance in the global basketball arena and realize our collective aspiration of regaining the Philippines’ status as the king of basketball in Asia and hopefully, later, even the world. Mr. Speaker, this is not a precedent. There are, in fact, countries which have a pool of naturalized players for their national team. Qatar has naturalized Americans such as Jarvis Hayes, Trey Johnson and Boney Watson. Lebanon has naturalized Loren Woods, Joe Vogel and Jackson Vroman.