By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will implement a salary cut of 20% as the season remains doubtful following the surge of the COVID-19 virus in the country.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial made the recommendation to the board and confirmed that those who will only experience the cut are the league employees, players, coaches, and team managers.
Moreover, Marcial said that all of the team’s utility staff including the ball boys and those stationed in the locker rooms will not be affected.
Marcial also stressed that this move is part of giving back to the team owners who continued to give out salaries to their players despite no games were being played amid the pandemic last year.
“It is probably about time that we contribute to the teams, the team owners, and the league for supporting us for the past months,” Marcial said.
Although contact sports were halted due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine, the PBA still kept on issuing 100% salaries to the players and the coaches.
“There are employees who follow a no work, no pay principle. But not in our case. Even if there are no games, we still get our salaries,” added Marcial.
Marcial further explained that the 20% pay cut will go back to normal once scrimmages will be re-allowed in Manila following a clearer time frame for the return of the big league.
