HOOPS BACKER URGES: STAY OPTIMISTIC
Basketball backer Ronald Mascariñas urges Filipinos to remain optimistic despite the economic uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic
BOUNTY Agro Ventures Inc. (Bavi) president Ronald Mascariñas continues to preach the message of hope to all of his staff, teams and players affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the general community quarantine (GCQ) that most of the country finds itself in, Mascariñas said a lot of uncertainty still remains. However, he encouraged everyone to keep their heads up.
"Today, the country eases back on some of the world’s most restrictive measures ever undertaken to control the pandemic. This does not mean that we have already defeated the virus. In fact, it continues to spread in record-high numbers," his statement read.
"It simply means that we are learning that we cannot defeat the virus by destroying along with it the very economic basis of our healthy existence and, without which, we cannot generate the needed resources to fight the virus, and save even more lives."
Sports is one of the industries that has been hit hard by the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Leagues have been forced to re-strategize, postpone, or even outright cancel their seasons. Some club teams have decided to cut the salaries of their players. Athletes have been left to find their own ways of keeping themselves physically fit as gyms and practice facilities are still shut down.
It is the new reality that the country is facing in other sectors as well.
Mascariñas and his company are doing their part to help as they recently donated 5,000 pieces of dressed chicken to the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) that recently decided to cancel its 2020 season, thereby affecting several hundred referees and officials.
"The severe restrictions on mobility of the last two months have resulted in massive numbers of business enterprises closing or cutting down on operations. The numbers of newly unemployed and underemployed are rising. The much-dreaded economic recession is already upon us. It is real."
Though posting gains of 12 percent in revenue and 448 percent in operating income, those numbers were still far from what Bavi forecasted prior to the year.
Still, Bavi remains dedicated to paying the salaries of its players, staff and coaches of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 national team pool. Still, it remains committed to supporting the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Still, it vows to help Philippine sports grow.
Just like what Bavi has done over the last two months, Mascariñas calls for everyone to unite in rebuilding the nation from the shambles the pandemic has caused.
"All of these required creativity, courage, sacrifice and loyalty from our people. But this is not yet the time for self-congratulations," he said.
"We at Bavi met the difficult challenges of the last two months not by retreating but by advancing and expanding, proving the old adage that the best defense is still a good offense. With the new order to shift the nation towards general quarantine, a new race has begun."
Together we rise, as they say. "All of humanity is bracing for a new post-Covid world and some of the adjustments we need to take can be very disruptive and stressful," he expressed.
"With each other’s support, we can surmount any challenge stronger than before. Believe in it."