Ricky Vargas to remain as PBA chairman for Season 47

TNT governor Ricky Vargas will continue to serve as Chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board of Governors.

The league on Monday announced that the long-time sportsman has been elected by the board for a fifth straight term during their annual planning session in Boracay — their first outside Manila since 2020 — over the weekend.

Bobby Rosales of Terrafirma will remain as vice chairman, while Phoenix’s Atty. Raymond Zorrilla has succeeded Dickie Bachmann as treasurer.

Atty. Melvin Mendoza, who’s been with the league for a while now, is also part of the executive committee as corporate secretary and legal counsel.

A virtual press conference will be held on Wednesday to disclose what’s in store for the league’s 47th season, which is slated to open in June.

“Maraming mga plano,” Commissioner Willie Marcial, who is to serve his fifth term as league chieftain, told Tiebreaker times.

Expected to be touched upon in the online presser is the PBA’s possible return to a three-conference format after playing just a total of three tournaments in the previous two seasons due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

It could be recalled that the league played in bubble set-ups for the 2020 and 2021 Philippine Cup wars before shifting to a closed-circuit system for the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup, which also saw the return of imports.

Health and safety protocols to be observed for Season 47 are also seen to be disclosed, as the league continues to navigate through the ‘new normal.’

To be tackled as well, possibly, are the PBA’s involvement with the Gilas Pilipinas program with the FIBA World Cup set next year; another season of the 3×3 competitions; and the East Asia Super League later this year.

The 2021-22 season concluded just last April 22, where Barangay Ginebra beat rivals Meralco in Game Six to once again rule the Governors’ Cup.

It was undeniably a Finals series to remember since the league shattered pandemic-record crowds almost game after game. The title clincher held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay drew a total of 20,224 fans.