PRESIDENT Bongbong Marcos Jr graced the Philippine men's basketball team's FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The president was part of the crowd of 19,829 which packed the Pasay City arena and went home elated following the 84-46 victory.
The occasion was PBBM's first appearance in a sports event as chief executive.
Marcos Jr arrived with two minutes to play in the third quarter and the Philippines already in complete control of the game in which it trailed in the opening period.
Chants of BBM! BBM! welcomed the president upon his arrival in the venue accompanied by an entourage that included Senators Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, and Sonny Angara, who is also the SBP chairman.
Marcos Jr, sat beside Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan for the rest of the game.
As it is, security around the venue was tight as early as 3 p.m. with several police personnel scattered around the MoA area.
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The SBP was quiet about the visit in the final game of the August window that featured Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson playing on Philippine soil for the very first time.
"We are preparing," said a top basketball official, who asked not to be named.
Marcos Jr was the second straight president to watch a Gilas Pilipinas game at MoA.
President Duterte watched and even did the ceremonial toss when the Filipinos played France during the FIBA Olympic qualifier back in 2016.
Duterte also watched a Gilas game in Foshan, China during the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
Marcos Jr had so far been showing support to Philippine sports in only his second month in office.
The Filipinas women's football team that won the AFF championship paid a courtesy call to Marcos Jr last month and was welcomed to Malacanang by the president. Ditto with IBO flyweight champion Dave Apolinario.
Curiously, the first time the world basketball championship was held in the country in 1978, the late father Ferdinand Marcos was Philippine president.
The Philippines will be co-hosting the FIBA World Cup next year together with Japan and Indonesia.
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