PBA players and coaches are likely to endure only one cut in their monthly paychecks before scrimmages get underway again as planned by next week.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said the 20 percent salary cut imposed on players, coaches, and some staffers will be stopped once full practices begin by May 18.
The pay cut took effect beginning this month, although personnel and employees of the PBA office already felt the pinch during the second half of last month.
As agreed upon in the last board meeting, salaries of teams will only be restored to its original level once scrimmages start.
The board also mandated that contracts signed by rookies will only take effect once team scrimmages begin.
“Kapag nagsimula na within this month, or magsimula na ng May 18 yung scrimmages, wala ng salary cut. Lahat ng involved sa salary cut, wala na,” said Marcial late Monday.
“So yung mga teams, kalahating buwan lang. Yung PBA office, isang buwan na yun.”
The league got the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for its teams to finally start scrimmages even in areas under General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
The Commissioner's Office has already reached an agreement with Batangay City officials giving teams permission to use three of its facilities, namely the Batangas City Coliseum, Batangas State University, and Lyceum-Batangas gym as practice venues of the 12 teams while still awaiting whether the quarantine protocols within the NCR Plus Area would be downgraded by May 14.
Other teams specifically those from the MVP Group, are eyeing to have their scrimmages in Ilocos Norte following negotiations with Governor Matthew Manotoc.
Marcial said teams are awaiting the health protocols to be put in place in NCR+ beyond May 14 before finalizing their practice plans.
"Wala pang nagsasabi. Puro pa lang plano," he said.
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