League owner Ronald Mascariñas extends his gratitude to the IATF composed of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), Department of Health (DoH), and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for giving them the clearance to hold the said bubble.

“All of us are excited to get the ball rolling for our season,” he added.

Initially, it was proposed for a semi-bubble but it was denied by the IATF for according to them they will only allow tournaments held inside a full bubble setup similar to the PBA.

Nonetheless, the cup doubled its efforts to make the playoffs plausible.

“I’m impressed with the preparations being done by Chooks-to-Go… they did not just meet the requirements but also improved on their submitted safety protocols,” said GAB’s Chairman Mitra last week of September.

Players and delegates will undergo two RT-PCR tests; a week before entering the bubble, and the other one when they enter the Inspire Academy in Calamba, Laguna starting on October 14.

Teams competing in the Cup are Zamboanga Chooks-to-Go, Uling Roasters-Butuan City, Bacolod-Masters Sardines, Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, Palayan City Capitals, Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes MLV, Porac Big Boss Cement MSC, Bicol 3×3 Pro, Pasig Sta. Lucia Realtors, Saranggani Marlins, Pagadian City Rocky Sports, and Petra Cement.

They will be given a three-day practice from October 16-18 and then a pre-season tournament on October 19 before going on the first leg of the league on October 21 followed by three more legs on 23, 25, and 27.

Finals will take place on October 30 and everyone in the bubble will leave the venue on October 31 and undergo a 14-day home quarantine.

According to Mascariñas, the bubble will be worth the effort, as he believes bringing sports back will give joy to Filipino fans at the same time honing the skills of the national team.

“We are doing this to help our national team stay competitive before the Olympic qualifying tournament next year. They will later on give glory to this country,” said Mascariñas.