Bro. Eli Soriano expressed his thanks for the continued participation officials of different government departments and branches are giving to UNTV Cup Season 3, the benefit basketball league that kicked off early in November this year.
Bro. Eli, the Presiding Minister to Members Church of God International (MCGI), said he is more than grateful to the participation of senators, members of the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary to this endeavor.
“I am delighted because almost all of the government agencies are one with us in this effort to provide assistance to our fellowmen,” Bro. Eli said through video streaming. The radio-television host is also one of the main supporters of the basketball league from the religious sector.
“This is just a proof that they are public servants in the truest sense as they are partakers of an undertaking whose goal is to help the underprivileged members of the society,” added the international evangelist.
UNTV Cup kicked off the league’s Season 3 in the SM Mall of Asia Arena on November 17 this year.
A brainchild of Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International (BMPI) Chairman and CEO Daniel Razon, UNTV Cup was first launched in July in year 2013. The tournament was aimed at gaining support from government officials by playing basketball for a charitable cause.
In effect, playing at UNTV Cup means cash prizes will be donated to their chosen beneficiaries. As in the league’s first season, Team Judiciary picked the earthquake victims in Bohol as their chosen beneficiary of P1-million pot prize.
New UNTV Cup Season 3 teams welcomed
For this third season, UNTV Cup welcomed three additional teams, which in effect complete the eleven participating government organizations who will vie for the championship tilt.
“To the new teams, welcome to the third season [of UNTV Cup]. We are looking forward to see enjoying games this season,” Razon, who is also known as Kuya Daniel, remarked during the opening ceremony.
The three new teams are the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Furies, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Firefighters, and the National Housing Authority (NHA) Builders.
“It is wonderful that [Kuya Daniel] was able to unite government agencies for a noble cause. Though the Bureau of Fire Protection is a newcomer, we will show that our team is strong,” said Chief Superintendent Aloveel Ferrer, Regional Director of BFP Region 3.
The AFP Cavaliers, UNTV Cup 2’s champion, will return this season to defend their title. Other returning teams include the PNP Responders, MMDA Blackwolves, Judiciary Magis, HOR Solons, Senate Defenders, DOJ Justice Boosters, and Malacañang Patriots.
Big prizes, more beneficiaries
During the Season 3’s opening ceremony, Bro. Eli also mentioned that he is raising the grand prize from Php 1.5 million to Php 2 million with the help of some additional sponsors.
“I have been talking with friends and those who are able to help me increase [the grand prize] to two million pesos so that the champion for this season could reach out for more people,” the Ang Dating Daan radio-television program host remarked.
Bro. Eli hopes that with the new cash prize pot target, the chosen charities will each receive bigger cash donations to sustain their philanthropic works for indigents and their causes.
This season, the teams can choose more than one organization or institution to which they will give their prizes.
Not only sports but public service to all
Apart from the basketball entertainment that the UNTV Cup offers, the tournament also opens public service booths. With this space, they would allow government agencies to render services to the public.
Some of the services to be offered include GSIS membership registration and online verification, and referral of inquired cases to respective government agency departments.
Meanwhile, medical assistance from key public hospitals such as the Lung Center of the Philippines, East Avenue Medical Center, and the Philippine Heart Center will be provided courtesy of the Senate Office.
These public service booths are open every game for the rest of the season.
Written by Emmy Borromeo