
Metro Manila’s shift to the lowest alert level status will allow the PBA to hold its Governors’ Cup games at the Smart Araneta Coliseum before a full capacity starting Wednesday, March 2.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the move as the league is now looking further at having a semblance of normalcy compared to the past two weeks when a 50-percent capacity was implemented at the Big Dome and Ynares Center in Antipolo City.
NorthPort battles Blackwater in the first game at 3 p.m. before Magnolia and Meralco square off in a meeting between the two best teams in the tournament at 6 p.m.
The league will still implement policies such as requiring the audience to be fully vaccinated while also presenting a government-issued ID and a Kyusi Pass which can be availed through the website of the Quezon City government.
Tickets, however, have increased with Premium Box at P635, Patron A at P535, Patron B at P485, Patron C at P385, VIP Box at P275, Box Regular at P225, Upper Box at P90 and General Admission at P40.
It will be the first time since the pandemic that the PBA will be able to admit as many fans as possible after spending most of the past two years under a closed-door setup.
Fans were initially brought back last December under a 50-percent capacity but the post-holiday surge and the implementation of an Alert Level 3 status forced the PBA to postpone the conference for 47 days.
Action in the Governors’ Cup resumed last Feb. 11 but the PBA opted to place the first three playdates without fans despite Metro Manila being under Alert Level 2 in a move to slowly ease up its own protocols.
Last week saw the PBA return to Antipolo after two years, with 3,561 fans witnessing Barangay Ginebra’s comeback win over Terrafirma and Magnolia’s rout of San Miguel Beer last Sunday.