Press Release - PRIB: Senate commends FIBA organizers

The Senate on Tuesday, February 6, unanimously adopted a resolution congratulating and commending the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) for the successful hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup (FBWC).

Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 857 also commended government agencies, such as the Philippine Sports Commission, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the private sector leaders including SBP Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan "for demonstrating what we, as a country, are capable of and for laying the groundwork for us to organize other large-scale events."

From August 25 to September 10 last year, 32 national men's basketball teams competed in the FIBA World Cup. Of the 92 games that comprised the tournament, more than half were held in the Philippines.

"This took place because of the incredible multi-stakeholder effort that started in 2017... we gained the rights to host the prestigious tournament again, nearly four decades after we first secured such in 1978," said Sen. Sonny Angara, sponsor of the resolution.

"It was a particularly masterful touch when the idea was floated that the bid for hosting would be shared between three nations: the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Such a set-up would be a first in the flagship event's entire history," he added.

The senator also acknowledged the assistance extended by the executive branch for the successful hosting of the world even, such as the issuance by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. of Administrative Order No. 5, s. 2023 which created the Inter-Agency Task Force mandating government agencies, including local government units (LGUS), to help in the preparation and supervision of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Congress, for its part, allotted fund for the event under