Fil-Am HS team visits R.P.

Los Angeles Showtime, a basketball team of Filipino-American high school boys based in Los Angeles, California, recently competed in various goodwill games around the Philippines.

The team of “highly dedicated” players visited Metro Manila, Iloilo City and Naga City, among other places, to play mostly against the elite college teams in the Philippines, including the teams from Ateneo, De La Salle, U.P., UST, San Beda and Lyceum.

“Our main goal here is to promote goodwill, and to further strengthen friendship and family ties among the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles and the people back in Philippines,” said Los Angeles Showtime commissioner Romy Gupilan.

“We hope in the near future our team can play against other teams from different regions like Cebu or Mindanao, and then in other countries like Taiwan,” Gupilan also said.

This is the second year the team traveled to the Philippines to compete.
Before leaving for Manila for the August games, the team played in the adult league in the Pac-Rim games and a couple of high school tournaments as part of its preparations.

The team is coached by Edwin McKinney and Johnny Garcia, with Delma Cubillo as the team mom.

This early, Los Angeles Showtime is already seeking sponsors for next year’s trip to the Philippines and other forthcoming games in California and other parts of the U.S.

Gupilan said the assistance will finance the team’s various expenses such as travel fare, uniforms, accommodations, meals, transportation, and even regular training.

“We also hope to interest Fil-Am kids in the East Coast who may want to look at this program,” Gupilan said.

For information on the team and its players, visit www.lashowtime.net