Rarely does one get to see strippers and nuns hanging out in the same venue. Not to mention dancing transvestites, cows, and a rogue bottle of ethyl alcohol doing a jig. Yes, it's professional basketball in the Philippines, and everyone comes out (no pun intended) to see the action.
Unlike the U.S., where teams have city affiliation, Philippine teams are pretty much all based in Manila. They have goofy sponsors, ranging from milk companies to gin distilleries, to a team called the "Beermen." Nice.
People were into the games, but not to the point of hooliganism. Fans brought English/Tagalog signs, and chanted songs to support their teams. One old dude with an extremely red face was standing up and spouting off a serious of insults which had our whole section in hysterics. I did catch his english commentary targeted at the "import" American player for one team: "You're no good! Return to sender! Your visa revoked!
Everyone was doing their own thing, unified by the common interest of basketball. They should integrate it into their national anthem or something: "From the farthest island, to the Sulu sea, together we'll dribble and pass and shoot for a three." (Ok, I'm still working on that.) Still, if you're looking to get the quintessential Philippine experience, skip the museums and go to a game while you're there.
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