A crown in an all-Filipino conference is the only missing piece from the championship collection of Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao.
This season, the fiery mentor will resume his quest for the elusive title in a season that he hints may be his last.
“I am totally committed and motivated to give my best shot this coming conference because this might be my last chance to win an all-Filipino title,” Guiao wrote in a text message to InterAKTV.
Guiao recently won his sixth league championship, piloting the Elasto Painters to their first PBA crown in the Governors’ Cup. But with his Rain or Shine contract set to end, Guiao, who currently serves as vice-governor of Pampanga, might seek to leave coaching to pursue higher political office.
Rain or Shine co-owner Raymond Yu said the Elasto Painters coaching job is Guiao’s as long as he wants it.
“We want him to coach our team as long as we’re still competing in the PBA,” Yu said in a telephone interview. “But we don’t know what his plans are. I don’t know if he’s running for public office.”
Guiao joined the Elasto Painters a year and a half ago, turning what was once a doormat squad into a perennial contenders in less than two seasons.
Multiple sources told InterAKTV that Guiao, the son of late former Pampanga governor Bren, may seek a congressional seat in one of the districts in Pampanga.
But whether his political plans will force him to leave coaching, Guiao is upbeat about his team’s chances of winning a second straight title.
“The last championship was an excellent dress rehearsal to winning an all-Filipino crown,” said Guiao. “I am convinced the team is ready and capable of bagging the title.”
The Elasto Painters’ capped a breakout season by winning the Governors’ Cup over the highly-favored B-MEG Llamados in seven games, despite losing the services of star rookie Paul Lee early in the series.
But prior to that, Rain or Shine already displayed impressive form in last season’s Philippine Cup, crashing the semifinals and falling just a game short of making the championship round.
-Rey Joble, InterAKTV
Here’s the new full-length commercial for the PBA 2013 season, which debuted during the league’s opening ceremonies on Sunday.
