Panayam kay Executive Director Marlon Marcelo ng Philippine ESports Organization

PTVPhilippines

Transcript

00:00 The launch of the Unity League.

00:02 We will discuss with Marlon Marcelo,

00:05 the Executive Director of the Philippine Esports Organization.

00:09 Sir Marlon, good afternoon and welcome to Bagong Pilipinas.

00:14 Good afternoon, hello.

00:15 Okay, first of all, sir, what can you say about the launch of the Unity League for Esports in the country?

00:23 And how big an impact will it have on aspiring and talented players in the field of Esports?

00:29 Definitely, this is going to be a game changer in terms of how we actually help the grassroots Filipino Esports athletes.

00:38 We know for a fact that there are a lot of Filipino gamers all over the country

00:44 and we're hoping that by this Unity League, we're going to, of course, help them become more visible

00:52 because one thing that is very unique about Unity League is it focuses on different regions.

00:59 It's not just Manila-centric or NCR-centric.

01:03 So, there are opportunities in different regions to show the talent of their athletes.

01:09 Sir Marlon, in your opinion, how wide is Esports in our country?

01:15 And how will it help the development of Filipino youths today?

01:20 Definitely, Esports now is considered part of sporting projects.

01:27 It's part of big Esports events like SEA Games, Asian Games.

01:32 So, it is really important that we know and we know how to push Esports responsibly

01:38 because some of the problems that we're encountering initially was, of course,

01:44 when you play or you're told by a gamer, "Ah, that's not going to work. That's not going to work."

01:50 But really, that's really different. Now that it has become a sport, there is discipline.

01:56 You need to have, I would say, a very good schedule.

02:00 You have to do all your stuff before you actually play.

02:03 So, we're really disciplined now.

02:05 Part of it is us, especially, pushing for responsible gaming.

02:09 When you say responsible gaming, you still do your assignments before you play, right?

02:15 You still help your family.

02:16 Why are your parents happy, sir?

02:18 Oh, definitely. That's how it is.

02:20 It's not just that you play for 8 hours, 10 hours. That's really not the strategy.

02:25 Well, as you said, it's a legitimate sport now. It's in the SEA Games.

02:29 I think we won several gold medals.

02:31 Yes.

02:32 And it's only a matter of time. It's already an Olympic sport.

02:36 Definitely, one of the things that we're looking forward to is Olympic inclusion.

02:40 But, of course, currently, it's not there yet.

02:43 The highest that we've seen is Asian Games.

02:46 So, it's going to be, I guess, maybe, two Olympic iterations before the eSports will enter the Olympics.

02:53 So, if your son is really good,

02:55 multi-millionaires, let's talk about the prize.

02:59 But in the first season of the Unity League, what game will the league start?

03:05 And how is the process for those who joined, especially in the Visayas and Mindanao regions?

03:11 So, the most basic thing that the Philippine eSports Organization thought of is number one.

03:17 What is it that everyone plays?

03:20 So, currently, based on the number one game in the Philippines,

03:23 we can confidently say that this is Mobile Legends Bang Bang.

03:27 So, almost everyone who has a cell phone actually plays Mobile Legends.

03:33 It's just us, Bang Hindi. It's just me, Bang Hindi.

03:35 I downloaded it last night.

03:37 Wow.

03:37 Good thing you did.

03:39 So you're in.

03:39 Yes, and definitely, we have restrictions.

03:43 So, number one is you need to be 18 years old and above

03:47 so that we can't include those who are too old.

03:51 And then, of course, we have a system in place in our registration to verify that you're the one playing.

03:59 You have to submit proof of identification because, number one,

04:02 the prize that you're given here in the Unity League is big.

04:06 So, millions of pesos.

04:08 That's right, sir. Can you mention how much?

04:11 [no audio]

04:20 The Presidential Speaker of the Maldives, Kong Zaldi,

04:24 it was actually made into 3.5 million pesos.

04:27 3.5 million pesos is what a winner gets?

04:30 No, that's the total prize pool.

04:32 Initially, it was around 1 million pesos.

04:35 And yesterday, the Speaker was happy that they made it to 3.5 million.

04:41 So, that's really one of the best.

04:44 And to consider, this is an amateur tournament,

04:47 so, the competition is fair here.

04:48 There are no professionals.

04:50 No professionals.

04:51 You can't join because, number one, you're a student.

04:53 You can be trained.

04:53 Because I heard there are coaches for this.

04:56 Yes, yes.

04:57 Players, they seek coaches so that they can be better in the game.

05:02 The best thing we can say is that esports is really good for the Filipinos

05:07 because you're tall, you're thin.

05:09 [no audio]

05:11 It doesn't matter.

05:12 When it comes to legends, you just need your skill and internet.

05:15 You need a good internet connection.

05:17 That's the only thing that you need to make sure.

05:20 Especially for the Visayas, Mindanao,

05:22 sometimes, there are problems with connectivity.

05:26 Definitely, together with the help of some of the government agencies like DICT,

05:32 they pledged to commit to help and make sure that when the tournament starts,

05:37 the internet is good so that the kids' experience is good.

05:41 Sir, can you explain the timeline of the first season of Unity League?

05:46 What are the qualifiers before joining Team Seaball?

05:50 So, definitely, we have five regional qualifiers.

05:54 So, we thought of NCR, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

06:00 Then, basically, what will happen is that they will have different regional tournaments.

06:04 So, you have to win the regional tournaments.

06:07 If you win, first or second, you will fly to Manila for the grand finals.

06:12 So, those five teams, the top two,

06:15 if they win, they will fight in the grand finals.

06:19 And, of course, they will get the share of the 3.5 million.

06:22 So, that's it. And then, definitely, if you are the champion,

06:26 you have a chance to try out in our national team, which is what we call Team Seaball.

06:32 Team Seaball is the best in gold medals in SEA Games.

06:37 The ones who win millions of dollars, is that it?

06:39 Yes, yes, they are the ones who win.

06:41 Right? Familiar.

06:42 Can you imagine?

06:43 Well, very exciting.

06:45 Clarice, will we be able to watch this live on television?

06:49 And, will we have a chance to watch this live audience,

06:53 especially those who have witnessed the qualifying rounds,

06:57 especially the championship?

06:59 Definitely, the plans for Unity League is number one.

07:03 It will be broadcasted on Free TV, on PTV.

07:05 Here on PTV4?

07:06 Yes, on PTV4.

07:08 And then, of course, as we move forward,

07:11 we are still making sure of the logistics.

07:14 Because, people want to support their teams.

07:18 The regional teams that will enter the grand finals.

07:21 So, as of the moment, initially, they will be able to watch it on TV.

07:25 As for the live, it's subject for finalization.

07:29 So, in other talks,

07:33 we heard some gossip that there will be a facility

07:38 for the training and training of e-sports athletes in our country.

07:46 Your gossip is right.

07:48 It's true.

07:49 We are working closely with PSC,

07:53 together with Chairman Bachman,

07:55 on how to actually create those e-sports facilities.

08:00 Because, we can see that we are winning medals.

08:03 And, one of the challenges of our athletes is

08:07 that they don't have a training facility.

08:09 Usually, our training facilities are in corporate teams,

08:14 or those that already have teams.

08:15 And sometimes, the Philippine e-sports organization just rents it.

08:19 It's imperative that we actually have this training facility

08:23 so that they can focus on winning other medals.

08:27 I hope that will start soon.

08:29 Maybe you can include it.

08:31 Isn't there a Clark National Sports...

08:36 Yes.

08:37 National Academy of Sports?

08:39 It's because, of course, the most important thing

08:42 when you have a training facility is internet capability.

08:46 Your internet is fast.

08:47 That's why it's super fast.

08:48 So, it's very specific what cities we can buy a facility if ever we will build it.

08:55 And, initially, it's still in Metro Manila.

08:58 Yes. Alright.

08:59 So, we still have a lot of questions to ask.

09:02 Especially, this one.

09:03 The Philippines has won in e-sports a total prize money of 20 million US dollars

09:09 or 1.1 billion pesos.

09:11 That's the total...

09:13 Yeah, that's the total prize.

09:15 Yes.

09:16 That's won by the various Filipino gamers.

09:18 Because, we're not only good at mobile, we're also good at PC.

09:22 Personal PC.

09:23 So, it's fast.

09:25 It's really amazing.

09:26 The prizes are really amazing.

09:29 That's our training today, okay?

09:30 Yes.

09:31 So, just a quick message for our aspiring e-sports athletes in the country.

09:37 Hello to all of you.

09:39 Hopefully, you joined the Unity League for amateurs and those who want to try how to become a professional.

09:46 Currently, the registration will open.

09:48 So, you can actually look for facebook.com/unityleaguephilippines.

09:53 The mechanics and the method to join are there.

09:57 And, hopefully, you'll win.

09:59 Good luck.

10:00 Thank you very much for your time, Sir Marlon Marcello,

10:05 Executive Director of the Philippine e-sports organization.

10:08 Thank you, sir.

10:09 Thank you.

10:10 Thank you.

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