TIANJIN, China – PBA Commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios on Sunday said he’s open to the proposal of coach Yeng Guiao to maintain a pool of PBA players for future international meets and will get the consensus of the PBA board of governors once they're home.

Barrios is deviating from his previous announcement that the Powerade-Team Pilipinas that finished eighth in the just-ended FIBA-Asia event will be the last team to be formed and trained by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

What prompted Barrios to reconsider his position was Guiao’s convincing arguments and the experience he felt during the Asian event.

“Let me put it this way, I too, my heart too as a Filipino was touched by the experience here. Sinasabi ko naman sa inyo this is something new to me, pero nakita ko ‘yung fervor nung paglumalaban ka para sa bayan, ibang klase nga,” Barrios said.

Barrios said he understands the sentiments of Guiao.

“I believe the heart of coach Yeng as a Filipino was touched by this experience,” Barrios said. “So he talked to me personally one-on-one and asked me in the nicest of terms to open my mind to the PBA continuing to help out the national cause by allowing its players to play.”

Guiao believes that the Filipinos can compete given the right training and preparation, according to Barrios who will bring up the matter in the next meeting of the PBA board of governors.

Barrios said the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will also be consulted with regards to PBA’s plans.

He commended the efforts taken by the SBP in forming the Smart-Gilas development pool under Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman.

“With what SBP is doing and with the input of coach Yeng, perhaps if we all talk together as Filipinos wanting to do good for the best for basketball… Filipino basketball, then we can most likely achieve something more than what we have achieved so far,” he said.

Barrios said that the PBA and the SBP can help each other for future international events since the pro league has the best players in the country.

He said that the PBA will have to find a solution, particularly in scheduling to open up opportunities for the PBA squad to compete abroad.

“We have to do that without weakening ourselves,” he said.

Barrios said that it is up to the PBA board if it is willing to do it again and have a definite program to support the national squad.

The next step is to talk to the SBP.

“If we can look at things positively, I’m prepared to sit down with the SBP after the PBA, which means the commissioner and the board get together and agree on what proper direction to take,” Barrios said.

Guiao has said that he will put in writing a proposal for the league to have a clear-cut program when it comes to playing in international competitions.

His idea already has the solid backing from PBA governors JB Baylon and Sta. Lucia’s Buddy Encarnado.

“Even in the absence of something in writing as a concept, I’d like to get a reading from the board. If the board, as a concept, embraces that direction then sunud-sunod na ‘yan,” Barrios said.