For the seventh time in eight seasons, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will have a double-header schedule on Christmas Day.

Purefoods TJ Hotdogs (8-6) takes onBurger King (5-9) at 3 p.m., while Barangay Ginebra (8-6) collides against Coca-Cola (3-11) at 5 p.m. in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup at the Astrodome in Pasay City.

The PBA will also raffle off gift items during breaks.

The league started playing on Christmas Day since 2002 during the All-Filipino Cup Finals with Coke beating Alaska in Game Four to win its first conference title.

The league shelved its “Christmas Treat” in 2003 but resumed the following year.

Teams seeing action are all involved in the race for playoff spots with the Kings and the Giants still in contention for one of two outright Final Four berths.

The BK Whoppers, on the other hand, are trying to improve their bid for an automatic quarters slot while the Tigers are seeking a wildcard seat.

Christmas Day games are not new to Ginebra mentor Jong Uichico as this marks his fourth time – third as head coach of the Kings – to play on Christmas day.

“Well, it’s part of the job,” said Uichico whose first Christmas Day stint was when he was coach of San Miguel.

Coke’s Bo Perasol, whose team is coming off stunning 105-92 win over league-leader Alaska last Sunday, said that they have to keep their focus on the game.

“We always play during Christmas when I was with Air21 (now Burger King). I emphasize to my team that we better make sure that our sacrifices will payoff. Imagine having to practice during Dec. 24 instead of being with our families,” he said.

The two games will be the last for the PBA this year before it takes a rest for the holiday season.

The classification phase of the all-Filipino conference resumes on January 6, 2010.