Manny Pacquiao teams up with Lou Diamond Phillips for PHL's FIBA bid

Aside from Manny Pacquiao, at least one other prominent celebrity with Filipino lineage is helping the Philippines' bid to host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

 

 

Like the Filipino ring icon, Hollywood star Lou Diamond Phillips is currently in Tokyo, Japan to join the Philippine delegation that will make a pitch to the international basketball federation on Friday for the hosting rights for the 2019 tournament, which will feature 32 teams.

 

The choice for host for the FIBA World Cup is down to two countries: the Philippines and China. 

 

Phillips, a Filipino-American, gained prominence in Hollywood for movies like "La Bamba" and "Young Guns."

 

Aside from the star power of Pacquiao and Phillips, organizers of the Philippines' bid is banking on social media support from fans, with the hashtag #PUSO2019 set up for the campaign. —JST, GMA News