The economic downturn is affecting everyone, and it has hit local amateur commercial basketball particularly hard. The Philippine Basketball League, the traditional breeding ground for Philippine basketball's rising stars, beginning their new tournament while reeling from the departure of two members (Burger King and Toyota Otis), are down to five teams.

It makes sense. Unlike the PBA, the PBL is truly borne out of love: companies pay teams to play in near-empty arenas and there is next to no one watching on television.

This is Fire Quinito's primer for each team, with a different twist: a profile of each team owner. Who are they, and what do they do? And why the hell are they still in the PBL?

Cecilio Pedro and Lamoiyan Corporation's newest team, the Licealiz Hair Doctors, are up next.

Cecilio Pedro of Lamoiyan Corporation is not quite as prominent a name in the sporting world as colleagues Mikee Romero, Bong Tan, or Danding Cojuangco, but he's every bit as big a supporter of amateur commercial basketball. His team has competed in the PBL under several different incarnations: the Hapee Toothpaste Complete Protectors, Dazz Dishwashing Paste, Kutitap Toothpase, and now, the Licealiz Hair Doctors, which features the dynamic duo of Chris Tiu and Jayvee Casio. That has to be my favorite team name ever.

Pedro is also known in showbiz circles as a close personal friend of German Moreno. In fact, when watching Kuya Germs's "Walang Tulugan with the Master Showman", television commercials for Hapee Toothpaste dominate the breaks. As a result, Dazz Dishwashing Detergent is always among the products given by Kuya Germs to his guests (alongside with cans of Birch Tree powdered milk).

But Pedro is an acclaimed name in the business world, too, and his success in a field by multinational giants Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever continues to be an inspiration to local entrepreneurs everywhere. He was also hailed by Ernst & Young as the country's Entrepreneur of the Year, not just because of his success in the boardroom, but also because of his commitment to social change:

While enjoying the success of being the first Filipino to ever penetrate the toothpaste market that has been dominated by multinational companies, Pedro has chosen to use his entrepreneurial skills to help provide opportunities to others. A staunch advocate of the hearing impaired, Pedro helps provide free college education to at least 200 deaf-mute students through the Deaf Evangelistic Alliance Foundation, Inc. (DEAF), which he currently chairs.

Pedro also employs over 30 deaf-mute staff in his company, and helps provide them with free housing. To narrow the communication gap between his hearing-impaired and hearing personnel, Pedro has also required his managers to learn sign language.

(No more jokes from me here. You try making fun of that.)