AN ordinary worker in a Metro Manila sweatshop should be earning a little over P400 a day, and that would equate to a gross of a little over P10,000 a month.

A basketball superstar who plays in an air-conditioned arena and gets to and from the games in the latest model SUV should be getting a little over P11,500 a day, and that equates to more than a month’s wage for the ordinary worker.

On Thursday the members of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board of Governors would be deciding on whether or not—or how much—would a new salary cap be for each of the league’s 10 teams.

The current salary cap per team—meaning a ball club must not (on paper) go beyond these figures or face a reprimand from the league—is P36 million. And the current ceiling for their star players is pegged at a whopping P350,000 a month.

Although the proposed salary-cap hike has been time and again shelved by the PBA board, the issue would be tackled in Thursday’s meeting with commissioner Chito Salud looking at a 20-percent hike.

“I think the time has come for an increase,” said Salud, who will provide the board a detailed presentation of his proposal that he pegged anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent.

“I think the actual increase is the only ticklish issue at this point,” he added.

Salud said raising the players’ maximum pay does not automatically hike the team’s cap for the coming season—but he said it would be up to the governors to decide if the two would affect each other.

Once approved, it would affect new deals struck between players and the teams.

There are 140 players who are under contract to play for the 10 teams. And 15 of them are receiving the maximum P350,000 a month each—B-MEG’s Kerby Raymundo, James Yap and Joe Devance; Talk ’N Text’s Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo; Meralco’s Asi Taulava and Reynel Hugnatan; Barangay Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa; Barako Bull’s Danny Seigle; Alaska’s Sonny Thoss, Tony de la Cruz, Jay-R Reyes and LA Tenorio, Powerade’s Gary David; and Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood.

If the board agrees on a 20-percent hike, the maximum monthly take for a star player would be P420,000—the cap used to be P500,000 a month but this was reduced to P350,000 in 2001.

Meanwhile, the PBA approved a trade that involved B-MEG, Barako and Shopinas. Salud approved the deal sending Mark Barroca, the Clickers’ No. 5 overall pick in the Draft, to the Llamados, who in return will release Don Allado, plus a future second-round pick to Barako.

Shopinas received B-MEG’s second round pick Brian Ilad and Elmer Espiritu from Barako.