Vitaly Bigdash Retains One Middleweight World Championship with Victory Over Aung La N Sang

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), returned to the Jakarta Convention Center for another evening of world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) action. ONE: QUEST FOR POWER set the tone for what will be an amazing 2017 for ONE Championship with a series of compelling bouts featuring the absolute best in local and international MMA talent. In the main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash retained his title, defeating top contender “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang by unanimous decision after five rounds.

Visit the official ONE: QUEST FOR POWER photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-Don, Russia impressed with a great show of strength in a dominant performance over “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar. Throughout the bout, Bigdash kept N Sang at bay with his sharp combinations, while on the mat he connected with multiple elbows. After five rounds of action, it was a clear win for Bigdash who met very little resistance in outlasting the durable N Sang to remain undefeated, retaining his ONE Middleweight World Championship.

In the co-main event of the evening, 27-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia authored one of the most spectacular finishes of the evening, stopping Japanese MMA veteran Kazunori Yokota with strikes to win by technical knockout just past the midway point of the first round. Yokota stalked Nguyen, looking to throw combinations but Nguyen timed Yokota with an overhand right that dropped him to the canvas. From there, Nguyen jumped on his foe and rained down punches from the top to earn the stoppage victory.

Lightweight contenders Vincent “MagniVincent” Latoel and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre put on an exciting show for fans in attendance, tagging each other with intense combinations for the majority of the three-round lightweight contest. On the mat, Donayre showcased his grappling skills, threatening with various submissions off his back. Latoel however was more consistent throughout and scored points with his takedowns and cage control. All three judges saw the bout in favor of Latoel to win by unanimous decision.

The highly-anticipated lightweight showdown between Georgi Stoyanov of Bulgaria and Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev of Russia ended on an unfortunate note, as the bout resulted in a No Contest ruling. Although Arslanaliev swarmed Stoyanov from the beginning of the bout and completely outclassed the Bulgarian, an ill-advised technical ground kick landed for Arslanaliev and Stoyanov was unable to continue.

Dutch featherweight standout based in Jakarta, Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen, put on a masterful performance, stopping Malaysian fight veteran A.J. “Pyro” Lias Mansor in under two minutes in the first round of a scheduled three-round bout. Engelen pressed Mansor up against the cage fence with a combination before a beautiful right hand felled Mansor, earning Engelen one of the most spectacular knockouts of his career.

Fans were treated to an action-packed clash of colossal light heavyweights as Igor Subora of the Ukraine and Sherif Mohamed of Egypt pushed each other to the limit in a tremendous three-round show of determination from both fighters. Subora effectively used his reach advantage to keep the smaller, stockier Mohamed at bay with his boxing throughout the bout. In the third round, both fighters fought through sheer exhaustion to make it to the final bell as Subora did just enough to outlast Mohamed to earn the unanimous decision.

Local martial arts hero from Jakarta, “The Terminator” Sunoto, brought the crowd to its feet with a riveting performance to defeat Cambodia’s Chan Heng by technical knockout just a little under three minutes into the first round. Sunoto wasted no time in taking the fight directly to Heng, challenging the Khun Khmer practitioner to a striking showdown at the center of the ONE Championship cage. Sunoto however, proved too much for the Cambodian after he gained mount and unleashed the ground-and-pound.

Unbeaten Indonesian flyweight prospect Stefer Rahardian defeated Jakarta-based Liberian fighter Jerome S. Paye via unanimous decision in the second preliminary bout of the evening. Rahardian showcased tremendous cage-control for the majority of the fight, smothering Paye with a consistent attack that left the Liberian stifled throughout the contest. The 30-year-old Rahardian left very little openings for Paye who just couldn’t get his offense going. In the end, Rahardian had just enough in the tank to complete a comprehensive three-round performance, earning the nod on all three judges’ scorecards.

Strawweights Rene Catalan of the Philippines and Adrian Matheis of Indonesia kicked off ONE: QUEST FOR POWER with a spirited display of mixed martial arts action, on a bustling Saturday night in Jakarta. After a dominant first round from Catalan, one that saw the Filipino attempt various finishes, the end came swiftly in the second when Catalan was able to execute an armbar to earn the submission victory.

Official results for ONE: QUEST FOR POWER

ONE Middleweight World Championship bout: Vitaly Bigdash defeats Aung La N Sang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after five rounds
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Kazunori Yokota by TKO (Strikes) at 3:36 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Vincent Latoel defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Lightweight bout: Georgi Stoyanov, Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev (No Contest)
Featherweight bout: Anthony Engelen defeats AJ Lias Mansor by Knockout (KO) at 1:42 minutes of round 1
Light Heavyweight bout: Igor Subora defeats Sherif Mohamed by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Chan Heng by TKO (Strikes) at 2:30 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Stefer Rahardian defeats Jerome S. Paye by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Adrian Matheis by Submission (Armbar) at 2:08 minutes of round 2

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Walang Pagbabago, Kung Wala Tayo, ASEAN ng Taumbayan, Hindi ng Estado Lamang

Wazzup Pilipinas!

On 16 January 2017, more than 100 members of broad civil society network in the Philippines that came together to engage ASEAN and develop new form of regional integration will hold a symbolic action on 16 January 2017. This action is aimed to deliver a message to our government in response to the Philippine Government’s launching of 50th ASEAN Founding Anniversary Events in Davao City on January 15, 2017.

Representatives of ACSC/APF 2017 Philippines-National Organizing Committee wearing tubaws and bearing torches will march from Plaza Rajah Sulayman near Malate Church to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Roxas Boulevard to deliver their statement to the Philippine Government as ASEAN Chair this year. The statement contains the collective message of NOC, reflecting people's vision for ASEAN. The tubaws symbolize the people -- the various sectors, communities -- coming together. The leaders will also give tubaws to DFA representatives who will receive the statement. Participating organizations are Freedom from Debt Coalition, Sanlakas, DIGNIDAD Alliance, Asia-Pacific Resource Network, Focus on the Global South, Initiatives of International Dialogue, Network for Transformative Social Protection, AYLA, ASIADHRRA, SPELL, and IRDF.

The ACSC/APF is a network of Southeast Asian civil society organizations and social movements that engages the ASEAN processes to address the issues and concerns of the people –human rights and access to justice, peace and human security, trade, climate change, migration, and social protection. Its constituents include workers, the peasantry, urban poor, fisherfolk, women, children, LGBT community, indigenous peoples, migrants, older persons, workers, youth and persons with disabilities.

ACSC/APF 2017 Philippines-National Organizing Committee: Aksyon sa Kahandaan sa Kalamidad at KlimalALMANAlAPPENDlASEAN SOGIE CaucuslASEAN Youth Leaders Association – PhilippineslAsian Federation Against Involuntary DisappearanceslAsian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural AsialAsia Pacific Research NetworklAsian Solidarity Economy Council – PhilippineslAssociation for the Rights of Children in Southeast AsialAteneo Human Rights CenterlBuhay na may Dignidad Para sa Lahat (DIGNIDAD)lBuklod ng Manggagawa sa Radio Communication of the Philippines, Inc. – National Federation of LaborlCenter for Environmental ConcernslCenter for Migrant AdvocacylCenter for Women’s ResourceslChild Rights Coalition-AsialCivil Society Coalition on the Convention on the Rights of the ChildlCoalition of the Services of the ElderlylDevelopment Alternatives with Women for a New EralEMPOWERlHope for the YouthlInitiatives for International DialoguelKanlungan Center FoundationlFoundation for Media AlternativeslFoundation for a Sustainable SocietylFocus on the Global South - PhilippineslIntegrated Rural Development FoundationlMagsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng AgrikulturalNational Movement for Food SovereigntylNetwork for Transformative Social ProtectionlPartnership of Philippine Support Service AgencieslPhilippine Alliance of Human Rights AdvocateslPhilippine Network of Food Security ProgrammeslSave the Children – PhilippineslSAVEDlTebtebbal Unang Hakbang FoundationlWomanHealth PhilippineslWorld Council for Curriculum and InstructionlWomen's Legal and Human Rights Bureau

New PH-IND Shipping Route To Open Soon

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In a move seen to enhance connectivity and boost international trade, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will soon be opening a new and shorter sea route from the Philippines to Indonesia.

With the new Davao City – General Santos – Bitung, Indonesia shipping route, ferrying goods will only take three days as opposed to the current three to five weeks shipping time via the Manila – Bitung route.

Apart from being more time-efficient, the new route is also cheaper with savings estimated to about $1,500 (PHP 75,000) per TEU, creating revenue for local businessmen and the government.

“Having a shipping route such as this is crucial for any maritime region. Sea linkage will strengthen our economies and our partnerships in other areas of development. And it will also improve the quality of life of our people because local businessmen and traders will directly benefit from this,” said DOTr Secretary Art Tugade.

Marketing Convention: “Revelation of the Reunited Brands” Soon to Unveil the Real World

Wazzup Pilipinas!

An open and free admission marketing seminar, entitled: Marketing Convention: “Revelation of the Reunited Brands”, will be taking place on February 08, 2017 (Wednesday) at SM Sta. Mesa, Manila- SM Cinema 1.

Organized by Royalè Production, this event explicitly set to begin with the Registration at 11:00 AM up until 12:00 NN followed by the program proper at 12:01 PM to 5:00 PM. Specifically, this seminar plans to invite a total of 1,200 student attendees from the Marketing Department including the faculties, alumnus of the department, guest speakers, corporate partners as well as students from other College and Universities inside Metro Manila.

Designed to cater excellence in the field of marketing, this seminar plans to work straight through high-caliber and well-respected guest speakers from leading brands and companies from different industries in the Philippine Market. In addition to this, it also aims to give the audience significant marketing knowledge, opportunities and tips that may help them market themselves in whatever industry they want to get in after graduation.

According to Renz Paulite, Project Chairman, “Marketing Convention: “Revelation of the Reunited Brands” aims to gather and celebrate the knowledge, as well as to inspire Marketing Students to pursue their marketing career once they have discovered how corporate world really works.”

About Royalè Production: Royalè Production is a student-based, service-oriented and non-profit organization of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, aimed at promoting academic excellence and competence among 1,800 PUP-Marketing Students and other business related courses.

RACJourn 2017: For the Youth, For the Filipinos

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Unleash your campus journalism skills at “RACJourn 2017: For the Youth, For the Filipinos” happening on February 4, 2017 at De La Salle University-Manila!

Organized by the Rotaract Club of RCDM Scholars and Intellectual Property Advocates of De La Salle University-Manila, the competition invites junior and senior high school students around the metro to share their writing and artistic skills through this year’s theme: “Intellectual Property Rights and the Modern Era of Mass Media Communication.”

Contestants may choose in five categories (individual): News Writing, Editorial Writing, Feature Writing, Sports Writing, and Editorial Cartooning (all in English and Filipino categories). Contestants may also be in groups for the Best School Publication and IP Brochure layout.

The registration fee is P300, inclusive of RACJourn kit, lunch, and freebies from our sponsors.

RACJourn 2017 is powered by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, Citinickel Mines and Development Corporation, Fly Ace Corporation, Rotary Club of Downtown Manila, Brad and Pitts Ribshack, Nissin Yakisoba, Nissin Cup Noodles, with WhenInManila.com and Wazzup Philippines as official media partners.

For inquiries, contact Aubrey Nichole C. Reyes at 09151880262 or email us at racjourn.rotary@gmail.com. You can pre-register at https://t.co/PVnbRnEzhY.

See you there!

Porn Site Blocked by Philippine Government?

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Beko Philippines Holds Kick Your Way to Barcelona Qualifying Round

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Beko Philippines earlier conducted its Kick Your Way to Barcelona qualifying round to determine the finalists for February 10, 2017 where the emerging winner will fly to Barcelona to witness the FC Barcelona football game and enjoy 5 days and 4 nights of an all expense paid tour of Barcelona, Spain.

The qualifying round was held at Sparta Philippines located along Pioneer street in Mandaluyong on January 14, 2017. It was participated by a mixed crowd coming from both newbies and professionals. I was also among the participants but was not lucky enough to qualify.

The top qualifiers were able to shoot 3 points as the highest, while the rest of the qualifiers had one goal. Out of around 30 participants, around 10 qualifiers emerged to compete again for another elimination round.

One one participant was able to shoot the ball on the first round, while less than 10 were able to get a goal on the second round of the qualifying event. I am just glad that a friend made it into the qualifying round as this guy is really so eager in joining similar competitions especially those that are conducted online. This is not the first time that he was lucky enough to get in as among the finalists and he has also even won and joined international competitions for lucky social media followers of different companies or brands.

​​Igor Subora Relishes Opportunity to Train with Former Foe Brandon Vera

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Brandon Vera and Igor Subora stood opposite each other inside the ONE Championship cage over two years ago when the two highly-decorated heavyweights crossed paths in their much-anticipated promotional debut.

Both men faced each other inside the jam-packed 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena, serving as a co-featured attraction of ONE: WARRIOR’S WAY in December 2014.

Vera came out on top of Subora, finishing his Ukrainian rival with a thunderous high kick and follow-up ground strikes in the first round.

Seeing the outcome of their action-packed encounter, it seemed impossible for Vera and Subora to have a friendly relationship outside the cage.

However, nearly three years after their grueling heavyweight meeting, Vera and Subora are on the same mat polishing their skills together.

Anthony Engelen Credits Supportive MMA Team for Recent Success

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) is about individuals, but most of its highly-regarded world champions are forged in strong camps that bring in many great fighters.

In a very different atmosphere from boxing, MMA hardly sees any high-profile competitors building training camps around one man or woman as it often centered around a gym where several coaches work in conjunction with each other to train a stable of fighters of varying skills and weight classes.

These gyms often take on a close-knit and team-based environment, which is very unusual for an individual combat sport like mixed martial arts. However, it leads to an effective outcome.

Dutch-Indonesian standout Anthony “Archangel” Engelen credits his current stature as an international MMA competitor to his team.

The 31-year-old standout trains at Tatsujin Dojo, an MMA training facility that is established in Jakarta, Indonesia. The gym was founded by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and martial arts guru Martijn de Jong in 1995.

Ever since he started his prizefighting stint in 2013, Engelen has been training at Tatsujin Dojo under the tutelage of De Jong.

Although he aced his first three assignments as a professional fighter, Engelen encountered mix results when he directed his career path to ONE Championship in 2015.

Engelen fell short in his December 2015 promotional debut against grappling world champion Bruno Pucci. Even though he managed to redeem himself with a win over ex-Filipino boxer Rocky Batolbatol in February 2016, he suffered another setback at the hands of Singaporean prospect Christian Lee a month later.

Despite going through ups and downs in his budding MMA career, Engelen did not lose hope as De Jong and the entire crew of Tatsujin Dojo never left his side.

Engelen trusted the entire process and eventually reaped the fruits of his labor. To cap off his 2016 campaign, he scored a sensational victory over Sami Amin in August, submitting the Egyptian journeyman with a second-round armbar.

“My last fight has only made me feel a lot stronger and more confident in my training,” Engelen shared.

As to whatever he has achieved lately inside the ONE Championship cage, Engelen quickly gives the recognition to his coach and training partners.

“I have a tremendous support system in my training, especially with the help of my coach Martijn de Jong. He knows how to bring out the best in me. It is always exciting to prepare for a fight,” he said.

Engelen and his team will be tested once more as he is set to square off with AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor on the undercard of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

Mansor is one of the finest MMA coaches in the Southeast Asian region. Based out of Borneo Tribal Squad in Sabah, Malaysia, Mansor is responsible for training athletes like female fighting sensation Ann “Athena” Osman.

His opponent might have a remarkable team behind him, but Engelen is confident that his support system has geared him up splendidly for his three-round featherweight meeting with the seasoned veteran.

“I have an outstanding support system for this fight. I have the best coach in my corner. I also train with the best fighters in the region. With that said, I’m confident coming into this fight because I have them behind me,” he stated.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Soleus Running Dance Fest 2017 Updates

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Date: February 4, 2017 | Saturday
Venue: SM by the Bay, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Distance Categories: 5K | 10K | 21K
Assembly Time: 3:00 a.m.
Gun Start:
21K - 4:00 a.m
10K - 5:00 a.m
5K - 5:30 a.m.
Dance starts at 6:30 a.m                            

Registration Fee:
5K - P600.00 | inclusive of Race Bib, Event Singlet and Finisher Medal
10K - P750.00 | inclusive of Race Bib, Event Singlet and Finisher Medal
21K - P950.00 | inclusive of Race Bib, Event Singlet, Finisher Medal and Finisher Shirt

PRIZES:

TOP 3 FINISHERS (Male & Female) per distance category will receive Soleus watches and other sponsor’s products
and MEET & GREET Session with Peruvian International Fitness Presenter, WILLIAM FLORES.

REGISTRATION:
Online Registration: (starts December 13, 2016)
Log on to www.goorahna.com
Thru Bank Deposit: (starts December 13, 2016)

BANCO DE ORO
Account Name: Mirjam Ann G. Del Rosario
Account Number: 003980196644

ONCE PAYMENT HAS BEEN MADE: please e-mail the scanned copy of the deposit slip with your name, contact number and shirt size to soleus.dancefest2017@gmail.com

On-site Registration: (starts January 3, 2017 at selected L Timestudio stores)

                • L TIMESTUDIO  SM Mall of Asia | GROUND FLOOR (IN FRONT OF I-MAX)

                • L TIMESTUDIO  SM Megamall | 3RD FLOOR, MEGA A

                • L TIMESTUDIO  Market! Market! | 2ND FLOOR

                • L TIMESTUDIO  SM Southmall | GROUND FLOOR (near SM Dept. Store entrance)

                • L TIMESTUDIO  SM Marikina | GROUND FLOOR

                • L TIMESTUDIO  Robinsons Place Ermita | 2ND FLOOR

Race Kit Claiming Date:
January 27-29 (Fri-Sun)

Race Kit Claiming Time:
10am - 8pm

Race Kit claiming Venue:
Shaw 500 Building, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City (beside S&R)

Reminder:
Please bring original copy of DEPOSIT SLIP, BANK TRANFER SLIP, CLAIM VOUCHER (issued at on-site registration) and printed copy of the on-like registration confirmation.

The 2017 ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum Philippines National Organizing Committee

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Philippine CSOs challenge 50 years of ASEAN, call for new form of regional integration towards a just, humane, and equitable Southeast Asia 

Prior to the Philippine Government’s launching of the ASEAN’s 50th Founding Anniversary commemoration activities in Davao City on January 15, at least 50 national and local people’s organizations and NGOs in the Philippines have come together as the Philippines-National Organizing Committee for the 2017 ASEAN Civil Society Conference / ASEAN Peoples’ Forum or ACSC/APF 2017. They announced their intention to engage the ASEAN leaders, particularly the Philippines government as ASEAN Chair this year. 

“More than half of the population in the Philippines are living insecurely – without permanent jobs and livelihoods, guaranteed access to essential services and income in times of exigencies. People in the Philippines are seeking for a real change that will give them economic and social security as well as peace and safety.We believe, we have almost common concerns across Southeast Asia. The change we need in the Philippines and the rest in the region may be summed up as just, humane, and equitable society,” said Philippines-NOC ACSC/APF co-convener Dr. Eduardo Tadem. 

Tadem, also president of the Freedom from Debt Coalition, shared that the general themes that will be tackled by APF/ACSC this year include the issues of human rights; social inequalities, social protection, labor and migration, women, gender and LGBTIQ; foreign policies, peace and security, and trade and investments; and climate change and food sovereignty. 

These issues also resonate with the challenges in the region that were identified by Dr. Suriya Chindawong, deputy director general of the ASEAN Department at the Thai Foreign Ministry in a news report the other day. He said that “ASEAN has to be more inclusive and consider inputs from common people.” He also said that “ASEAN’s other challenges include both traditional and non-traditional issues such as climate change, food security and safety, terrorism, disaster management, poverty eradication as well as issues related to social protection.” 

The ACSC/APF is a network of Southeast Asian civil society organizations and social movements that engages the ASEAN process in order to bring attention to the issues and concerns of its constituencies. Its constituents include workers, the peasantry, urban poor, fisherfolk, women, children, LGBT community, indigenous peoples, migrants, older persons, employees, professionals, students and persons with disabilities. In the past 11 years since it started, the ACSC/APF was able to gather an average of at least 1,500 civil society representatives across the region in every Forum – the last was in Dili, Timor-Leste in August 2016. 

Jelen Paclarin, co-convener of the Philippines-NOC for ACSC/APF 2017 and also Executive Director of the Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau and Coordinator of PhilWomen on ASEAN, said that now that the ASEAN Summits will be held again in the Philippines (the last time was in Cebu City in 2006), the civil society here has another opportunity to call the attention of our leaders and the rest of the leaders in ASEAN to listen to the people who are at the receiving end of policies and decisions of governments, and make ASEAN more relevant to them. She shared the conclusion of ACSC/APF Ten-Year Review conducted last year, that “ASEAN and its member governments have been seen to be more comfortable with the private sector and academic and research think tanks than with civil society” and that “individual ASEAN member countries have consistently resisted and vacillated with regards civil society participation and engagement.” 

She also quoted from the ACSC/APF 2016 Timor Leste Statement “ASEAN civil society remain extremely concerned about ASEAN’s prevailing silence and lack of attention and response to the observations and recommendations raised in all previous ACSC/APF Statements.” And that “This ... connotes disregard of the need to engage substantively with civil society in ASEAN and is cemented in the lack of open and safe space that promotes meaningful and substantive participation, inclusion and representation of all peoples of ASEAN ... in the various processes of ASEAN structures and mechanisms.” 

The ACSC/APF yearly activities of engagement process include National consultations and workshops, National and regional meetings with government counterparts, Regional Consultation Meetings, Crafting the ACSC/APF Statement, Parallel conference, and Interface. 

Ms. Ana Maria R. Nemenzo, a nominee to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), quipped that while the ASEAN has created several bodies such as ACWC for civil society to be able to participate, these remain weak and lacking teeth like in the case of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). “The participation or so-called dialogues with the civil society remain token, thus the civil society must continue to push for more meaningful involvement in the discussions and other processes in ASEAN especially in our respective governments,” said Nemenzo who is also Convener of WomanHealth Philippines and DIGNIDAD Alliance. 

Tadem highlighted that since the ASEAN has not been effective in meeting the needs and fulfilling the rights of the people, new forms of regional integration must be developed. He said that the ACSC/APF will endeavor to develop these through coordinating the interactions between the alternative practices; convening and organizing conferences and workshops of the groups and communities involved in alternative practices; researching and documenting the practices and building a data base; conducting alternative learning and training programs based on grassroots needs; and conceptualizing and making sense of the practices and developing new paradigms and strategies of development, among others. 

The Philippines-NOC for the APF/ACSC 2017 vowed to conduct series of actions this year in pursuing the needed change in ASEAN and its member governments especially the Philippines.

Statement of Secretary Al Cusi on China Trip

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The China trip is borne out of a gracious invitation from the Chinese Ambassador HE Zhao Jianhua. In essence, the Department of Energy (DOE) is being invited to "enhance energy cooperation between our two countries".

The DOE is fortunate to have the opportunity to touch base with our counterparts in China's own ministry of energy. The purpose of the meeting is exclusively to improve our overall energy development efforts, gain knowledge from their best practices, and hopefully attract investments in our local energy projects.

I will be there strictly in my official capacity as DOE Secretary.

This meeting is a clear indication that President Duterte's state visit to China late last year was indeed successful, and is now yielding tangible benefits for our country.

About the PDP's trip to China, I would say that it coincides with the DOE official trip. In any case, it is a simple side trip for pleasantries, sharing and cultural exchange.

ePLDT Launches Visitor Management System for Faster, Easier, and Safer Reception

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Companies that receive many guests face the challenge of monitoring and tracking the people going in and out of their premises. This can be inconvenient to receptionists, employees, and even to visitors especially when traditional recording is used.

ePLDT, Inc., with its continuing initiative to deliver best-in-class digital business solutions, is proud to announce its Enhanced Visitor Experience (EVE) app, a fully digital and interactive visitor registration system designed to help companies process incoming and outgoing traffic.

According to Nico Alcoseba, Vice President and Head of PLDT’s Disruptive Business Group, the app provides a window to what kind of culture exists beyond the reception area.

“With EVE, companies can provide an interactive visitor experience to people coming to the office from the moment they first logged in to the time their host is ready to accommodate them,” Alcoseba said. “It’s a solution that guests, receptionists, and employees will find simple and enjoyable.”

EVE offers a digital end-to-end visitor-reception-host interface system through an automated visitor information recording and extraction.

“EVE addresses real-life enterprise challenges ranging from long queues, mismanagement of guest information when using pen and paper, inaccurate guest reports, and disorganized guest-host relations,” Alcoseba emphasized.

Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform Helps Automakers Transform Cars

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Renault-Nissan is first auto manufacturer to commit to platform to build connected cars

Traditional automakers, many of whom ushered in an era of incredible disruption nearly a century ago, now face disruption themselves from four modern forces — connected, autonomous, shared and electric cars. The infrastructure and scale required to build a connected car is incredibly complicated, expensive and resource intensive. At its core, it’s a software challenge, and a chief obstacle for these brands is integrating the complex cloud technology required to deliver next-generation driving experiences.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we announced the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, a set of services built on the Microsoft Azure cloud and designed to empower auto manufacturers to create custom connected driving experiences. This is not an in-car operating system or a “finished product;” it’s a living, agile platform that starts with the cloud as the foundation and aims to address five core scenarios that our partners have told us are key priorities: predictive maintenance, improved in-car productivity, advanced navigation, customer insights and help building autonomous driving capabilities.

Microsoft’s cloud will do the heavy lifting by ingesting huge volumes of sensor and usage data from connected vehicles, and then helping automakers apply that data in powerful ways.

Available as a public preview later this year, it brings Microsoft's intelligent services from across the company right into the car, including virtual assistants, business applications, office services and productivity tools like Cortana, Dynamics, Office 365, Power BI and Skype for Business.

Japan PM Shinzo Abe Adopts Philippine Eagle and Names it as "Sakura"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The three largest eagles on the planet are the Steller's sea eagle, the Harpy eagle and the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi), a giant forest raptor endemic to the Philippines and was declared our national bird on July 15, 1995.

If you have the new Philippine passport, ypu can see that the graphics or illustration contained inside are the Philippine eagle, some tourist spots, the national anthem lyrics, and the Baybayin script.

During his two-day visit in the country, Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe adopts a female juvenile Philippine Eagle and names it Sakura, a Japanese word that means "cherry blossoms." The PM was with his wife, Madam Akie Abe, and President Rodrigo Duterte during the naming ceremonies of the Philippine Eagle "Sakura" adopted by the Government of Japan.

Likewise, the Philippines' gift to PM Shinzo Abe is a stuffed toy representing "Sakura", the Philippine Eagle adopted by Japan. He was also given a framed photo of a Philippine eagle.

One of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world, the critically #endangered Philippine eagle, also known as the Great Philippine Eagle or Monkey-eating-Eagle, is a magnificent #bird! Critical because the Philippine eagle now has an estimated population of only 150-500 mature adults and it is declining. It is almost extinct. They only hatch an egg every 2 years. Harming this bird is punishable by up to 12 years in prison by Philippine Law. It was just recently added to the IUCN Red List of critically endangered species.

With a wingspan of 7 feet, I am amazed by how magnificently majestic this wonderful creature is. It has the longest talons in the world and has been known to prey on monkeys, dogs, civets and even deer. It is the only blue-eyed bird of prey in the world! It is known to symbolise power, integrity, strength and nobility. I believe that like the Philippine Eagle, the Filipinos can find the courage and strength to rise above all the terrifying obstacles and challenges.