Ginugunita Kita Performance Art All Set on September 26

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In line with its 18th year anniversary celebration, The Maningning Miclat Art Foundation Inc. in cooperation with District Gallery - Artist Playground, and the Far Eastern University President’s Committee on Culture presents “GINUGUNITA KITA,” a performance art featuring Maningning Miclat’s poems and an all original music composed by Jesse Lucas.

“GINUGUNITA KITA” will be held on September 26 – Wednesday 6 p.m. at the historic, newly-opened FEU Auditorium located at Nicanor Reyes St., Sampaloc, Manila.

Maningning Miclat was a poet, fictionist and essayist in English, Filipino and Chinese as well as a painter in Western and Chinese genre. A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate in UP Diliman, she was a fellow of the U.P. National Writer's Workshop,  Silliman Writer's Workshop and Rio Alma Poetry Clinic. Her Chinese poems made her one of the top-rated women poets in Chinese in the world.

With Ryan Cayabyab and Chino Toledo as mentors, Jesse Lucas won awards from FAMAS which catapulted him to the Hall of Fame, and from the Gawad Urian, Young Critics Circle, Gawad Tanglaw and Aliw. In 2005, he won an award from the Screamfest International Film Festival in Los Angeles, USA. CCP’s Tanghalang Pilipino, Dulaang UP, Dramatis Personae, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Ballet Philippines and the Philippine Ballet Theater have adapted his music.

The eleven poems by Maningning Miclat are in her trilingual book of poetry, “Voice from the Underworld” (Anvil Publishing - 2000). The book was a National Book Award finalist for poetry in 2001. 

The title of the poems are: Ginugunita Kita, Tawag, Anino, Panibugho, DUET (nina Rizal at Bracken), Kulay sa Bagyo, Ang Naliligaw, Shi Bu Shi, A Stare, Verse # 2, and To Catch a Second and Turn it to Forever. 

According to the composer, Jesse Lucas, inspiration came easily to him after reading “Voice from the Underworld.” He wrote: "The poems of Maningning Miclat are almost melodious that I can hear the music through the poetic images. It spoke and at the same time sang to me poignant thoughts about life, pain and love…. the experience in writing the music was really meditative and cathartic at the same time. It feels like I have discovered a new language, a language that speaks directly to the soul. These are the foundation of  Ginugunita Kita’s music.”

Directed by film and theater actor Roeder Camaňag, the performance will feature soloist Banaue Miclat-Janssen and master cellist Renato Lucas, together with singer Al Gatmaitan and Angela Castro of the FEU Dance Company, with live interactive visual art of Nasser Lubay. 

Banaue Miclat-Janssen sings the opera, acts and dances on stage and hones young artists as professor of theatre arts at UP Diliman’s Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts. She obtained her Master of Fine Arts from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and her Bachelor of Arts from UP Diliman. In New York, she attended voice lessons from Evelyn Mandac, Robert Carpenter, and CUNY's Judylee Vivier. She had a stint at the Metropolitan Opera in such productions as Salome, Faust, La Boheme, Don Carlo, I Puritani and La Traviata, among others. She has performed at the CCP, UP Abelardo Hall, UP Theater and Ateneo de Manila University. At present, she is the Artistic Director of Dulaang UP and the Executive Director of the Maningning Miclat Art Foundation.

Renato Lucas is one of the finest cellists in the country. His schools included UP Diliman College of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music (USA), Royal Northern College of Music (England), Hochschule fur Musik Detmold (Germany), and Universitaet der Kunst Berlin (Germany). He has been the principal soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for three decades. He has performed as soloist with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, Manila Chamber Orchestra, and UST Symphony Orchestra, as well as the CCP's Filipino Artist Series, Pundaquit Arts Festival, Las Piňas Bamboo Organ Festival, and the Maningning Poetry Awards.

Al Gatmaitan is an opera singer, theater actor, and three-time Aliw Awardee for Best Performer of the Year. He can also be seen on film, television, and online advertisements.

Angela Castro is one of the principal dancers of the FEU Dance Company headed by Edward Malagkit. Her performance has brought her to various competitions that the FEU has joined in and outside the country.

“GINUGUNITA KITA,” the performance art, says the director, Roeder Camaňag, “is all about poetry and the creation of emotive response. From the poetry of the life of a poet to the poetry of interpreting the poems of someone you love and the poetry of putting the right music to amplify the auditory experience of powerful images embedded in a poem.” 

‘Ginugunita Kita’ had its gala world premiere at the Aldaba Hall, University Theater, U.P. Diliman QC in May 2015.

Then, it was also performed at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio V. Tolentino in September 2015 to coincide with the 2015 (7th) Poetry Awards of the Maningning Miclat Art Foundations.

Ginugunita Kita garnered the 2015 Aliw Awards for Best Performance in a New Concept Production for Banaue Miclat-Janssen. It was nominated in the same category - Best Director for Roeder Camañag. 

Ginugunita Kita is presented in cooperation with Frontrow Entertainment, and Ruben & Elizabeth Vedar.

For ticket inquiries, please refer to Maningning Miclat Art Foundation c/o Carmela (09998050681). Or call Ticketworld (891-9999).

ONE Championship Announce Complete Card for ONE: Beyond the Horizon on September 8

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON, set for Saturday, 8 September at the Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, China. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent will take to the ONE ring to showcase their amazing skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China will defend her title against Samara “Marituba” Santos of Brazil.

Ticket information for ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON is available at www.onefc.com.

“The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China is the reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion. With a professional record of 15-1, Xiong began her career competing in professional boxing and was inspired by her father, who imparted in her values of courage and integrity. Featuring a wide array of skills, “The Panda” bagged a gold medal at the prestigious China Open Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in 2017. In her last bout, she defeated Laura Balin to successfully retain her ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship for the first time. Up next, the 30-year-old defends her title against Samara Santos.

Samara “Marituba” Santos of Brazil is a 25-year-old female mixed martial artist who is set to make her promotional debut at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON. A former Salcaterra Marajo Fight Strawweight Champion, Santos has gained solid experience competing largely in her home country of Brazil for the majority of her career. She has amassed a 12-5-1 record over the past three years as a professional, including six wins by submission. In her first appearance in ONE, Santos will take on defending ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is originally from a small farming town in the mountainous Benguet region of the Philippines. Banario earned a wushu scholarship to attend the Cordillera Career Development College in Baguio, and won several national tournaments. Although he spent most of his time competing against Team Lakay, he was intrigued by an invitation to train with them, and decided to take it up. Under the guidance of head coach Mark Sangiao, he developed into one of the team’s top talents. In recent years, “The Rock” has proven to be one of the most dangerous competitors atop ONE’s lightweight division. He takes on Amir Khan next.

Former Singaporean Muay Thai champion Amir Khan moved to the United States to attend high school in Louisiana, where he began cross-training in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu under BJJ black belt Relson Gracie. Upon returning to Singapore in 2014, Khan joined Evolve MMA and became a part of its famed competition team. He then joined ONE that same year, and has since accumulated several highlight-reel finishes, highlighting his immense talent and growing skills. In his most recent bout, Khan stopped South Korean Sung Jong Lee with punches in the second round. Up next, Khan takes on veteran Honorio Banario.

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly trains at the famed Team Lakay alongside the likes of former ONE World Champions Eduard Folayang and Honorio Banario. With several impressive finishes against the world's best on his record, Kelly has emerged as a contender in his own right. He even owns the second-fastest knockout in ONE featherweight history, a blistering 21-second finish of Meas Meul. The 34-year-old is a complete martial artist who looks to showcase Team Lakay’s world-renowned wushu every time he competes. Kelly has won four of his last six bouts, all by spectacular finish. He will now take on former ONE World Title challenger Christian Lee.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish. The 20-year-old has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents in an exciting, fan-friendly style. A former Pankration World Champion, Lee has won four of his last five bouts, showcasing his impressive skills inside the ONE cage. In his most recent outing, Lee challenged two-division ONE World Champion Martin Nguyen for the ONE Featherweight World Championship. Now, he is ready to return to action against Edward Kelly.

Ognjen Topic is one of the United States’ top-ranked kickboxers. He is a three-time Muay Thai World Champion, and two-time national champion. Training out of his home base of North Jersey Muay Thai, Topic makes frequent trips to Thailand to sharpen his skills at Eminent Air Gym in Bangkok. He began training in taekwondo, and earned his black belt before transitioning to Muay Thai at the age of 18 after falling in love with the art. Since then, he has stepped into the ring over 50 times against Muay Thai legends such as Saenchai, Coke Chunhawat, and Paowarit Sasiprapa. Along the way, he won WBC and WKA USA national championships, as well as World Titles in the Muay Thai Grand Prix, IKF, and Lion Fight. Known for his highly technical style, Topic will now face Tukkatatong Petpayathai in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Two-time Muay Thai World Champion Tukkatatong Petpayathai came from humble beginnings in a small countryside village in the Buriram region of Thailand. He was introduced to the world of Muay Thai by watching bouts on television with his father, and by the age of 10, he was already competing in his first bouts. Driven to further his success, he moved to Bangkok to train at the famed Kiatpetch gym when he was 14 years old. Tukkatatong has competed at the most famous stadiums in Thailand, including Lumpinee and Rajadamnern, facing the biggest names in the sport. He has amassed more than 270 professional bouts over the course of his illustrious 20-year career, capturing two World Titles at the famed Channel 7 Stadium along the way. Tukkatatong now makes his second appearance in ONE to take on Ognjen Topic in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout.

Former Trench Warz Featherweight Champion Roman “Boom” Alvarez was born and raised in Guam, and he currently still lives in his childhood home. Alvarez has put together an excellent 8-2 record, competing in Guam, Saipan, and the Philippines, and has won titles in both the cage and the grappling arena. He currently trains at Spike 22 under celebrated veteran coach Melchor Manibusan, and sharpens his skills every day alongside some of the top mixed martial artists in North America. Now that he has a chance to make his mark on the world in ONE, he will do whatever it takes to realize his dreams of international glory. Alvarez faces the dangerous Daichi Takenaka next.

Former Shooto Pacific Rim Featherweight Champion Daichi Takenaka of Osaka, Japan was always athletic as a child. He played soccer and ran track in his youth, and began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu after discovering it by playing video games. He is a grappling specialist who excels in executing the rear-naked choke, a move he has used to dispatch four of his opponents in his career. He joined ONE in February 2018, making his debut against the highly-regarded Dae Hwan Kim. Rocking an unblemished 11-0-1 professional record, Takenaka is considered one of the hottest tickets at bantamweight. He now puts his undefeated record on the line against Roman Alvarez.

Top King Muay Thai World Champion Han Zi Hao of China is a Muay Thai practitioner who is based out of Bangkok, Thailand. The 22-year-old already owns an impressive professional Muay Thai record of 57-15 early in his career. A representative of Mad Muay Thai Gym, Han now finds himself looking to showcase his incredible striking skills on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition, joining elite athletes in the world of striking martial arts as part of ONE Super Series. Han’s first appearance for the promotion was a difficult one, however, as the Chinese stalwart took on the tough Panicos Yusuf. He now returns to action to face Stergos Mikkios in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Proudly representing Sityodtong Global is Stergos “Greek Dynamite” Mikkios, who has won numerous Muay Thai titles in the United States including Triumph Kombat, AKBF, and Friday Night Fights championships. Although he only started training in Muay Thai six years ago, it soon became his passion and purpose in life. He even quit his job, sold most of his possessions, and moved to Thailand to train and compete full-time. With a Muay Thai record of 19-9-2, Mikkios now showcases his talents on the global stage in ONE. In his most recent contest, Mikkios figured in one of the most entertaining Muay Thai bouts yet against Ognjen Topic. Now Mikkios comes back to the ONE ring looking for redemption against Han Zi Hao in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai bout.

Shanghai Open BJJ Champion Chen Lei is from Changde, in China’s Hunan province. He first started his martial arts journey by training in boxing and Muay Thai, and then later switched his focus to the cage over the past few years. He even won a regional BJJ championship in Shanghai after developing his ground game. Training out of Equilibrium Beijing, Chen has since amassed a perfect 8-0 record in professional competition, showing his outstanding potential. This includes an impressive promotional run of three stoppage wins in 2017, when he defeated Malaysian Muay Thai star Saiful Merican and Indonesian grappling champion Jeremy Meciaz in stunning fashion. Next up, Chen takes on Muhammad Aiman.

Although former MIMMA Featherweight Champion Muhammad Aiman is from Negeri Sembilan, he grew up in cities all around Malaysia due to his parents’ careers. At the age of 16, he picked up boxing, which proved to be the beginning of a fruitful martial arts journey that continues to this day. Having conquered the Malaysian amateur scene, Aiman then set his sights on international glory as a professional with ONE, and made a successful debut in September 2016. He has since registered wins over several tough opponents, including BJJ champion Eduardo Novaes, and has made a name for himself as a thrilling young talent to watch. Aiman looks to continue his quest for greatness against China’s Chen Lei.

Former eight-time Kickboxing World Champion and professional boxer Daniel “The Rock” Dawson is an Australian martial artist who competes out of Perth, Western Australia. With a kickboxing record of 53-13, and a boxing record of 40-5-1 with 26 knockouts, Dawson is one of Australia’s most respected combat sports athletes. He has had a very successful career competing in events across Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and the United States. “The Rock” has now decided to take his talents to the prestigious ONE Super Series, where he joins a long list of striking legends. In his promotional debut, Dawson faces Mustapha Haida in a ONE Super Series kickboxing match.

Mustapha “The Flying Dragon” Haida is a former ISKA Kickboxing World Champion. The 29-year-old from Florence, Italy owns a professional kickboxing record of 38-7-3, training out of Fight Club Firenze at home in Florence. With experience competing under Glory, Super Kombat, Kunlun Fight and Bellator Kickboxing, Haida owns notable victories over opponents such as Andy Souwer, Enriko Kehl, Dzianis Zuev and Abdallah Mabel. He is ranked among the Top 10 welterweights in the world. Looking to prove his skills on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition, Haida now takes his talents to ONE Championship, where he faces Daniel Dawson in a ONE Super Series kickboxing bout in his debut.

Former two-time Muay Thai World Champion Hakim Hamech is a Muay Thai specialist and kickboxer from Lyon, France. Representing Team-NAS-R.K., Hamech has amassed a professional Muay Thai record of 42-8, and has impressed with his speed and power. After building a stellar professional career, Hamech now joins ONE Super Series to showcase his skills under the bright lights of the ONE ring, alongside the biggest tickets in striking martial arts. In his promotional debut, Hamech will search for his first victory in the promotion when he faces Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former WBC Japan Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion Yukinori Ogasawara was born and raised in Tokyo. After a regular childhood hanging around his father’s convenience stores, he finally found his calling when he was 15 years old. On a whim, he had signed up to take up kickboxing at Crosspoint Kichijoji near his house, and it would become a turning point in his life. Ogasawara then spent three years studying abroad in Vancouver, Canada, but never stopped training, even competing in an amateur kickboxing match there. He soon made his professional kickboxing debut, and has since amassed an excellent 15-4-4 record, winning a national title along the way. He faces Hakim Hamech up next in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Former three-time National Kun Khmer Champion Phat Soda grew up as an orphan, and got into a lot of confrontations because of bullying. However, martial arts allowed him to turn his life around when he started training in Kun Khmer in 2012, and he has since accumulated over 100 bouts, winning national titles three years in a row. Driven by a desire to make a name for his country on the global stage, Soda joined ONE, and will attempt to show the effectiveness of Kun Khmer to the world. In his return to action, Soda takes on the tough Elipitua Siregar.

Former Indonesian National Wrestling Champion Elipitua Siregar came from humble beginnings, having been born to a family struggling to make ends meet in Indonesia’s North Sumatra region. His family sent him to live with his uncle in Jakarta in order to learn discipline. That would come in the form of enforced wrestling training, which would not just reform the young Siregar, but change his life forever. The young Indonesian competed in wrestling throughout his academic career, and racked up numerous medals at the national level. After such a long run of domestic success, he turned his attention to international glory in the cage, and joined ONE. Determined to become one of Indonesia’s most elite martial artists, Siregar will now face Phat Soda.

ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON

Saturday, 8 September

Baoshan Arena, Shanghai, China

Main Event

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship

Xiong Jing Nan vs Samara Santos

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Women’s Strawweight)

Honorio Banario vs Amir Khan

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg (Lightweight)

Edward Kelly vs Christian Lee

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg (Featherweight)

Ognjen Topic vs Tukkatatong Petpayathai

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Roman Alvarez vs Daichi Takenaka

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Han Zi Hao vs Stergos Mikkios

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Chen Lei vs Muhammad Aiman

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg (Bantamweight)

Daniel Dawson vs Mustapha Haida

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 72.5kg (Catch Weight)

Hakim Hamech vs Yukinori Ogasawara

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg (Flyweight)

Phat Soda vs Elipitua Siregar

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg (Strawweight)

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.

Filipino Strawweight Contenders Joshua Pacio and Rene Catalan Seemingly on a Collision Course

Wazzup Pilipinas!

ONE: REIGN OF KINGS last 27 July at the SM Mall of Asia Arena proved to be a good night for the Filipino mixed martial artists that showcased their talents on the stacked card. 

Capped off by Team Lakay’s Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon capturing the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship, the Filipino contingent went for a perfect 4-0 sweep on the night, which also included victories from former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard ‘Landslide’ Folayang, as well as a couple of strawweight contenders in Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio and Rene ‘D’Challenger’ Catalan. 

With Pacio and Catalan both riding respective winning streaks, it now appears that the two Filipino strawweight contenders are on a collision course on their way to the ONE Strawweight World Championship, currently held by Japan’s Yoshitaka ‘Nobita’ Naito. 

Naito is on his second run as ONE Strawweight Word Champion after regaining the title from Alex ‘Little Rock’ Silva at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY in Jakarta back in May. 

Also competing out of the famed Team Lakay stable in Baguio City, the 22-year old Pacio has built for himself a nice three-match winning streak, with all three victories coming by way of stoppage, with the most recent being a first-round submission win over Thailand’s Pongsiri Mitsatit. 

While he says he’s ready to get another opportunity to challenge Naito for the ONE Strawweight World Championship once more, Pacio says that’s not what he’s focused on.

“I’m not thinking of a title shot right now, but if ONE Championship decides to give it to me, of course I’ll grab it immediately.” Pacio explained. “Training doesn’t stop for me, so that when the call comes, I’m always ready.” 

39-year old Filipino mixed martial arts veteran Catalan on the other hand, hasn’t tasted defeat since 2014. 

The Catalan Fighting System Philippines founder is on an impressive five-match winning streak of his own, and his last victory was a dominant Unanimous Decision win over Stefer Rahardian, which marked the Indonesian’s first loss in nine professional bouts. 

Like Pacio, Catalan feels that he’s also ready for an opportunity to challenge for the ONE Strawweight World Championship. 

“Yes, I believe I’m ready. I have won five straight contests, and the competition has only gotten better and better. If ONE Championship gives me the opportunity, anytime I’m ready.” said Catalan. 

The Iloilo native, however, will be the first to admit that he still has a long way to go before becoming the top guy in the division, or at least being the next in line for a title shot. 

“I still have a lot of work to do, because I know that there are a handful of names that are ahead of me, but I will do my best to get through whoever ONE Championship puts in between me and a chance at a title shot.” 

The two Filipino strawweight contenders now find themselves in an interesting position, as they could easily be matched up against each other, with an opportunity to challenge for the world championship hanging in the balance. 

Pacio says that facing Catalan, someone he’s watched ever since he was a kid, would be nothing short of an honor. 

“If Sir Rene and I happen to get matched up together, it’s going to be a big privilege for me, as I get to test myself against one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts here in the Philippines.” 

“I’ve been watching Sir Rene since I was a kid. I watched him compete in the Asian Games.” Pacio added. 

Much like Pacio’s Team Lakay coaches in Folayang and Mark Sangiao, Catalan is a decorated Wushu practitioner and was a gold medalist for the Philippines in the 2006 Asian Games. 

Pacio may be significantly younger than Catalan, but he’s definitely more experienced in mixed martial arts, having more than twice as many bouts as Catalan, and against the top-tier of ONE Championship’s strawweight division. Pacio believes that it will play to his advantage. 

“I’ve faced the top contenders in our division, guys like the current champion Yoshitaka Naito, Hayato Suzuki, Dejdamrong Amnuaysirichoke, and Pongsiri Misatit. These guys are no joke. These guys are tough competition.” 

While Pacio sees a potential bout against Catalan as another opportunity, the latter isn’t as enthusiastic about facing a compatriot. 

“I know Team Lakay’s level, and I’m not worried about facing any one of them, but the thing is, I’d rather not face a fellow Filipino.” said Catalan. “Since 2003, I’ve been representing for the Philippines, and until now, I try to avoid having to compete against one of my countrymen.” 

“I’m not a businessman, I am a martial artist, and I have martial arts principles. I compete for the glory and honor of our country.” Catalan added.

Pacio acknowledges that there’s a big difference in facing a fellow Filipino compared to facing someone from another country, but for him, it’s really nothing personal, just competition. 

“There’s a big difference if you’re competing against a fellow Filipino, that’s your blood. Of course, it feels different.” Pacio said. “But in the end, we’re sportsmen, and this is just a test of skills and talents. If we do end up sharing the cage on our way to a title shot, then I would have no problems with that.” 

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.

IPC, CloudSigma Launch ‘instant’ Disaster Recovery Solution

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Companies now a few clicks away from protecting their business from disasters

Local cloud services pioneer IPC, together with its global Infrastructure-as-a-Service partner CloudSigma, recently launched its latest service offering that will allow companies to set up Disaster Recovery with just a few clicks and minimal configuration time.

“Given the disaster-prone nature of our country, it is a must for companies and organizations to create secure backups for their data. Our Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) powered by CloudSigma can be set up almost instantly, with only a few clicks via our online platform. With this, companies can replicate crucial data to our cloud and switch them into production immediately should an untoward incident compromise their systems,” said Niño R. Valmonte, Director for Marketing and Digital Innovation at IPC.

The service, which can be accessed by IPC’s clients through cloud.ipc.ph, allows users to replicate data and systems from other infrastructures or locations, and have these periodically synced to the cloud automatically. This seamless DRaaS system powered by CloudSigma provides an ideal business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) solution, enabling the IT department to easily switch production systems to a secure and stable cloud infrastructure during a disaster.

Using the cloud as part of a disaster recovery plan versus traditional physical infrastructure allows companies to avoid the capital expenditure needed to maintain hardware, instead relying on on-demand compute resources that can be easily accessed through the Internet. This reduces the cost of comprehensive disaster recovery solutions to a fraction of the former cost and allows more capital to be covered by such a solution including laptops, desktops, and other assets that are considered uneconomic to include in a disaster recovery plan.

“This Disaster Recovery solution can sync data not only from onsite premises and data centers but also between all existing and future CloudSigma locations. This is particularly relevant to enterprise customers who are running many deployments in different locations and want to utilize the full potential of cloud infrastructure,” said Robert Jenkins, CEO & Co-founder at CloudSigma.

A Swiss-based company, CloudSigma entered the Asian market through its partnership with IPC back in 2016 by integrating its services within IPC’s data center network. Clients who subscribe to IPC benefit from low latency, dedicated connectivity provided by CloudSigma, which is ideal for servicing critical IT workloads.

By combining the advantages provided by the cloud platform with strong networking and disaster recovery capabilities, customers can easily combine cloud-delivered storage and compute environments in conjunction with their existing infrastructure.

Unlike other cloud providers, IPC and CloudSigma craft custom end-to-end solutions for customers that directly service their needs and at a uniquely competitive price through a single billing relationship for hosting, cloud, and networking connectivity.

“We urge Philippine enterprises to be proactive in their BC/DR efforts. Through cloud-based Disaster Recovery, we eliminate high cost and complexity from the picture. This is high time for everyone to review their current systems and ensure that a secure and reliable backup and recovery plan is in place,” said Valmonte.

The new service is priced per GB basis, providing complete cost transparency and predictability. Compared to traditional solutions that require complex set-ups and custom implementations, IPC and CloudSigma are able to bring to market a comprehensive disaster recovery solution at a disruptively low price by using technology to automate the process and encourage self-configuration via the main webapp.

To know more about IPC and its services, visit www.ipc.ph.

ONE Championship Draws Massive Crowd for ONE: Reign of Kings in Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For the third time in 2018, ONE Championship™ (ONE), the largest global sports media property in Asian history, brought their exciting brand of martial arts action to Philippine soil and once again, it brought the house down.  

ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, which was held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Friday, 27 July, featured a stacked card from top to bottom, and was headlined by top Filipino bantamweight contender Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon of Team Lakay who defeated reigning ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen to become the new ONE Interim Bantamweight World Champion.

Aside from the massive main event that featured two of ONE Championship’s top athletes, a handful of other big names also saw action, including martial arts legends Renzo Gracie and Yuki Kondo, as well as former ONE Lightweight World Champion and Filipino mixed martial arts hero Eduard Folayang.

From as early as the opening bout of the night, fans had already filled up more than half of the seats at the state-of-the-art arena in Manila, and even as event night progressed, more people continued to gather outside the arena, hoping to make their way in to catch the action.

By the end of the night, the SM Mall of Asia Arena was packed to the rafters with passionate martial arts fans.

“The Philippines has always been one of the best countries to hold our events, so it’s no surprise that ONE: REIGN OF KINGS in Manila produced that kind of turnout,” said ONE Championship founder and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.

“Filipino fans are some of the most passionate fans, not just in Asia, but in the whole world, and that’s because every Filipino, deep inside, has that warrior spirit,” Sityodtong continued.

“They celebrate and they embrace that warrior spirit that they see in their heroes. Look at Manny Pacquiao, who’s possibly the biggest Filipino martial arts hero of them all, look at guys like Eduard Folayang, look at their new champion, Kevin Belingon, these guys are warriors and these guys are champions, and that’s why they’re beloved in the Philippines.”

In turn, the Filipino contingent at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS repaid the unparalleled fan support by turning in a 4-0 clean sweep that saw Folayang, Joshua Pacio, and Rene Catalan all putting on impressive performances leading to dominant victories.

Drawing a huge crowd and pulling in an immense number of viewers in Manila is nothing new anymore, as back in 2017, ONE Championship made history by putting together the most-watched mixed martial arts event in the country.

ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, which was headlined by then-champion Folayang successfully defending his ONE Lightweight World Championship against top contender Ev Ting back in 21 April, 2017, became the most-watched mixed martial arts show in the Philippines, not only filling up the SM Mall of Asia Arena, but also garnering a 26-percent peak ratings share that blasted the competitors’ television ratings out of the water.

“We broke all records with a 26 percent peak TV ratings share as per Nielsen. Those numbers are massive. It means one in four Filipinos who were watching TV was watching ONE Championship,” Sityodtong said then.

After making history last year, ONE Championship aims to make even more history in the Philippines this year and in the years to come, and one of the steps the company has taken is to double-up on the number of events to take place on Philippine soil.

From usually holding two cards a year, ONE Championship has already put on three momentous cards in Manila this year, and there’s one more on the way, which is likely to again feature some of the biggest names on the ONE roster.

By the end of 2018, Manila will have hosted four ONE Championship events.

“It’s always big when we come to the Philippines,” said Sityodtong. “We’ve put on big-time championship bouts, we’ve showcased legends on our events, and we’ve even introduced new avenues of martial arts like the ONE Super Series which we debuted back in April in Manila, because we know that we’ll always get a warm reception from the fans there, and they’ve never let us down.”

“This year, we’ll be holding twice as many cards in Manila, and moving forward, the Filipino martial arts fans can expect even more big names and even more exciting ONE Championship action. As I’ve said before, I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg with regards to what ONE Championship can achieve.” Sityodtong added.

ONE Championship returns to Manila on Friday, 23 November, 2018 for ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS.

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.

Breeding Tuna in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Jonah van Beijnen (MSc), Best Alternatives Campaign Proponent

Tuna are large predatory pelagic fish that swim through the seas of the world. In terms of value and volume, they are some of the most important species for the Philippine fisheries sector.

The most commonly-caught species include Skipjack, Yellowfin and Bigeye Tuna – taken using a variety of gear ranging from purse seine nets to circular handline reels. Tuna provide excellent income for fisherfolk and fishing companies, while generating thousands of jobs in vessels, canneries and other parts of the supply chain. 

Because of their high value in local and international sushi restaurants, many fishers focus on catching Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares). However, in recent years the rising number of fishers and large fishing vessels targeting these fish have depleted stocks, putting the livelihoods of Pinoy fishers and other tuna sector workers at risk. Besides promoting sustainable systems like handline fisheries, limiting fishing effort and improving enforcement, closed cycle aquaculture or breeding tuna can be a #BestAlternative – especially for the Philippines.

Owing to technical difficulties, most aquaculturists still think producing captive-bred tuna from eggs is impossible – but much has changed in recent years.
In Europe and Japan, the culture of tuna started many years ago with fattening operations. Here special purse seiners target wild juvenile and sub-adult tuna, which are carefully caught and towed back to special fattening farms.

Upon arrival, these tuna are transferred to large floating cages where they are fattened to attain better marketable sizes and to improve the fat percentage of their meat. Fatter tuna fetch higher prices.

Since pellet feeds for tuna are still under development in Europe, fresh fish like sardines and mackerel are used as feed. The feed conversion ratio of fresh fish fed to these tuna is not yet very efficient and approximately 15 to 20 kilograms of other fish is used to produce one kilogram of tuna.

About 10 years ago, with the number of fattening operations rising and most tuna stocks overfished or fished close to their maximum sustainable yields, a number of governments, nonprofits and other stakeholders expressed their concerns about the sustainability of these farming practices.

This eventually drove the European Union and Japanese governments to steer their aquaculture sectors away from fattening wild-caught juvenile fish and instead invest in developing technology for the sustainable closed-cycle aquaculture of tuna.

Today hatchery projects for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are already operating in Spain, Malta, Greece, Croatia, Egypt and Turkey. Since 2014, many of these projects have successfully produced small quantities of fingerlings and some harvestable fish. The first tuna products from these efforts are already available in the Netherlands.

In Japan, scientists have been working hard to close the lifecycle of the closely-related Pacific Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis), a species which is also found in the Philippines, especially around the recently-protected Philippine Rise, east of Luzon. After many years of trial and error, approximately 20 hatchery facilities are now producing Pacific Bluefin Tuna with an average survival rate estimated from 3 to 5%.

In 2016, these hatcheries together produced an incredible 500,000 fingerlings! The sales from grow-out operations using hatchery-produced Pacific Bluefin Tuna have lifted off as well, with 900 metric tons of sales in 2016 and over 1000 metric tons of sales in 2017 – thereby proving beyond a doubt that the closed-cycle aquaculture of Bluefin Tuna is viable, profitable and an excellent alternative to wild-capture fisheries.

In the meantime, two projects in Panama (South America) and Bali (Indonesia) have been focusing their efforts on Yellowfin Tuna. Both projects have been able to produce plenty of eggs in captivity and some fingerlings. Although there are still plenty of remaining challenges in improving the survival of tuna larvae and fingerlings, improving the sustainability of feeds and minimizing the environmental impacts of farming activities, the potential of the sector is clear.

The Philippines, with many islands and surrounding calm and productive waters, sits at the centre of the natural spawning grounds of wild Yellowfin Tuna. Juvenile tuna love these warm and calm waters, teeming with food. This might just give the Philippines a big advantage in the future closed cycle culture of Yellowfin Tuna.

The Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has also realized the potential of tuna aquaculture. On 11 July 2018, they released a statement that the Bureau of Fisheries will collaborate with the Japanese government to start Yellowfin Tuna fattening operations in Samar, where juvenile tuna will be gathered from spawning grounds in municipal waters for farming.

This is an innovative and hands-on move by BFAR. However, with Yellowfin Tuna stocks in the Philippines and Western Pacific Ocean already under severe pressure, collecting wild juvenile tuna from spawning grounds might not be the most sustainable approach. The same approach has been tried with groupers and lobster, where undersized individuals were caught for fattening purposes – and both practices resulted in a population collapse.

Since the Japanese are already producing hundreds of thousands of hatchery-bred juvenile tuna, perhaps the Japanese government can be requested to focus on the closed-cycle aquaculture of Yellowfin Tuna in their collaboration with BFAR instead.

As an alternative to catching undersized tuna, the Japanese could for example build a hatchery and farming research centre for Yellowfin Tuna in Samar and share their knowledge on how to culture tuna from eggs with Filipino aquaculturists.
In doing so, they will capacitate Filipinos, create a truly sustainable aquaculture sector for Samar and many other island provinces, and let locals truly benefit from their investment.

About the Author: 
Jonah van Beijnen believes that sustainable production and consumption of seafood is the key to ensuring a better world for all people. Ten years ago, he co-founded Fins and Leaves to develop and successfully market one of the Philippines’ first grouper (Lapu-Lapu) hatcheries. Now based in Spain and a Best Alternatives Campaign proponent, he continues to assist nonprofits, corporations and governments in improving the sustainability of their fisheries and aquaculture operations, focusing on high-value species like grouper and tuna. For more information, please contact jonah@vb-consultancy.com or see his work on Researchgate.

About the Best Alternatives Campaign:
Founded by environmentalist Gregg Yan in 2014, the Best Alternatives Campaign is an environmental communications think-tank which publicizes sustainable and profitable solutions to meet a host of ecological challenges – ranging from better ways to generate renewable energy to best practices for the seafood industry.  For more information, please contact BestAlternativesCampaign@Gmail.com.