Tanduay Athletics Locked In for Grassroots Basketball

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tanduay Distillers Inc. president Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr. is taking his support to grassroots sports a step further as he goes on full offensive for Batangas Tanduay Athletics in the new Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Tan, whose passion for basketball was cultivated in childhood, believes he saw a formidable ally in MPBL founder Sen. Manuel Pacquiao in providing opportunities for local talents from the regions to advance their basketball dreams.

“When we formed Tanduay Athletics, we had grassroots youth development as one of its major thrusts. We believe we can give equal opportunities to aspiring basketball talents from the cities and the regions through MPBL,” Tan said.

The MPBL features teams that represent a province, city or municipality in a home-and-away set up, where players get to play in front of hometown fans.
Each team is required to have at least three players that are homegrown to the area they represent.

Aside from Batangas Tanduay Athletics, other teams playing for the MPBL include Bataan Defenders, Bulacan Kuyas, Valenzuela Classic, Marikina Athletics, Caloocan Supremos, Navotas Redcore and Muntinlupa.

“We put our hope in the next generation to make better their lives and become useful to society. To give meaning to words, we support avenues that will enable them like the MPBL and Batangas is close to home. That makes this endeavor special and worthwhile,” Tan further explained.

Tanduay Distillers’ alcohol refinery Absolut Distillers Inc. has been operating for 26 years in Lian, Batangas. It is one of the country’s most advanced distilleries that has received multiple local and international awards for operating on zero waste and employing green practices.

“We have a very encouraging start with the strong performance of the team. We hope to continue the momentum. But in every league or sport we support, what’s important is how we are making a difference in the lives of the athletes. How they develop as individuals and how they will continue to inspire a nation as an athlete like Manny Pacquiao is why we are here to support,” Tan concluded.

The Batangas-Tanduay Athletics had an early win during a match with Valenzuela Classic and Bataan Defenders as former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players Val Acuna and Lester Alvarez lead the way for the new team.

MPBL games air every Tuesday, Thursday, and ‪Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m in ABSCBN Sports and Action. ‬‬


Tanduay Distillers Inc. is a member of the LT Group of Companies. Tanduay is the Philippines’ top rhum maker, which is also distributed in Asia and the United States, among other countries in the world. Likewise, the company produces spirits, wines, brandies, gins, and vodka. We are a registered company in the Philippine stock exchange as a subsidiary of Tanduay Holdings Inc.

Tugade wants Collection of Uniform Rental Fee at MARINA Stopped

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“Itigil niyo na ‘yan:” 

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade yesterday ordered a stop to the practice of collecting a uniform rental fee from applicants of a Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB) at the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

Secretary Tugade directed MARINA to ensure that there will be no fees collected from the applicants by the MARINA Employees Cooperative (MEC) for borrowing uniforms during the picture-taking session.

The transportation chief reiterated the order after a video posted by a netizen showed applicants are being charged PhP25 each for borrowing the uniforms from MEC. Applicants were not given corresponding receipts for the use of the uniform, the netizen added, hinting that the money collected would be divided among the MEC members.  

The netizen also said the fee charged for the uniform is excluded from the payment for the brown folder and stamp that an applicant would acquire from the MARINA main office on Taft Avenue, Manila.   

If applicants would need to get a Certificate of Proficiency or Certificate of Competency, they would also be required to pay additional PhP25 during picture taking, the netizen added.  

“Itigil niyo na ‘yan. That is an unnecessary financial burden to our people,” said Tugade.

Cease and Desist Order

Heeding Secretary Tugade’s directive, DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime Felipe Judan yesterday directed MARINA to issue a Cease and Desist Order to MEC and other entities from engaging in uniform rental services to seafarers.  

A Notice to the Public informing of such order was already posted at MARINA offices since yesterday. It also reiterated a long-standing policy that applicants must bring their own uniform and shoulder board.

Meanwhile, Ma. Soterania Sinel, director of MARINA’s Manpower Development Service, clarified that those involved in the collection of uniform rental fees are neither employees of MARINA nor MDS, but were directly hired by the MEC as staff of the Cooperative.

SM Men Plus Introduces League of Big Men

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SM Men Plus introduces three refreshing ambassadors as the faces of men’s plus-size fashion.

In 2016, SM Men uncovered the many hidden layers of fashion to reveal infinite possibilities in the seemingly limited sphere of men’s clothing. The launch of SM Men Plus was a revolution in local fashion, in that SM Men recognized the much-clamored need for plus-size men to have a wide range of comfortable yet trendy pieces accessible for them.

The brand kicked off by launching Zach Miko as its first-ever ambassador—an international face of body positivity for men, being the first ever plus size male model in the famed IMG models line-up. As it marks one year providing fashion forward clothing for plus-size men, SM Men Plus introduces three unexpected yet perfect new faces for the pioneering brand.

Three achievers in their own fields revolutionize the meaning of “plus-size men”: Philippine Basketball Association star player Greg Slaughter of team Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, chef and restaurateur Luigi Muhlach, and Alexis Deocaris, man behind the wildly successful culinary microblog, ForkSpoon Manila. These three new ambassadors provide a refreshing angle for men’s fashion in the country, as they transcend set notions of what it takes to be a man of style, both in terms of size and in their level of achievements.

“In choosing our new ambassadors, we tried to stay true to what SM Men Plus is all about: proving that men of all sizes, shapes, and interests can be included in the fashion conversation,” says Jeffrey Lo of SM Men. “Coming from a successful launch with the first male plus size model in the international modeling scene, we felt that SM Men Plus’ first anniversary is the right time to introduce real men known locally for their respective fields to serve as an example that whatever your lifestyle is, vertically or horizontally blessed men should enjoy expressing themselves through clothing.”

The three also expressed both their surprise and excitement for being ambassadors of the brand. Luigi puts it into words: “I’m pretty stoked! This is actually the first time I will be representing a clothing brand. My advise for plus-size men is to not be discouraged, as there is a brand available that is both stylish and suited for us.”

Greg expresses his happiness and relief in finding a store locally that cater to his seven-foot frame: “Clothing was always limited to me in the Philippines. It’s like I lived in my basketball clothes because that’s all that ever fit me here. But this new line from SM has given me a whole new range of options.”

Finally, Alexis doles out advice for plus-size men contemplating on a fashion upgrade: “Whatever your size is, there should be no hindrance in terms of expressing yourself through clothing. Happiness is what comes out when you express yourself.”

With its range of on-trend style pieces—from polos, shirts, structured jackets to all kinds of bottoms and layers-on for any occasion, SM Men Plus seems to be acing the job pretty well.

SM Men Plus is available at all branches of The SM Store. Visit facebook.com/SMMensfashion or on Twitter and Instagram at @SM_Men for more details on SM Men Plus.