Chinese Prodigy Li Kai Wen Thirsts to Redeem Himself Against Filipino Opponent​​

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After his much-awaited return to ONE Championship ended in unfortunate fashion three months ago, Chinese martial arts ace Li Kai Wen is preparing to make a definitive statement as he makes his first trip to the cage this 2018.

The man known as “The Underdog” is scheduled to duke it out with the Philippines’ Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro in a three-round featherweight affair on the undercard of ONE: QUEST FOR GOLD, which takes place at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on 23 February.

“There is no way this bout will go to the judges,” the 22-year-old Tianjin, China resident stated confidently.

“I believe that I am more athletically gifted than my opponent, and I believe that my team of coaches are more diverse. I am prepared for whatever he brings. With that said, I will enter the cage, implement my skills, and impose my will,” Li added.

Back in November, Li graced the ONE Championship cage for the first time in nearly a year and a half when he took on Pakistani featherweight Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT in Singapore.

Although there was plenty of attention on the bout as both talents are young, aggressive, and known to constantly push the pace, it was marred by controversy.

A series of illegal blows to the back of Mujtaba’s head stopped the match in the opening minutes of round one, and ultimately resulted in Li’s disqualification.

While others sink into obscurity after being tainted by a disqualification loss, Li is determined not to fall into that category as he is eager to redeem himself on the global stage.

“My loss last November is sweet,” he said, explaining that the defeat was a blessing in disguise.

“It is sometimes better to feel that. You come to know that you have to work harder and harder. I have learned many things, and now I have more dedication and hunger for this sport,” Li further expounded.

Li stressed that he has his previous outing firmly in the rearview mirror, justifying that the setback has not shaken his confidence

“I was born for tough situations. Deep in my heart, I know I can turn this setback into triumph. I am ready for anything,” he declared.

To hone his craft in martial arts, Li trained at various facilities all across California in the United States as he visited stables such as Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Millennia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, and Kings MMA in Huntington Beach to stock his arsenal.

Ready to showcase all that he has learned, Li believes that training in the United States will put his painful defeat behind him.

“I would like to use this opportunity to demonstrate to the fans that I have kept training, and still pursued my dream of becoming a world champion,” he pointed out.

Li was originally slated to face Rodian Menchavez at ONE: QUEST FOR GOLD, but the Filipino veteran was forced to withdraw from the contest due to an injury.

Rosauro accepted the offer to step in for compatriot Menchavez and square off against an up-and-coming martial arts dynamo like Li in his promotional debut.

“Roel Rosauro is my new opponent now, and I need to adopt quickly to his style. But our game plan is still the same, and I will execute that on 23 February,” Li bared.

Because of the world-class training he has been receiving, Li is feeling extra confident, supposing that he holds the advantage in every area of the game.

“I have better Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. I will outclass him in striking too. There is no pressure. I will step in the cage again, get the win and make the crowd go crazy,” he ended.

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Hike in P2P Bus Ridership at MRT-3, An Example of Multi-Sector Cooperation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The substantial increase in the ridership of point-to-point bus service (P2P) at Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) stations is an example of government agencies and the private sector’s cooperation to achieve a common goal, a transport official today said. 

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the deployment of the P2P buses to two MRT-3 North Avenue and Quezon Avenue stations during morning rush hour has provided an effective option for MRT-3 passengers while there are still limited train sets running on the train system.

“The bus augmentation program for MRT-3 is a fine example of multi-sector and multi-agency cooperation to realize our common goal of improving public service,” Undersecretary Batan said. 

He lauded the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Land Transportation Office, Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group, DOTr Office of Commuter Affairs, and MRT-3 officials and personnel for their initiatives to further move people faster to their destinations. 

“The best is yet to come for this bus for MRT-3 service,” the transportation official said, citing the expected increase of the number of running trains after the general overhaul of train sets by the DOTr and MRT-3 management after the Holy Week break. 

Assistant Secretary for Road Transport Mark Richmund de Leon, for his part, reported that as of 9 a.m. today, Feb. 14, 2018, 32 buses were deployed to MRT-3 stations going southbound while 13 buses were dispatched to assist northbound commuters. 

“The buses made a total of 59 trips, carrying an average of 56 persons each bus, during the morning rush hour, serving more almost 3,400 passengers,” Assistant Secretary de Leon said. 

Since the start of the MRT-3 bus augmentation program last February 1 up to February 13, 2018, a total of 521 bus trips, which served 28,825 passengers, were made by the P2P buses.

DENR Secretary Receives Love Letter from Environmental Groups on Valentine’s Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Drive for Legal Protection of Benham Bank Continues

Led by four dancing shark mascots, environmentalists visited the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to deliver a special Valentine’s Day love letter to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu.

The content of the card to protect the Philippine Rise was supported by over 50 institutions and leaders nationwide and asked Sec. Cimatu to declare Benham Bank, the shallowest part of the Philippine Rise, as a ‘no-take’ zone. Delivered along with the letter were over 9000 signatures from Oceana’s online petition to protect the Philippine Rise.

“The full protection and management of the entire 24-million hectare Philippine Rise might take months,” explains Oceana Benham Rise Campaign Team Leader Marianne Saniano. “However, there’s something Sec. Cimatu can do right now – and that is to have the 17,000 hectare Benham Bank declared as a ‘no-take’ zone.” Under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, RA-7586, the President can declare certain areas as protected with the endorsement of the DENR Secretary.

The declaration of Benham Bank as a ‘no-take’ zone triggers legal protection of the pristine area from human activity. Spanning 17,000 hectares, it occupies less than 1% of the Philippine Rise. ‘No-take’ zones have been proven to work in other coral reefs and protected areas in the Philippines, such as Apo Reef in Mindoro and the famed Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

What is Benham Bank?

Benham Bank is the shallowest part of the Philippine Rise. Portions surveyed by marine scientists in 2014 and 2016 revealed mesophotic or deep-sea reefs with 100% live coral cover – practically unheard of in the Philippines. Seaweed such as Halimeda, which resembles underwater cactus – were recorded to thrive in waters over 40 meters deep. It is recognized as part of the known spawning area for Pacific bluefin tuna, one of the most expensive fish on Earth.

“We expect that the pristine Philippine Rise harbors a variety of healthy marine wildlife populations, including sharks and rays, dolphins and whales and marine turtles. With much of the inner Philippine Seas disturbed, overfished and polluted – the Philippine Rise is a sanctuary for these threatened species. Anything we do there should not be detrimental to the existence of its marine wildlife populations,” added Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines Director AA Yaptinchay.

These findings of the uniqueness and richness of the biodiversity in the area persuaded 196 State parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to adopt the Philippine Rise as an ecologically and biologically significant area in December 2016.

“We call on our government to immediately declare Benham Bank as a ‘no-take’ zone for the benefit of the Filipino people,” added Pangisda Natin Gawing Tama (PANAGAT), composed of Greenpeace, Oceana Philippines, the World Wide Fund for Nature, Tambuyog, NGOs for Fisheries Reform, Institute for Social Order, Pangisda and other groups. PANAGAT and other groups are celebrating the 3rd International Year of the Reef (IYOR) with Benham Bank as one of its highlighted reefs.

“Would it not be a perfect gift to the nation and the world if President Duterte issues a Presidential Proclamation declaring Benham Bank as a ‘no-take’ zone during this year’s observance of the International Year of the Reef?” says Oceana Philippines Vice President Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos. “We shall eagerly await this positive development.”