Fighting Maroons, STATS renew partnership for two more years

Wazzup Pilipinas!

STATS commits to foreign training, provides data analytics technology to team

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons will still have Januarius Holdings, Inc.  and STATS Performance Apparel among its top supporters for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Seasons 83 and 84.

STATS Performance Apparel, an athleisure brand under Januarius Holdings, Inc. (JHI), and the UP Men’s Basketball Team have inked a new contract to continue being the Fighting Maroons’ sixth man for two more years. The local athleisure brand has been supporting the UP Fighting Maroons since 2017 and was the team’s official outfitter last season.

Over and above being the official outfitter of the Fighting Maroons, STATS and JHI have been bankrolling the UPMBT’s training camps in Las Vegas, Serbia and Tokyo in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has ruled out overseas trips for the Fighting Maroons but Atencio and company are still including advanced training as part of their plan.

“Our journey with the UPMBT started three years ago, when, acting on a strong gut feeling, we decided to be major sponsors, despite the team’s just coming out of a lackluster season, the absence of significant community support, and my not even being a UP alumnus. We wanted to be part of the dream and help create something that eventually we could all be proud of.  Fast forward to today, it’s a completely different situation, isn’t it?” asked JHI chief executive officer and president JJ Atencio.

Atencio is a graduate of UP’s Katipunan rival, Ateneo de Manila University, but believes he has a mission with the Fighting Maroons and it is not yet done.

“While the team has accomplished a lot these past years, the work isn’t finished yet. That dream continues to unfold. Success is a process after all, and we continue to be motivated and encouraged to keep on supporting and being part of this journey - in good times and bad. We think that the next two years will be really good for the team,” said Atencio, who is now taking up his master’s degree in UP.

Atencio said he believes that foreign training is a game changer that can quickly produce the desired results.  “We’ve seen it. After three straight years of training abroad, we placed fifth the first year, second in the second year, and third after last year’s training. We’re still committed to sending the team for training abroad in Seasons 83 and 84 as soon as it’s possible,” Atencio added.

Besides the team outfits and the commitment to send the team abroad for training, Atencio announced that STATS and JHI are providing the Maroons with data analytics technology. “What’s also exciting for us starting this year is analytics. That’s one of the things we are working on with the team and that’s what we’re looking forward to -- how it would help them,” Atencio bared.

Present in the memorandum of agreement signing were Atencio, UPMBT head coach Bo Perasol, team manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, nowheretogobutUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay, JHI chief operating officer Marcy Venezuela, and STATS chief executive officer Edrin Panganiban.

“We are beyond grateful for having JJ [Atencio] and STATS in the team for the past three years and a couple more. Despite the COVID-19 situation, he still chose to stay on. He is as determined as we are to see everything through. More than the financial aspect of things, the moral support they have given us from the start is priceless. JJ is like a father or a brother to the players and us coaches. His kindness and faith in the team truly inspires us,” said Bo Perasol.

For his part, UP Fighting Maroons team manager Atty. Agaton Uvero stressed how the team struggled in the past and how supporters like Atencio and STATS help to keep them on track for years to come.

“Sir JJ Atencio was one of the first to give hope to our program. A believer in the value of education, he graciously sponsored the team’s first overseas training when all we had to show was a promise to do our best. Four years after, we now have a sustainable program and a team that is going to be competitive for many years to come. We will always be grateful for his support,” Uvero said.

Duterte Says We Have Not Treated Pemberton Fairly

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“You have not treated Pemberton fairly.”

In a televised address on Monday, September 7, President Duterte said the Philippines was "not fair" to United States Marine Joseph Scoot Pemberton over its failure to accurately compute his GCTA.

Fairly.... really? Can you apply this word to Filipinos also? At least he's being consistent as a traitor. Thank you Taytay Digong! Our beloved and the best president ever! Sobrang galing mo, Tay! Sana po mas marami pa po kayo palayain na criminals.

Who did not treat him fairly? Our law was kind to him already. Saan ba siya kinulong?  For a murderer prisoner, he was treated as a VIP.  Baka naman VISA ni Senator Bato ang kapalit niyan. Wait lang kami ilang linggo, baka may VISA na siya uli sa US. You Mr. President are always the one who treated the Filipinos unfairly. Mga nakadikit lang sa iyo ang nagpapasarap, Lalo na ngayong pandemic.

The GCTA was 'supposedly' enough to let him walk. Pardon was completely unnecessary. The court decision regarding Pemberton's GCTA and the Presidential pardon are two separate matters.

I know it is his prerogative, but he has not been sane and logical enough to differentiate what is fair from not. He never knew what is right from wrong.

Regardless kung anong sexual orientation ni Jennifer Laude, walang karapatan si Pemberton patayin si Laude. Walang kahit sino ang may karapatan pumatay ng tao. Regardless of sexual orientation, Philippine law guarantees the right to life. Sadly, there are people left out of civilization and remains in barbaric behavior and thinking.

How about the many other cases, even minor, that you let the accused rot in jail? And those allied with you that you let be without even a single penalty? Sana ganyan din ang sinabi mo sa libo-libong pobreng Pilipino na itinumba ng mga killer cops mo ng walang kalaban-laban.

"Mr. President, you really are a bundle of contradictions. You speak of fairness and justice but do you practice it?"

Interestingly, the same day President Duterte pardoned Lance Corporal John Scott Pemberton, US Amb Sung Kim made his farewell call to the President. PCOO says, “they discussed matters”.

Photo shows Amb Sung being given Order of Sikatuna.

Has he ever treated his countrymen fairly? Has he ever provided them the kind of leadership they deserve? Many are sick of his incompetence and stupidness. Is there really a hope for our future generation with this self-centered leader?

Baliktad talaga utak ng Presidente natin. Imbes na magmalasakit sa kabababayan, yun pang dayuhan ang binigyan ng absolute pardon. How come he knew he was not treated fairly? Anong mga instances Yun? Please elaborate.

Mauunawaan ko yung “fair treatment” na sinasabi nya kung aksidente na nakapatay sya (self defense etc.) but he deliberately killed Laude. May choice sya at that moment na wag gawin yun but he still did it. Anong fair treatment ang pede mong ibigay sa mamamatay tao?

Kawawa naman pala si Pemberton, murderer na hindi trinato ng mabuti, pero yung mga hinihinala pa lang na druggies patayin na yan! Such is justice sa panahon ni Duterte. Ano DDS, kaya pa ba?

Minsan talaga nakakasama na ng loob yung mga desisyon ng “tatay” ng bansa natin. Nakakapagod ng umasa sa pagbabago.

The Laude family wanted him to finish his sentence. Yes, it is within our constitution but it is the president's discretion to use it. Yes, nobody is perfect, yes, maybe the President has done a lot, but he has done more negative decisions than positive ones. That’s why people are protesting.

The family accepted the money because it was ordered by court. I am a Filipino citizen so I have the right to question my President. Madaming negative: China claiming our territory, human rights violations sa mga ordinaryong Pilipino in the war on drugs pero yung mga big wigs hindi naman kinukulong, historical revisionism about Marcos, corrupt (kaibigan) officials in power, etc., If I had all the day I can list them all. Yes, hindi niya ito expertise, so bakit hindi yung mga expert ang ilagay niya sa position, and not yung military men niya?

Hindi boss ang presidente. Sa tunay na demokratikong bansa, ang mamamayan ang masusunod. Public officials ang nasa gobyerno. They serve us and not the other way around.

He also just lost the support of LGBTs for this act. He should have thought about this ten times....or was there a bigger exchange deal?

The President has been acquitting criminals since winning the Presidency. Prior to this, he has never won a single court case.

There are lots of Filipinos jailed for a long time who are not treated fairly. Kawawang Juan Dela Cruz. Sa mga nagsasabi na nagmamagaling kesyo di kami lawyer, at wala kaming alam. Sana hindi dumating ang time na kayo o kapamilya ninyo ang makulong bago ninyo marealize na malaking kagaguhan itong ginawa ni Presidente. Tingnan natin kung mabigyan kayo ng pardon. Alalahanin mo, Pinoy ka lang. If you'll revisit the past four years, he doesn't respect us at all.

We deserve a government that looks after its people. We deserve better!

With no more credibility, how is this government still functioning?

Wazzup Pilipinas!


The government now is nothing more but a laughing stock and meme. No one respects the government anymore. No one listens to them except for their blind fanatics, their paid trolls and media, and the ones who benefit from their corruption.

Marami kasi madaling mabola at tumanaw ng utang na loob. Dapat centralized campaigning na lang during election season. Put their qualifications side by side for easier comparison. They fill up a form enumerating their qualifications and these will be prepared and posted at all LGUs nationwide for everyone to see. Bawal sari-sariling marketing gimmicks. Bawal paid ads, billboards, posters, commercials, etc.

Weird dahil kapag mag-aapply ka sa government ay may point system. Bawat achievement at qualifications are scored to get the points. Ganoon din dapat sa elected and appointed officials ng gobyerno. Kaso look at our officials, puro may backer lang kaya nasa puwesto. Mga sumoporta during kampanya kaya nabigyan ng posisyon.

Ang nangyayari kasi ay mas mataas required qualifications at accomplishments ng nasa lower positions pero kapag mayor, congressman, senator, etc ay ambaba pumapasa.

Tapos mismatched pa. Artista naboboto dahil maraming fans that could not differentiate fanaticism with realism. Dating NBI Director naaassign sa Philhealth kahit walang experience, mga retired generals ginawang Secretary ng agencies, dating daring bold star nagkaroon ng posisyon sa gobyerno, kamag-anak, kaibigan, kaalyado, taga Davao mga nabibigyan ng opportunity.

Bulok pa rin ang sistema dahil ang napunta sa gobyerno ay mga hindi nakikinig sa hinaing ng mga tao kundi matatapang at nananakot pa.

This is the worst government in Philiipine history.

Together we can make a difference.

Let’s take action.

We deserve good leadership.

The future is in our hands.

Let’s exercise our right to VOTE.

Let’s encourage our social circles and communities to register and choose the RIGHT leaders.

#40MStrong
#MasMaramiTayo