Joshua Pacio stays ready, excited to defend title for the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


Hungry is an understatement for Joshua "The Passion" Pacio as the reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion has been on the shelf for more than a year now.

"I'm more than thrilled to get back inside the circle as it’s more than a year since my last bout," he said.

The last time Pacio stepped on the cage was in January 2020 in the main event of ONE: Fire & Fury when he edged Alex Silva via split decision to successfully retain his belt.

It's the longest lull for the 25-year-old who has been one of the most active fighters out of the legendary Team Lakay over the past few years.

But that's just the way it is in these extraordinary times, with the global COVID-19 pandemic putting everything to a halt.

Nonetheless, Pacio isn't letting this setback sideline him for good as he does his due diligence in keeping himself in shape and training his hardest in the confines of the Team Lakay Gym in Baguio.

"It's been tough for all of us because of this pandemic. But we're not just a cage warrior, we're also warriors in life. We have to deal with this and move forward," he said.

"We have been finding ways to train amidst the restricted movements we have now. We've already got back in the gym and we're already doing what we are passionate about -- a lot of drills, repetitions, and learning new techniques in MMA."

That kind of fortitude is what's expected of Pacio, who has reigned atop the strawweight division since April 2019.

After all, the field has just gotten stronger over the past few years.

Among the top contenders in the weight class include former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke "The Ninja" Saruta, who is currently the no. 1-ranked contender.

Not far behind are no. 2 and former titleholder Yoshitaka "Nobita" Naito of Japan, no. 3 Bokang "Little Giant" Matsunyane of South Africa, no. 4 Hiroba Minowa of Japan, and no. 5 Alex Silva of Brazil.

"The strawweight division is very stacked right now with the finest strawweight athletes in the world," said Pacio. "I watch their bouts and I continue to learn them and from them. I know for sure that I need to continuously level up because I can't stay idle. But that's a challenge I'm enjoying."

Pacio, though, has his eyes set on one guy only: Saruta, who he feels has unfinished business with him.

The two fighters hold one win each over each other: with Saruta taking their first clash via a split decision win at ONE: Eternal Glory in January 2019, while Pacio reclaimed his crown with a fourth round knockout victory at ONE: Roots of Honor that April.

"A trilogy with Saruta would be great, but it really depends with ONE Championship if who will be my next challenger," he said.

As Pacio awaits for that next call, all his focus lies on improving his all-around game as he makes the most of this opportunity to better himself.

"You can see a wider-ranging, more well-rounded Joshua Pacio in my future bouts. These are the things that we are working on in the gym," he said.

Pacio also carries a little more weight on his back as he remains as the lone Filipino champion standing in ONE Championship. It's a complete 180-turnaround from three years back when the Philippines had five champions -- four of whom are under the Team Lakay banner.

But after Brandon "The Truth" Vera lost the ONE Heavyweight World Championship to Arjan Singh Bhullar at ONE: Dangal in May, the strawweight king is the only Filipino sitting on a throne.

Still, you can see the spring in Pacio's step as it's evident that he's revitalized with the arrivals of stablemates such as Stephen "The Sniper" Loman and Jhanlo Mark Sangiao.

That alone should indicate that Pacio will go tooth-and-nail just to keep the belt on his waist.

"I'm super motivated to get back and defend our title, especially that my other teammates have joined ONE Championship already. I’m very happy for them and for us, and you will see the next generation of Team Lakay athletes come in full force," he said.

FDCP, Quezon City Gov’t Kick Off Bakuna Nights for 1,500 Film & AV Workers

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A total of 1,500 film and audiovisual (AV) workers will be vaccinated during the “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers,” a partnership between the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Quezon City (QC) Government’s #QCProtekTODO program.

Launched on June 24 at the Quezon City Hall Vaccination Site, the “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” has three sessions scheduled from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The first session on June 24 had 500 slots, with 477 workers vaccinated, and the next two sessions on July 1 and 8 will also have 500 slots each.

“Sa ating mga manggagawa, because of you, Quezon City is the City of Stars and I do intend to make sure to take care of all of the individuals who contribute to making Quezon City the great city that it is. At siyempre, nangunguna ang ating pong mga manggagawa from the film at television industry,” Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said in her Opening Remarks.

She also recognized the perseverance of film and AV workers, especially the daily wage earners, whose livelihoods have been greatly affected by restrictions in production activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Ako ay umaasa na kapag tuluy-tuloy na ang pagbabakuna, babalik din sa normal ang ating mga buhay at ang ating pong industrya ay magiging masigla muli,” she added.

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño expressed her utmost gratitude to Mayor Belmonte for being the first to extend a helping hand for the vaccination of film and AV workers. She also revealed that because of the FDCP-QC vaccination initiative for A4 Priority Group workers, the national film agency has pending partnerships with various local government units (LGUs).

“Malaking bagay po ito para sa aming industriya. Napakalaking bagay nito para makabangon kami, maging protektado kami, at makapagtrabaho kami nang walang takot,” said Diño, who called on fellow vaccinated film and AV workers to encourage other members of the industry to get vaccinated as well as to register with the FDCP’s National Registry (NR), which is in charge of coordinating with workers regarding their vaccination schedule and requirements.

The FDCP’s National Registry for Audiovisual Workers (NRAW) has more than 5,000 workers, and almost 1,500 of them are based in Quezon City as workers or residents. All workers to be vaccinated during the QC Bakuna Nights will be contacted by the FDCP National Registry (NR) team via a call and text brigade for proper scheduling.

The FDCP NR team was at the “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” launch to assist the workers and help facilitate inoculation process together with the #QCProtekTODO team. A short program featured the free performance of Ice Seguerra together with his band, The Pogi Boys. There was also a lugaw station for the film and AV workers because their vaccination schedule was set during dinner time.

One of the 477 vaccinated workers is performing artist and commercial model Victoria Mina, who was happy to be part of the Bakuna Nights launch for film and AV workers. “It was rather heartwarming to see people from the industry gathering and getting vaccinated together,” Mina told the FDCP. “Malaking tulong ang programang ito. Kapit lang tayo, babangon tayo ulit!”

Videographer Benedict Suarez, who was also vaccinated during the Bakuna Nights launch, said to fellow industry workers, “Please avail ‘yung libreng offer ng FDCP para at least lahat tayo makabalik nang dahan-dahan sa normal.”

A surprise segment during the program featured the singing of “Happy Birthday!” to Chairperson Diño, who was celebrating the eve of her birthday. She remarked, “It is an honor to be part of the synergy between the government and industry to ensure the welfare of our workers. This gives me hope and fuels my purpose for public service. Indeed, we can make things happen such as working together towards having our workers vaccinated for the recovery of our film and audiovisual industry.”

QC Bakuna Nights is Quezon City’s evening vaccination program that addresses the scheduling concerns of daily wage earners and those who are unable to take a leave of absence. It is open to FDCP NR registrants as well as non-registered workers who may send their full name, job designation, email address, mobile number, and home address to nationalregistry@fdcp.ph.

Those who want to register with their respective LGUs may present as proof of occupation the FDCP National Registry Certification, which can be downloaded from their MyFDCPRegistry Profile on the NR website (nationalregistry.fdcp.ph).

For inquiries and other concerns, email nationalregistry@fdcp.ph or visit https://nationalregistry.fdcp.ph.

The Gonzaga Sisters sing the praises of water for health and beauty

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A lot of money is spent on cosmetics, facelifts and other so-called beauty solutions to achieve young skin and a smooth, glowing complexion. The same goes for fitness products, supplements, gym fees and equipment to possess a fit, healthy and ageless body.

But did you know that the simple, often costless solution to all those must-haves is just right under our noses? The answer is water.

If your skin is dry, dull and prone to getting wrinkles, maybe you’re just not drinking enough water. Besides changing weather conditions and environmental irritants, not drinking enough water can give you a dry complexion.

As we grow older, the skin slows its production of the substances that keep our faces hydrated. Hydration becomes more and more important to keep skin elastic and wrinkle-free. Hydrated skin does look more plump, healthy and youthful looking. And here’s the thing. Hydration also keeps skin from being oily. Did you know that dehydrated skin produces more oil to compensate for the lack of inner moisture?

When it comes to health and fitness, water is the perfect solution as well. Water maintains our digestive, heart and lung functions, helps lubricate our joints, protects our tissues, regulates our body temperature and so much more.

Contrary to common impressions, drinking more water will reduce bloat and flush out toxins, minimizing the harmful results of salty foods and snacks.

Some studies say water also helps with weight loss. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help decrease appetite, help with portion control, aid in food digestion and boost metabolism. If water is consumed instead of high-calorie drinks, it reduces calorie intake as well.

So how much water should you drink? Experts say eight glasses or two liters per day. But water requirements may differ based on age, environment and activity levels. The more active you are, the more water you should drink.

The Gonzaga Sisters, Toni and Alex, are certified water buffs, the reason why they were selected by Nature’s Spring Water to be their official icons. Alex takes two liters of water per day while Toni is meticulous about the water she drinks, making sure it’s always bottled water she’s taking “because it’s safe, it’s sealed and you can trust it”.

“I didn’t believe in hydration before, but now I do. I know how water flushes out all the toxins in your body that you get from whatever you eat or drink. I always feel good after drinking water. And I also drink water to lose weight. It helps me to stay regular and I noticed that my “puson” (belly) is trimmer when I take water instead of juices and sugary drinks,” says Alex.

“When you drink water, you’re moisturizing your body and your inner beauty. Your cells are given more life, and this helps you glow. When you’re clean from within, you glow,” adds Toni.




The dynamic sisters continue to make waves in whatever passion they pursue, their respective YouTube vlogs, among others, where they have millions of subscribers. Visit www.naturespring.com.ph for more hydration tips and subscribe to Nature's Spring newsletter to get 10% off on your first purchase.