Chatri Sityodtong Revolutionizing MMA in Asia with Expansion of ONE Championship

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Every once in a while, someone comes along with an idea -- something so profound that it changes his life and the lives of those around him. Multi-millionaire Thai entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong spent his entire existence abiding by the principles of martial arts which he holds dear, bringing him success and prosperity from his extremely humble beginnings.

The teachings and principles of martial arts, to which he says he owes his life to, has led Sityodtong to pioneer a revolutionary transformation in Asia, uniting its people under one banner -- mixed martial arts, or more commonly known as MMA -- today the fastest growing sport in the world.

Just in the last couple of years alone, MMA’s viewership has exploded across Asia and is shown in over 118 countries all over the world.

Though the allure and excitement of martial arts in a safe and competitive environment has drawn fans from all corners of the globe, the sport’s popularity in Asia can be attributed to Sityodtong and his tremendous work in building MMA promotion ONE Championship from a promising, young upstart to the largest sports media property in Asia in a span of just five years.

Today, ONE Championship is the premier MMA organization in Asia.

Save Our Mid Year Classes: Joint Statement on the UP Mindanao Mid Year Cancellation

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A few days before enrollment, the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) announced the abrupt cancellation of their midyear classes. After several attempts to dialogue and appeal with the administration against the said decision, the UPMin University Student Council was able to establish that for the previous years, the University has not allotted any budget for their summer classes and instead relies on their yearly savings, and that honoraria for teaching overloads for the past semester have also not been settled by the administration.

As a consequence, many students have been forced to enroll in other constituent campuses of the University of the Philippines. With the delayed announcement of the cancellation, the affected students further had difficulties securing slots for different subjects in other constituent campuses.

Until now, the administration has not provided solutions to accommodate those affected by the cancellation of classes. The USC continues to await the response of the Office of the Chancellor on the said issue.

We, youth and student leaders from various organizations around the Philippines, condemn the gross negligence and financial mismanagement of the UP Min Administration. The cancellation of the midyear classes is a violation of student rights and welfare. They were not consulted nor properly informed of a critical decision that have been proved to restrict the students' access to quality education.

AXN Extends Application Deadline for The Amazing Race Asia

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Application is until June 30, 2016 while Philippine Auditions on June 25 and 26

If you haven’t grabbed your partner and created an awesome audition video for The Amazing Race Asia, fear not as AXN has extended the deadline until June 30, 2016. You now have more time to create the ultimate application by telling AXN why you should become a season five racer, and possibly the ultimate winner of USD$100,000 in cash.

“We’ve had a fantastic response to our casting call for The Amazing Race Asia which is a real testament to the popularity of the show in this region. What’s most encouraging is the team spirit conveyed in the videos as well as the unique range of talents, professions and interpersonal relationships on display. We’ve received applications from DJs, doctors, bloggers, synchronized swimmers, pilots and dragon boat racers just to name a few, as well as teammates who live in different countries. So this season’s team line-up promises to be our most interesting yet,” said Virginia Lim, Vice President and Head of Content and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

In this latest season, 10 teams of socially savvy, fearless racers from all over Asia will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience, traversing the globe and proving their mettle on a quest to be crowned the all-out champion. The highly anticipated series will be hosted by Chinese-American actor and host Allan Wu, who was the face of the race for AXN’s first four seasons.

WSOF-GC Welcomes Australian Affiliates Eternal MMA & Reign Fighting

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World Series of Fighting – Global Championship (WSOF-GC) continues to expand its affiliate program by adding Australian-based MMA promotions, Eternal MMA and Reign Fighting. Eternal MMA and Reign Fighting become the twelfth and thirteenth organizations to join the ranks of WSOF Global Championship.

Eternal MMA/Reign Fighting CEO and Founder, Cam O’Neill, had this to say about the signing. "Signing as an official partner with WSOF Global is a huge next step for our organizations. Not only does it validate us as a pathway for talented and driven Australian MMA athletes to reach the next level of their careers, but it adds the potential for international fights on one of the world’s very best MMA promotions in WSOF Global. It also ensures that Eternal and Reign events will now be shown in millions of homes across the world via WSOF Global’s broadcast partners. Eternal and Reign are committed to raising the level of MMA talent in Australia and catapult these local stars onto the global stage. Now is certainly the time for any Australian fighters that are serious about their careers to get involved.”

"We are thrilled to be adding these high caliber promotions into the WSOF Global family,” said Zachary ‘Bootsy’ Harris, WSOF-GC Affiliate Coordinator. “We specifically sought out Eternal MMA for our official partner in Australia and then found out their plan of introducing Reign Fighting, along with their vision for the two promotions. It only made things more exciting. There’s no doubt that the Australian MMA fan base is one of the fastest growing in the world. It was very important for us to find a great partner in Australia. We look forward to working with them to help bring the best MMA events to those great fans."

Al Gatmaitan Heralds Newer and Bolder Steps to Welcome His 20th Year Career

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Every artist have dreams to pursue, but it is how one conquers those dreams that make a difference. Over the last couple of months, noted award-winning actor and classical / crossover artist AL GATMAITAN was quietly working on a dream project to further hone his craft in music and theater.

To further widen his horizons, Al Gatmaitan embarked on a major decision --- a bold move that he has taken very seriously in the forthcoming production of Linda Faigao-Hall’s “THE FEMALE HEART” under the direction of Banaue Miclat-Janssen for the UP Playwrights’ Theater

Set in the late 1980's, the play follows Adelfa and her elder brother Anghel’s struggles as resident of the infamous mountain of garbage popularly known as Smokey Mountain. Confronted by extreme poverty and her brother's ailing health, Adelfa agrees to become a mail-order bride in the United States.

When queried by Al’s peers about this challenging job as Anghel, he was straightforward to share his point of view and said that "In an actor's career path, it does not happen all the time when a role that will be much more challenging is offered. From film, television and theater, roles vary from age to genre. And of late, we decided to take ten giant steps to test our mettle in this straight play and not a musical. Apart from immersing ourselves into the role, we have also been simultaneously prepared our physical well-being through a strict diet and workouts in the gym. The rigidity has been getting tougher each and every day. Of late, rehearsals are even much more intense and here’s hoping that when the play opens on July 1, the theater audiences will like and love this one role of a lifetime I have taken. It's really going to be an exciting year for me. To God be the Glory ! ” 

Royal Enfield to Open its First Exclusive Store in Manila

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Royal Enfield, the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production is set to open its first exclusive store in the capital city of Philippines – Manila. Royal Enfield’s distributors - Hardcore Brothers Customs Motorcycles Inc. have been responsible for supplying, marketing, reselling, distribution and servicing of Royal Enfield products in the Philippines.

With a view to become the leader in global mid-sized motorcycle segment, Royal Enfield has been expanding its global retail footprint across Europe, Latin America, Middle-East, its bastion market, India and South East Asia. The company is striving to provide an immersive retail experience for its customers that forms an integral part of the company’s core retail strategy, across the world.

The new store in Manila will be as per Royal Enfield’s new global brand retail identity. The store will be retailing Royal Enfield’s oldest motorcycle in continuous production Bullet in 350cc displacement, the standard street model Classic in 350cc variant, the Rumbler 500cc motorcycle which is purpose built for highways and the Continental GT 535cc café racer. Along with the motorcycles, Royal Enfield would also retail its range of purpose-built gear and apparel and accessories.

Philippines is an important market for Royal Enfield, given the country’s high dependence on two-wheelers for commuting and as well as leisure riding. The growing middle class in the country is now looking to upgrade to the middle weight segment that lends itself very well to Royal Enfield’s all-purpose, evocative, classic-styled motorcycles. Royal Enfield’s range of modern classic bikes introduces a new category of mid-sized motorcycles (250cc-750cc) that will make leisure motorcycling more accessible and fun.

Royal Enfield has its manufacturing base in Chennai, India and is wholly owned by Eicher Motors Limited, a leading player in the Indian automobile space.

The H.E.A.R.T. of a Filipino Motivational Speaker

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There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of motivational speakers all over the world. In the Philippines alone, there are seminars and workshops happening everywhere all year round – helping people improve their career, health, finances, relationships, business and even spiritual awareness.

If you have attended a few of these seminars yourself, it is very likely that at least one Filipino motivational speaker stands out from the rest. Do you have one or two favorite speakers? What do you like about them? What makes them remarkable or unforgettable?

Motivational speakers come in different shapes and forms. Some speakers are loud and cheerleader-y, infecting the audience with a rah-rah-rah attitude. Others are low-key and subtle, still others are funny as hell.

In my 15 years as a motivational speaker, I’ve had the chance to share the stage with different kinds of motivational speakers in the Philippines, and have observed what worked and what didn’t. Some of the speakers I’ve met have even come to me for training when they find out that I’m also a voice and speech coach. Having been exposed to the public speaking arena led me to the realization that there is no ONE RIGHT WAY to deliver a motivational talk.

In a single seminar, one speaker can be super serious and the next speaker can be extremely funny, and both of them could be equally remembered as great speakers by the audience. One technique can work very well for one speaker, and can be an epic fail for another. That’s why when I teach public speaking, I don’t focus so much on the “form” – stand like this, talk like that, hold the mic like this, etc. Instead I teach how to cultivate one’s PRESENCE onstage.

So what separates a Filipino motivational speaker from a GREAT one? Great motivational speakers speak with a H.E.A.R.T.

WWF Statement on First Anniversary of Landmark Papal Encyclical – Laudato Si

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The world is celebrating the one-year anniversary of Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si. Below are comments from David Nussbaum, Chairperson of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative, reflecting on this important encyclical:

“In its first year, Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si has played a huge role in connecting religions, countries, and people around the need for understanding and addressing together environmental and social problems.

The sub-title of the encyclical itself, calling for the "Care of Our Common Home", is a perfect summary of the powerful message for all of humanity. Broken into its component parts, we see the depth of meaning and thought applied to each word selected by Pope Francis: “Care” as the need for empathetic relationships and mutual assistance among people, with other living beings and with nature; "our" and "common" as an invitation to consider the common good and a sense of community; the "home", to emphasize that the Earth is the place that welcomes us, which is linked to our very existence.

Pope Francis’ letter arrived in a crucial year, encouraging individuals and countries to meet on the importance of sustainable development and to address climate challenge. Having helped build this common ground, at a time in which emergencies and competition create strains between countries and within countries, the encyclical has had a great impact in inspiring nations to come together to achieve two important global agreements.

Globe Offers New Generation Chromecast for Php99 a Month

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Improved casting and more app compatibility for a full wireless entertainment experience

With the promise for a connected life for the home, Globe in collaboration with Google now offers the new generation Chromecast. Broadband subscribers can now avail the new and improved Chromecast for an affordable add-on of only Php99 per month.

Customers today are no longer just tied in using their smartphones and PC’s at home for personal consumption, they also demand better content to share and experience on a bigger screen. The new Chromecast offers the solution to “cast” content from their personal device such as movies, shows, music, games to a bigger screen TV using their HDMI connection.

The new Chromecast is now equipped with better connectivity with the latest 802.11ac dual band Wi-Fi and three antenna structure for a more faster, stable and less buffering streaming using the latest mobile devices. Aside from being a better hardware, the new Chromecast is also fully compatible to cast with the latest entertainment apps including Globe exclusive digital content partners such as HOOQ, NBA and Spotify.

“With our continuous partnership with Google, we stay true in providing new and meaningful innovations to fully maximize the digital lifestyle of our customers. The latest installment in this is the new Chromecast, now with better features and compatibility to our content partners such as Spotify, HOOQ, NBA to a more immersive casting experience. ” says – Senior Vice President for Broadband Business, Martha Sazon.

Discovery Southeast Asia is now on Snapchat!

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It’s the time of the year again where we’re all glued in front of our TV screens to watch the most-feared underwater creature – sharks. But let’s not leave it. Let’s give them a chance and let’s get to know about them through Discovery Channel’s Shark Week from June 27 to July 1.

The annual, week-long programming block is here for another exciting year and Discovery Channel made it even more exciting by joining image messaging and multimedia mobile application Snap Chat.

Stay tuned and stay on the loop with the latest updates on Shark Week by following and sharing your snaps with @discoverysea. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #SharkWeekSEA across your social media platforms!

What to Visit in Bangkok

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Your trip to Thailand would be incomplete without visiting its capital city Bangkok. Every tourist will find something to their taste here since this metropolis harmoniously combines the spirit of East and West, ancient and modern, traditional and up-to-date. Bangkok is also a gateway to other Thai cities so even if it’s not your final destination in Thailand, you should definitely spend at least several hours here and see its major attractions. You can always find the cheapest business-class tickets to Bangkok via cheapfirstclass.com.

Grand PalaceThe Grand Palace is a number-one attraction in Bangkok and visiting it is a must. Built in 1782, it served as a royal residence for centuries. Although the present king doesn’t reside here, the building is still used for official ceremonies. The palace complex is a true masterpiece: after seeing it, you’ll understand why Bangkok is called the City of Angels (Krung Thep).

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

There are about 400 Buddhist temples in Bangkok but the most important and most visited one is the Temple of the Emerald (or Jade) Buddha. It’s situated right on the territory of the Grand Palace so you’ll have an opportunity to see two main attractions at once. The temple is famous for its highly revered statue of Emerald Buddha carved from a block of jade. The inside walls of the temple’s compound are covered with numerous mural paintings depicting the scenes from the famous epic "Ramayana".

Temple of Dawn

Situated on the bank of the Chao Phraya River, this temple encrusted with colorful porcelain stands majestically over the water. Despite its name, it’s especially beautiful at the sunset. The Temple of Dawn is one of the most photographed symbols of Thailand. Its central pagoda (a many-tiered tower), which has the height of a 20-storey building, is the highest in the country. If you climb up the stairs to the balcony, you’ll be awarded a stunning and breathtaking view of the river and the surroundings.

Bangkok National Museum

If you’re interested in Thai art and history, then the Bangkok National Museum will be a perfect place to gain insight into or at least get acquainted with it. Being the largest museum in Southeast Asia, it houses one of the best and richest collections of art and artifacts. Due to its scale, be ready to spend here several hours so plan your visit accordingly.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Those who can’t imagine their trip without shopping should definitely visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Although Bangkok is full of shopping malls and markets, none of them can be compared to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. With 15,000 booths divided into 27 sections, this is one of the largest markets in the world. You can find virtually everything here and buy it at a local (not tourist) price.

Lumpini Park

This is the largest public park in the city where you can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city center and get a reviving breath of fresh air. There are a lot of things to see and do here. You can go for a boat ride on the artificial lake or just stroll around the park watching local people.

Miss Manila 2016 Visits Manila City Hall

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On June 16, 2016, the candidates of Miss Manila 2016 visited Manila City Hall as part of the itinerary of the beauty pageant scheduled to hold its grand coronation night on June 24, 2016 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). 

Manila President-Mayor Erap Estrada and Viva's Boss Vic Del Rosario was present during the courtesy visit.

Check out the lovely 33 Manileña candidates in their simple yet stunning casual wear. 

On its third consecutive year the search is not only looking for a woman of exquisiteness but also of shows empowerment, personifies social awareness and embodies a true Manilena with grace, passion and optimism.

Miss Manila 2016 shall be the Goodwill Ambassador of the City of Manila and will represent the city in various national and international events. She will participate in activities that promote the City of Manila and its numerous landmarks and attractions. She shall endeavor to become an effective advocate the City's goals and projects. She will also help in the City's campaign to raise the public's awareness in social issues and concerns, especially those that affect the City of Manila. She will act as a visible role model for all women.

Below are the lovely candidates of Miss Manila 2016:

Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with WWF and PEF

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Calling all idea creators and energy entrepreneurs!

Apply now for the Impact Hub  Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with Peace and Equity Foundation and World Wide Fund for Nature and get the chance to win more than ₱ 2.5 million worth of  fellowship prizes, which includes ₱ 1.5 million seed funding, skill development trainings,  mentorship, access to stimulating workspaces and valuable networks.  

Held at the Impact Hub office at Green Sun in Pasong Tamo extension , Makati city, the press conference and launch of Impact Hub Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with PEF and WWF on Thursday, June 16, 2016.

At the press conference, PEF, WWF and Impact Hub Manila gave us indepth information about this exciting incubation program. We learned more about the motivation and potential of start-ups in that sector and explain you the global success story of Impact Hub and the Fellowship.

Manila Pavilion’s Father’s Day Treats

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Father’s Day comes but once a year. On Sunday, June 19, make the most of this wondrous occasion by matching Dad’s big appetite with the liberty to choose from our eat-all-you-can lunch for only Php1,200 nett at our interactive lifestyle restaurant, Seasons. To make this lip-smacking fare even more invigorating, Super dads with group of four or more will receive special gifts from our sponsors Metro Dental, Tony & Jackey and Asian Brewery.

At Patisserie, Manila Pavilion’s French-style pastry shop, present Dad with our heavenly cake of the month Chocolate Entremet, layered of milk chocolate sponge and strudel, passion fruit parfait, mint caramel, milk chocolate mousse and glazed that is perfect with its gooeyness will surely win Dad’s sweet tooth.

Furthermore, a red-carpet treat is laid out for all Dads with Manila Pavilion’s flavorful Roasted Chicken Quesadillas.

Relish in the goodness of our drink of the month, Manhattan & Whiskey sour – a perfect match for our Chicken Satay with Peanut sauce.

For the ultimate present for dad, book in one of our appointed rooms for an extra special of Php3,600 nett for a Deluxe room inclusive of buffet breakfast for two at Seasons Cafe, access to swimming pool and gym, and free use of Wi-fi.

For inquiries and reservations visit the Manila Pavilion Hotel at United Nations Avenue corner Maria Orosa Street in Manila. Log on to www.waterfronthotels.com.ph or call 5261212, for inquiries and reservations; Like or Follow @WaterfrontMNL for regular updates.

Brand Ambassador 2016 Grand Winners

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I am surprised that beauty pageant competitions are still ongoing even though the rainy season is almost upon us. There seems to be no shortage of beauties at every pageant. The ladies of these events keep turning out to be a lot more beautiful as compared to the previous years. 

This could mean a lot of ladies are bow being conscious of their physical appearances and even now equipped with the talent, wit and intelligence that would easily impress the panel of judges.

Congratulations to the winners of Brand Ambassador 2016 competition held at Fisher Mall in Quezon City.

Grand Winners: Renzbert Tiu & Joyce Anne Perez Elamparo
Prestige Models Management could very well be proud of their discoveries.

Hoping these young ladies will soon conquer the modeling industry with their fabulous presence.

Partner Photographer: Edmund Chua