WSOF Global Championship 3 Philippines Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Global Fighters took over the decagon in the Araneta Coliseum we popularly know in the Philippines as the Big Dome located at Cubao, Quezon City. This is the venue where most big events are held in the country and we are proud to have been a part of another main event that happened on July 30, 2016.

The WSOF Global Championshi3: Philippines has been a highly anticipated event with 5 rising Filipino stars, namely Jujeath Nagaowa, Mario Sismundo, Jennifer Olsim, Neil Larano and Jessdan Dela Pena, ready to battle for the "Philippines VS The World" theme, along with other fantastic bouts from our talented global fighters and 2 Heavyweight Cops Erokhin and Odoms for the main event!

The official decagon ring girl Michelle Jeanpierre was awesome to look at the event where her beauty shine out very vibrantly as always. Seeing such a lovely creature between fights is a welcomed respite. Though I would love to see more of her, the night is meant for the fighters who are all eager to show the world what they are made of.

MMA fans were thrilled with two highlight-reel knockouts and three superb submissions.

Surprisingly, at the very first round, the policeman from Russia, Evgeny Erokhin, knocked out the policeman from the United States, Richard " "The Black Eagle" Odoms, to retain the WSOF Global Heavyweight Championship of the World. The victory marks Erokhin’s first title defense and an unprecedented 10th straight knockout victory. The Black Eagle was not able to fly high ad soar above the clouds this time as his wings were pinned down by Erokhin.

During the weigh-in, I thought that Odoms would be the one to rise above Erokhin for being strikingly bigger and meaner. But it seems you really should not judge a book by its cover, or a fighter by his physique, since Erokhin was obviously the better fighter, for that night specifically.

Though we wanted a longer fight for the main event, it's beyond our control that these giants are that powerful and speedy enough to end the fight just at the first round. Just as the livestream was not successfully established that night due to technical problems, the disappointment for fans who could not be there personally was something equally out of the control of teh organizers. You should blame our telcos for that. Since the venue is also called Smart Araneta Coliseum, I believe you know who the culprit was. Lol!

"Due to reasons beyond our control, WSOF-GC was unable to stream its 3rd event live from Manila. Tests of the streaming system had worked without fail, and unfortunately, the day of the event, there was a system error for the streaming feed.
Due to the time difference with the US company that houses the stream, WSOF-GC was unable to rectify the problem in an expedited fashion.

We recognize this news is no solace to the fans and casual fans who wanted to see the event. We can assure all of you that there is no group more disappointed than ourselves.

We will look to rectify these problems in the future, and will do all we can to assure this problem never occurs again." -WSOFGC Technical Team

China's Mai Mai Tuo Heti defeats Philippines' Mario Sismundo

Jujeath "Bad Girl" Nagaowa defeats Japan's Yuko Kiryu

Here are some of the results of the fights as reported by their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wsofglobal

Philippines' Jujeath "Bad Girl" Nagaowa defeats Japan's Yuko Kiryu by unanimous decision 30-27 / 30-27 / 30-27

Pakistan's Ahmed "The Wolverine" Mujtaba defeats Philippines' Neil Larano by 1st round triangle choke.

Malaysia's Kelvin Ong defeats Philippines Jessdan Dela Pena by 2nd round TKO!

China's Mai Mai Tuo Heti defeats Philippines' Mario Sismundo by rear naked choke in the 2nd round. It was an intense see-saw battle, with Maimai capturing and keeping the upper hand in the second round with a rear-naked choke.

By unanimous decision 30-27 / 30-27 / 30-27, Japan's Yusaku Nakamura defeats Australia's Tim Moore.

United States' Lawrence Digiulio defeats Brazil's Marcel Adur by split decision 29-28 / 28-29 / 30-27

Pakistan's Uloomi Karim defeats India's Yadwinder Singh by unanimous decision 30-27 / 30-27 / 29-28. In a very emotional, and well-deserved sign of respect for one another’s countries, the two warriors posed together with their country flags to show a unity between the two nations. It was an emotional moment and both fighters represented their countries with honor and pride. It was truly “Fight of the Night” in more ways than one.

Katherine Roy defeats May Ooi by unanimous decision 30-27 / 30-27 / 30-27

Pakistan's Uloomi Karim defeats India's Yadwinder Singh by unanimous decision 30-27 / 30-27 / 29-28

In the swing bout of the night, Brazil's Nayara Hemily defeats Philippines' Jennifer Olsim round 3 tap out by rear naked choke.

Congratulations to all the winners though we preferred to have more Filipino fighters winning, the night offered really outstanding fights that will be remembered.

Perhaps our very own kababayan fighters should train more so when WSOF Global returns to the Philippines, they would be more than ready to defeat their opponents that time.

World Series of Fighting Global’s ultimate mission is to bring together the best athletes from countries and organizations across the world to compete for a true, globally-recognized world champion.

You may check out https://www.wsofgc.com/ for more information about the fights.

Congratulations to the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2016 Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We are sending our congratulations to the Mutya ng Pilipinas 2016 winners crowned recently on July 30, 2016 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila in Pasay City!

Five lovely and gorgeously talented young ladies have been recognized as now among the beauty queens of the Philippines all eager to again represent the country at respective international beauty pageants.

Do you think the judges made a great choice in picking these ladies, or was the question and answer portion that really made a big impact in the selection? But even before the Q&A, most of these ladies were really superb and belonging to top class beauties. I have to admit that the ladies that join beauty pageants such as the Mutya  ng Pilipinas keep getting better and better in both looks and intellect.

30 gorgeous ladies show off their toned physique during the swimsuit portion, followed by the evening gown presentation in red theme while being serenaded in acapella by a musical group. Best designer Philippine terno gown is worn by candidate number 30, Ashley Nicole Smith. The beauty pageant was hosted by Richard Guttierez and Arci Munoz.

The five winners are:

Mutya ng Pilipinas Asia Pacific Int'l: Candidate #28 Ganiel Akrisha Krishnan
Mutya ng Pilipinas 2016 Tourism Int'l: Candidate #26 Justine Mae San Jose
Mutya ng Overseas Communities: Candidate #10 Michelle Thorlund
2nd runner up: Candidate #30 Ashley Nicole Singh
1st runner up: Candidate #1 Lynette Bradford

A favorite among the beauties is Justin Mae San Jose or more popularly known as Jaya San Jose. She has been the photographers pick as seen from the many shots taken when she's on stage. Aside from being photogenic, she really exudes a vibrant charm that is so alluring that it shines even in photos. She's the bet of most and undoubtedly stood out among the many candidates.

Top Ten Candidates:

Candidate 12 Marielle Cartagena
Candidate 1 Lynette Bradford
Candidate 4 Jannie Loudette Alipo-on
Candidate 28 Ganiel Akrisha Krishnan
Candidate 30 Ashley Nicole Singh
Candidate 13 Mayu Murakami
Candidate 2 Joanna Rose Toledo

Candidate 26 Justine Mae San Jose
Candidate 10 Michelle Thorlund
Candidate 21 Diane Irish Joy Lacayanga

If you were not able to watch the live show, you can still get to watch it on TV for its delayed telecast on July 31 at 10 am at ABS-CBN channel 2.

Photography by Collin Sarthou Yap

DOE Statement: Power Supply Situation (30 July)

Wazzup Pilipinas!
The Department of Energy (DOE), together with the entire power industry, remains keen on ensuring the availability of power supply and meeting the demand in support of the country's economic growth following the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s (NGCP) earlier declaration of a Yellow Alert Status in the Luzon Grid, which is now downgraded to a Red Alert Status effective 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. today (30 July). To maintain the integrity of the grid, the NGCP implemented a manual load dropping at 10:35 a.m. outside the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) franchise, accounting for 38 MW.

In response, MERALCO activated its interruptible load program. A total of 281.19 megawatts (MW) of capacity has been committed as of 9:15 a.m by the 139 Interruptible Load Program (ILP) participants, which started deloading at 10:01 a.m.

The DOE clarified the huge loss of power supply totaling to 2,946 MW is brought about by the outage of 647 Sual Coal-Fired Power Plant (SCFPP) Unit 2, 300 MW Calaca Coal-Fired Power Plant U2, 280 MW Malaya Thermal Power Plant (MTPP) U2, 302 MW GN Coal-Fired Power Plant U1, 382 Pagbilao Coal-Fired Power Plant U2, 360 MW Kalayaan U3 & U4 due to low water elevation and the maintenance of the 245 MW South Luzon Therma Energy Corporation (SLTEC) U1 & U2; while the 180 MW Kalayaan U2 and the 250 MW Sta. Rita Natural Gas Power Plant U2 are on planned maintenance shutdown. Meanwhile, the MTPP U1 is running on a limited capacity at 135 MW.

As of 6:00 a.m., the available capacity in Luzon Grid stood at 8,672 MW, while peak demand is projected at 8,209 MW.

Based on the NGCP projection, the power supply status will be on Yellow Alert by 2:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. due to the insufficiency of the contingency reserve. Moreover, SCFPP U2 will commence by 4:00 p.m. once technical procedures are done.

DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, through a letter dated 29 July 2016, asked the ERC to look into the matter and determine whether or not there is the existence of anti-competitive behavior by the industry players.

The DOE has already initiated the formation of technical audit teams which will validate the figures submitted by the generating companies and the distribution utilities. The technical audit teams aim to contribute in acquiring accurate data accurate data for the delivery of quality, reliable, secure and affordable supply of energy.

Jessy Mendiola: Haters Gonna Hate FHM's Sexiest Woman for 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"It’s sexist to judge women for what they enjoy and police how they behave because it doesn’t fit with your standards of humility. Constructive criticism does not involve taking a poop on someone because you don’t think they’re being humble enough. To quote feminists: a woman does not need to be modest in order to be respected and modesty alone does not equal beauty." - Irish Maureen Manuel

Am I the only one here who sees that there's nothing wrong with Jessy Mendiola's statement? She was treated like sh*t by her bashers and when she finally had the chance to fight back so now she's the mean one? Oh common!

Who says Jessy Mendiola is not sexy enough to openly brag about it. We were never deceived by shots taken at deceptive angles nor filtered and manipulated to look a lot more "fitting." Our Jessy deserves the win as FHM's Sexiest and even though some would want to claim being a lot more sexier, the people who voted have spoken otherwise.

Why would we stop her from being confidently beautiful enough to shout it out loud and proud?

"Please stop calling her arrogant or needing a dose of “humble pie.” There’s nothing arrogant about her comment, you have just been brought up to HATE and condemn proud, confident, and sexually open women." -Sittie Ryza Dy

Marian Rivera may have won 3 times in the number one spot, making her a hall of famer, Angel Locsin, Sam Pinto, and Katrina Halili, all won twice, but still why would we hate Jessy for proudly claiming his win? let humility aside for a moment because this is her big moment to shine as the sexiest of 2016.

Defending herself isn’t bad at all, that’s what we all do. We build something good from the stones being thrown to us, at least women do. She got hurt from the rumors her haters and bashers threw at her, so she stood up and made them hate her even more. 

“I’m not the only one who is being bashed. I’m not the only one who is being hated. But hell, I’m the sexiest woman right now and I’m just really happy.” - Jessy Mendiola

Everyone is hating on her because of this statement. Lol you dont even know what she is going through. She is in a very tough business and you know-it-all people seem to know everything about her to be able to say all these things about her. She was voted. Can she not be proud for winning? Can she not be happy for this?

Sexy doesn't just mean big boobs, flat tummy, and small waist and thighs. You don't have to body shame her or anyone. She is sexy and confident. She worked hard to get that body. Not skinny, she looks very fit actually.

I love how she is promoting a healthier and more beautiful body image. Ang tunay na sexy, may curves on the right places. Her muscles makes her even more beautiful. Congratulations Jessy! You deserve it!

There's that saying you cannot please everybody in this world. Bashers will always find something to say not good to someone they don't like. Telling somebody names like fat, patatim or whatever will not make the situation better. Stop the body shaming.

We love you Jessy. Haters gonna hate. Hypocrytes are just there. Theres nothing wrong with the real you. At least you are confident. You are inspiring!

Choose Peace Not Conflict

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros today reiterated her call to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and it's armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), to reciprocate the gesture of the Duterte government in declaring a unilateral ceasefire.

The senator issued the statement after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has given the communist guerrillas until 5 p.m. Saturday to issue their own declaration.

Hontiveros welcomed Duterte's declaration of a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NPA. "At a time when it is easier to wage war than seek peace, President Duterte's decision is a bold and unprecedented move. I hope the government's ceasefire will be duly recognized and implemented by all state security forces."

The neophyte senator, who was also part of the government panel for peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) when Jose Maria Sison was the chief consultant of the group, challenged the CPP-NPA to immediately and unconditionally declare a ceasefire. She also condemned the NPA attacks in Davao del Norte, which came in the wake of the government’s declared ceasefire.

"The armed communist left has the opportunity to show to the public that it is capable of peace. If the CPP-NPA is really sincere in ending this armed conflict, it must renounce its anti-people military actions, silence its guns and choose the path of peace. It is the more courageous and revolutionary thing to do," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros, who hails from the democratic left Akbayan, is the ideological opposite of the CPP-NPA.

In 2005, the CPP released a hit list containing the names of individuals deemed as “counter-revolutionaries” and “class enemies.” The list includes Akbayan leaders such former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, Nathan Quimpo and Sixto Carlos.

The hit list was issued after a series of assassinations by the NPA of personalities branded by the CPP as "enemies of the people."

Student Council Leaders Condemn Extra-Judicial Killings

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Student council leaders from the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) and other organizations link arms and wear placards with their aspirations written on cardboards as their latest act of condemning the deaths of youth and students due to extrajudicial killings, in solidarity with the Commission on Human Rights.

“We again implore President Duterte, keep us alive. Don’t kill off the youth in this war on drugs,” said Nancy Fernandez from SCAP.

“Young people have dreams. It’s sad that all these hopes and dreams can be erased in an instant. We all want peace and order. However, these cannot come at the cost of innocent lives.” she added. She cited the death of Rowena Tiamson, a 22 year-old honor student in Pangasinan, who was gunned down after being mistaken as a drug user.

“We applaud the recent pronouncements of Ateneo and La Salle Presidents condemning extrajudicial killings. We must come together to fight against these acts of inhumanity,” she said.

“We urge Miriam College, the University of the Philippines, and other colleges across the country to issue similar statements,” Fernandez said. “

Growing clamor for vigilantism and police brutality should be countered by a sober and humane narrative.” she added.

Dyson Exposes the Unseen at Its Media Launch

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I did not know that indoor air quality is five times more polluted than the air outside.

It was surprising to find out that we may be experiencing more threats to our health within the comforts of our own homes especially if there are dangerous substances or pollutants present within the air that we breathe. Pollutants that may cause allergies and diseases to our skin, lungs, and other parts of our body both internally and externally. 


Whiteplanet Inc. in partnership with Rustan's recently launched Dyson's latest technology for our homes at the The Unseen Exposed on Friday, July 29, 2016, 7pm at the Grand Atrium of Shangri-la Plaza Mall.

Aside from the bladeless fans that also filters the air, they also have high-tech vacuums that are undoubtedly leaders in technology breakthroughs. You have to see, or hear, for yourself how quiet their vacuums are compared with other brands. They even have a more powerful vacuum that is even quieter than their previous bestseller.

The event was hosted by celebrity Bobby Yan who was also Dyson's Communications Director. He shared almost everything we need to know about the two impressive product categories. I would have brought one home already if budget allowed but the decision may be more appropriate for the wife. Maybe I would bring her there during the weekend.

Beware of the Deceiver Who Claims Ownership of WaZZup

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

Sadly, there's this blogger who has been deceiving people.

He is claiming ownership of the domain name WaZZup and tries to prevent us from using it eventhough he very well knows that we were the first to use it for our domain name.

First and foremost, he cannot claim ownership of that domain since it's freely available for anyone who wants to use it as a domain name or any other purpose.

For everyone's information, we are originally WazzupPilipinas.blogspot.com before we bought the domain WazzupPilipinas.com. Since it was accepted when we registered, it only means it has no identical domain name existing. During that time, we have no knowledge of him or his blog site. We were the more active blog site and he even joined as member of our Facebook group.

His site was WaZupPhilippines but we did not see him as a threat since our blog is more of an advocacy and it was not meant to compete but just as an outlet where we can share our thoughts and opinions as well as to help in promoting everything about the Philippines. Besides, there were other sites which were using the WaZZup word as part of their domain name...and he was using WaZup and not WaZZup.

waZup is not waZZup

But then he changed his domain from WaZup into WaZZup making it almost identical to our domain name for WaZZup Pilipinas. He did this eventhough he knows we are already using WaZZup. He even informed us that he changed his domain name from WaZupPhilippines to WaZZupPhilippines, but it never got into his mind that he may be even further confusing people about our sites. He was keen on using that domain because he said he was benefiting from the fact that people mistaken his site for mine, since during that time, my blog was already among the leading blogs in the Philippines.

When issues arise against us, he then opted to change his domain name so as not to be mistaken for my site. This was a reverse in his thinking since now there was black propaganda being spread about our site and our members. Many saw the false accusations as mere intent to ruin our reputation so they can reclaim their status in the blogging community.

However, he deceived people by claiming he changed his domain name to a dot PH, but unknown to many, he still retained the almost identical domain name of WaZZupPhilippines.

So some people, especially the foreigners who do not recall the Tagalog word "Pilipinas" would mistake his site for ours. Thus, there still exist confusion.

When the domain name WaZZup.com.ph was given to me as a gift, he went berserk online and created a damaging thread saying we were creating confusion. Ironically, as a way to get back on us, he then purchased the domain WaZZupPilipinas.com.ph to create further confusion.

He then tried to bargain with us to exchange the domain WaZZup.com.ph with his WaZZupPilipinas.com.ph

We argued that it would be better if he just give us the WaZZupPhilippines domain instead so the confusion will really end. But he would not accept our counter-offer for reasons very vague for us. If he really wants to avoid confusion, he should just let go of WaZZupPhilippines.

But we do not really care if he keeps it or not. We are not competing with anybody so we are not really bothered if somebody uses WaZZup since we have no ownership of that word. But it also means we can freely use it as well for our own purpose if that is the case.

So unless he could legally claim ownership of that word, everyone has the right to use it. We should not let bullies like him to keep us from doing what we believe is right.

These arrogant cyber bullies will soon have their last days on Earth. The good people will fight back against these filthy animals who are only brave when online but act meek offline. These devious bandits of mischief deserves a lot of spanking until their butts turn black and blue.

WSOF Global Championship Official Weigh-Ins Complete

Wazzup Pilipinas!

World Series of Fighting – Global Championship (WSOF-GC) has finished with their weigh ins and all fights are a go. All main card fighters made weight without incident, including the Heavyweight Title Main Event, Russia’s Evgeny Erokhin (230) vs United States’ Richard Odoms (262).

Official Weights Below:

Evgeny Erokhin (230) vs Richard Odoms (262)
Mario Sismundo (145) vs Maimaitituoheti (140)
Yusaku Nakamura (125) vs Tim Moore (125)
Jujeath Nagaowa (106) vs Yuko Kiryu (105)
Lawrence DiGiulio (125) vs Marcel Adur (126)
Ahmed Mujtaba (143) vs Neil Larano (143)
Jenelyn Olsim (115) vs Nayara Hemily (113)
*Jessdan Dela Pena (162) vs Kelvin Ong (156)
**Yadwinder Singh (125) vs Uloomi Karim (125)
May Ooi (116) vs Katherine Roy (115)

World Series of Fighting – Global Championship will air LIVE and FREE in its entirety this weekend, starting at 6am EST this Saturday, July 30 in United States at wsofgc.com. Fans can access the entire 10-fight event at wsofgc.com, as well as throughmmaweekly.com, globalcombatnetwork.com, and fightnewsaustralia.com.

Another unique element that WSOF-GC is bringing to their fans is a 360-degree perspective of the fights courtesy of their new partner, Livit. Fans can access this through the LivitNow app to watch the event from a perspective like no other. Fans will have the capability to control how they see the action and the crowd that night.

In addition to the live, free event, wsofgc.com is hosting a FREE weekend of its Global Fight Library. Fans can log on to the website and see not only this weekend’s bouts, but previous events including previous fights from WSOF-GC affiliates (United Kingdom’s ICE FC, Argentina’s ULLAMP, Italy’s SLAM FC, Costa Rica’s Calvo Promotions, Puerto Rico’s Royalty Combat, and Philippines’ Underground Battle MMA).

WSOF-GC will host WSOF-GC 3 Philippines at Smart Araneta Coliseum on July 30, 2016. Tickets start at PHP300 with ringside seats available for PHP4000. Tickets are now on sale at all Ticketnet Outlets or online athttp://www.etix.com/ticket/p/2988982/wsof-global-championship-3philippines-quezon-city-smart-araneta-coliseum.

World Series of Fighting Global’s ultimate mission is to bring together the best athletes from countries and organizations across the world to compete for a true, globally-recognized world champion. Media inquiries should be sent to Jason Lilly, Vice President of Operations of World Series of Fighting Global, at jlilly@wsof.asia. Follow them on Twitter @WSOFGlobal.

* Jessdan Dela Pena failed to reach his contracted weight of 155, coming in at 162. His opponent, Kelvin Ong, came in at 150, so he was given two hours to cut to 160 in order for both fighters to be within 10 pounds, but failed to do so. His opponent weighed back in at 156 and the fight was declared official. Jessdan and Kelvin agreed to a 50% of Jessdan’s total fight purse, which will be given to Kelvin.

** Yadwinder Singh failed to make weight on his first attempt (127.5) but managed to make the 125-lb mark within an hour.

Shark Sundays this August on Animal Planet

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This month, Animal Planet makes a big splash and brings you even more Sharktastic programmes!

Follow marine biologist and shark expert Barbara Block in SHARKTOPIA as she explores the Blue Serengeti – a vast, rich and hidden world, now more visible with breakthrough camera technology.

Philippe Cousteau explores Bikini Atoll to discover how sharks repopulated the once destroyed nuclear testing during the Cold War in NUCLEAR SHARKS.

With increasing shark encounters, SHALLOW WATER INVASION explores the recent increase in shark encounters in the shallows along coastlines.

To complete the lineup, Dr. Craig O’Connell explains a system he developed that will prove sharks and people can peacefully coexist and live in SHARKS AMONG US.

Don’t miss the fun and learning as Shark Month starts August 7, airing Sundays at 8:05pm on Animal Planet.

Aside from the sharktastic lineup is a discovery of beauty across varied environments. Premiering August 1 on Animal Planet is Life at the Extreme – a showcase of survival of the most extraordinary animals on the planet living in the most hostile environments.

Tech Buffs Set to Geek Out in Bohol

Wazzup Pilipinas!

It’s full steam ahead for the 2016 “Geeks on a Beach” (GOAB) technology and startup conference at the Bellevue Hotel in Panglao Island in Bohol on Aug. 25-26.

But as GOAB is fast approaching and getting more of the public’s attention, some people had become curious and wondered what are geeks, and what does the word “geek” mean.

Movies characterize them like nerds: skinny or chubby but oddly dressed, smart but socially inept or introvert, with sleek or unkempt hair, dental braces, oversized spectacles, and with the ever-present backpack worn on two shoulders.

However, contrary to the stereotype popularized by Hollywood, geeks look and act ordinarily just like the rest of the human race in mainstream society, and also have a normal social life.

People like Microsoft developer Bill Gates, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are geeks and may have one or a combination of the above-mentioned attributes, but they appear outwardly ordinary and don’t have eccentric behaviors.

Milwaukee Bucks’ Michael Carter-Williams Headlines NBA 3X Philippines 2016 Presented By Panasonic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The 3-on-3 competition returns to Manila this August with Panasonic as new Presenting Partner. The registration begins July 29 at www.nba3x.com/philippines

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that 2013-14 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams of the Milwaukee Bucks will headline NBA 3X Philippines 2016 presented by Panasonic, which returns to Manila from Aug. 19-21 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall. Registration for NBA 3X Philippines 2016 begins July 29 at www.nba3x.com/philippines.

Returning for the sixth consecutive year, NBA 3X Philippines 2016 will include a 3-on-3 tournament featuring 200 men’s and women’s teams from all over the country, as well as performances by local artists and DJs. The event will showcase authentic NBA entertainment and activities free for fans of all ages to experience throughout the weekend. Carter-Williams will be present throughout the event to inspire the athletes and interact with fans.

“I’m excited to visit the Philippines and experience Filipino fans’ passion for basketball during the NBA 3X,” said Carter-Williams. “Being a part of this event is a great opportunity to see the growth of the game internationally, and I look forward to working with these talented athletes.”

“We are proud to stage the sixth edition of NBA 3X in the Philippines, which continues to provide fans with a platform to interact with some of the league’s marquee talents,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson. “In collaboration with our new presenting partner Panasonic, NBA 3X will once again bring out the players’ competitive spirit and showcase the NBA experience to thousands of Filipino fans through a weekend of fun and entertainment.”

Con-Ass Goes Against Democracy and Active Citizenship

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I believe that charter change is a fundamental and necessary component of any attempt to reform and overhaul our political system, such as the platform of my party, Akbayan, to shift to parliamentary & federal forms of government.

However, the plan of the House of Representatives to push for a constituent assembly (Con-ass) rather than a constitutional convention (Con-con) to amend the country's charter goes against the interest of democracy and active citizenship, especially with a House where the heavy hand of the Executive was so plain to see.

We cannot set aside democratic processes and dismiss people participation simply because the fiscal cost of such democratic endeavors are allegedly staggering and/or expensive. This is a dangerous thought. This is the seed of undemocratic politics. It assumes that democracy is a luxury rather than a right that developing countries like ours cannot fully enjoy. It assumes that democracy has a price tag and that it can only be enjoyed by the people,subject to the availability of funds.

The attempt for a "cheaper and faster" mode to amend the constitution also raises concerns that the shift to federalism is being done haphazardly. I urge the government to take the necessary time in fulfilling the important and difficult requirements in order for the shift to federalism to become successful. This includes breaking up political dynasties, dismantling private armies, and building financial sustainability, among others.

Likewise, I am extremely worried that some vested quarters are pushing for Con-ass as this is less prone to public scrutiny and more susceptible to the control of big business, political dynasts and traditional politicians. I am wary that this will renew desires to relax constitutional limits on foreign ownership of land and businesses. It can be recalled that during the campaign, President Duterte mentioned that he is open to lifting the Charter's restriction on foreign ownership of Philippine corporations. This is completely opposite to the principles of federalism. Federalism's goal is to equitably distribute development and resources to the regions. The government cannot effectively redistribute wealth by giving premium to foreign interests.

I urge the House of Representatives and President Duterte to reconsider their take on this matter. I am confident that the government has enough resources to fund the necessary costs of building the democratic infrastructure and processes for people to directly participate in progressively amending our constitution.

The process of revising the constitution must be participatory and democratic. There should be no shortcuts in democracy. The political and economic ambitions of a few cannot lord over the people's interests.

Contributed by by Senator Risa Hontiveros

Fil-Am International Artist JEFRЁ Reconnecting With His Filipino Roots

Wazzup Pilipinas!

JEFRЁ – a name that’s been steadily gaining recognition in the Manila creative scene. As the internationally acclaimed public artist and former landscape architect brings his considerable talents from his Florida studio to create even more thought-provoking pieces here at home, it won’t be long ‘til JEFRЁ becomes a Filipino household name.

Born and raised in Chicago to parents who were natives of Ilocos Sur and Laguna, Jefre Manuel Figueras studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before pursuing a degree in Landscape Architecture from Ohio State University.

“I went into the arts at the Art Institute of Chicago in the beginning 'cause I wanted to pursue my passions from high school into college. But then my parents were concerned about the struggles of a starving artist, saying, how am I gonna make money in art? So I went to Ohio State to study Urban Design and Landscape Architecture to be a city planner.”

His first decade out of college had him working for established firms like Skidmore Owings and Merril; and working for clients and involved in partnerships with some of the biggest industry names Santiago Calatrava, BIG Architect’s, Zaha Hadid and Philippe Starck – until a heart attack changed his view of the world and the legacy he wanted to leave. 

DOE to Ensure Continuous Power Supply in the Country

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) is reinforcing efforts to ensure continuous power supply in the country by requesting the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to look into the recurring Yellow and Red Alert Statuses due to the lack of power supply for the period 25 to 29 July 2016.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi specifically asked ERC to look into whether there is the existence of an anti-competitive behavior from industry players. He was pleased to learn that ERC is already looking into it.

The coordination between the DOE and the ERC was triggered following the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ declaration of the Yellow Alert status from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Red Alert status from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Yellow Alert by 5:00 p.m. today (29 July).

As an immediate response, Manila Electric Corporation (MERALCO) has already coordinated with its Interruptible Load Program (ILP) participants to augment supply. As of 8:45 a.m., there were about 156 ILP participants that had confirmed their availability equivalent to 311.22 megawatts (MW).

The DOE is likewise closely monitoring developments in the plants that have undergone Forced Outage accounting for a total of 1,451 MW.

The DOE earlier stated that it will create technical audit teams for generation companies and distribution utilities to assess the reliability of the entire power industry.