Burn Soriano Feels More Motivated Under the Tutelage of New Trainer

It was a bitter pill to swallow for a dedicated cage competitor like Burn “The Hitman” Soriano when he yielded to Malaysian sensation Saiful “The Vampire” Merican nearly ten months ago.

Soriano suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Merican at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS in the Malaysian’s hometown of Kuala Lumpur this past February, failing to accomplish a follow-up victory to his scintillating 15-second knockout of Mario Satya Wirawan in August 2016.

Although the thrilling bantamweight bout against Merican put fans at the iconic Stadium Negara on the edge of their seats, Soriano was left disappointed with the outcome of the match.

“I believe that I could have done better in that match with Saiful Merican. I was prepared to go full three rounds, but I came up short. I just realized that there was something missing,” Soriano recalled.

The stoppage loss to Merican forced Soriano to reassess on how he handles his training camp when he prepares for an upcoming bout.

During his time of contemplation, Soriano found a much-needed help in George Castro, who is known as the man behind the renowned Alliance MMA’s strength and conditioning program.

George Castro recently moved all the way from Tucson, Arizona, hundreds of miles across the Pacific to the tropical city of Manila to help ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera set up the first Alliance MMA branch in the Philippines.

Aside from training Vera, Castro has also worked extensively with several veterans of the sport, including Dominick Cruz, Ross Pearson, Jeremy Stephens and Chris Leben.

“Right now, I have a tremendous support system in my training, especially with the help of my coach George Castro. He knows how to bring out the best in me. With him in my corner, it is always exciting to prepare for a bout,” Soriano said of Castro.

The partnership between Soriano and Castro will be tested for the very first time as the Filipino combatant returns to action on 3 November to meet unbeaten Chinese prospect “Rock Man” Chen Lei.

The two standouts are set to face each other on the undercard of ONE: HERO’S DREAM, which takes place at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Soriano sees his upcoming three-round bantamweight encounter with Chen as an opportunity to bring back the glimmer of his professional career.

“I want to win so bad. I have dreams and aspirations as a competitor. In order to turn those into a reality, I have to win first. This is the first step,” he stated.

Although his professional record stands at 3-3, Soriano has become one of the most exciting mixed martial artists in ONE Championship.

None of his matches, regardless of sweet victory or disappointing defeat, have ever gone to the three judges’ scorecards.

For Soriano, it is crucial to be an entertainer inside the cage and to put on a good show for fans all across the globe.

Quite simply, the 31-year-old native of Ilocos Sur, Philippines wants spectators to feel like they have gotten their money’s worth.

“It is very important for me to be entertaining. I take the risks. I want the crowd and fans to get what they want, which is an exciting fight,” he explained.

“I just enjoy what I am doing. I am passionate about it. Everyone should go out and prove something to themselves and not to anyone or anybody else,” Soriano added.

With the desire to reinsert his name into the winner’s column, Soriano is confident that his support system has geared him up splendidly for his marquee match-up with Chen at ONE: HERO’S DREAM.

“My team is outstanding. I have the best coach in my corner. I also train with the most talented athletes in the region. With that said, I’m motivated and oozing with confidence coming into this bout because I have them behind me,” he ended.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Lamudi Housing Fair Opens Today

Global property marketplace Lamudi Philippines opens second edition of bigger Lamudi Housing Fair today.

Touted as the largest housing fair in the Philippines, the next installment of the Lamudi Housing Fair gathers the biggest names in the real estate industry and a comprehensive real estate program for the 6,000 or more expected attendees.

Taking center stage this weekend, the three-day event will open today, October 13 and will run up to Sunday, October 15, at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

The Lamudi-organized event will be inaugurated by key officials from the government’s key shelter agencies. It will officially open at 1 PM on October 13, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be graced by Asec. Leira Buan, Deputy Secretary General of the Housing and Urban Development Council (HUDCC); Engr. Elmer Tugade, Department Manager III at Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund); Atty. Christopher Lloyd Lao, CEO of the Housing Land Use and Regulatory Board (HLURB); and Atty. Robert Leyretana, Deputy Administrator of the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

In an effort to inform the public on everything real estate, Lamudi has put together a comprehensive lineup of seminars and talks from some of the most distinguished personalities in the industry. Atty. Leyretana will update the public the LRA’s initiatives, particularly on its Anywhere to Anywhere (A2A) and eTitling programs, during the first day of the event. Meanwhile, Marcelino Mendoza, president of the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), will deliver a message on the state of socialized housing in the Philippines.

The second day, October 14, will feature talks from real estate investment gurus Noli Alleje, Carl Dy, and Ryan dela Cruz. The third day, meanwhile, will boast guests including Joey Bondoc, Research Manager at Colliers International Philippines; Henry Bernardo of the Pag-IBIG Fund; and Eden Dayrit, CEO of Manila Open House.

Crowd favorite ever since the first edition of Lamudi’s housing fair, property auction will again be one of this year’s event highlights. The foreclosed properties to be auctioned off will come from top finance and investment institutions such as Union Bank and My Saving Grace Realty and Development Corporation.

Lancaster Cavite, Double Dragon Properties, Avida Land, Built Spaces, Cathay Land, Filinvest City, Moldex Realty, RCBC Savings Bank, Robinsons Land, Saekyung, My Saving Grace Development and Realty, Social Security Systems, Steeltech Colored Roofing, Swoop, Noble Hills and Union Bank are just some of the premium sponsors this year.

Bigger and Brighter Lamudi Housing Fair

Now on its second instalment, the 2017 Lamudi Housing Fair is expected to attract more than 6,000 homebuyers, property investors, brokers and other real estate professionals. Reception from exhibitors during Lamudi’s past events was very positive as well, with many of them reporting that they were able to gather hundreds of hot leads, recruit professional and licensed brokers, and closed deals on the spot.

“We are confident that we can make this year’s edition a much grander event as we apply all the learnings from past events. Our unique touch in making property investing a fun experience both offline and online elevates our craft,” said Bhavna Suresh Chathambeth, Managing Director of the Lamudi Group (Lamudi Philippines and MyProperty.ph).

To know more and to register for free, please go to www.lamudi.com.ph/housing_fair.

Modern Jeep Prototypes, Powered by beep Fare Collection System

AF Payments Inc., the Ayala-Metro Pacific consortium behind beep™ card, brings its automated fare collection system to the 1st Philippine Auto Parts Expo (PhilAPEX). Several of the modern jeepney prototypes on display at the event were furnished with a working beep™ card reader that employs a tap in-tap out scheme. Passengers tap in upon riding, and tap out before alighting. The fare is calculated based on the distance traveled. This is the first ever automated fare collection solution made for jeepneys.

The jeepney prototypes on exhibit are new models that already comply with the Department of Transportation’s jeepney modernization mandate.

Peter Maher, President of AF Payments, said ”We are ready to support the Dept of Transportation’s PUJ modernization program.  We have developed a beep card service that is affordable to jeepney operators and will surely be appreciated by commuters in Metro Manila who have already purchased 4 million beep cards.”

PhilAPEX 2017 was held on October 12-13 at the Philippine Trade Training Center in Pasay City. It was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments, Department of Transportation, Philippine Parts Maker Association Inc., Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota, and the Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc.



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About AF Payments Inc.
AF Payments Inc. is a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and Ayala Corp. that provides contactless payment solutions in the Philippines through its integrated product and service offerings, thereby enhancing the transaction experience of every Filipino.

Its tap-to-pay system, the beep™ card, is available for use in all three elevated railways (LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3), select bus lines, CAVITEX, NLEX, and at select FamilyMart and Robinsons Movieworld branches. The beep card is reloadable up to P10,000 and is valid for four years. Off-rail reloading options include select outlets of Bayad Center, SM Bills Payment, Villarica, Tambunting, FamilyMart, and Circle K.

Website and Social Media
www.beeptopay.com
www.facebook.com/beepcardph
www.twitter.com/beep_card
www.instagram.com/beep_card_ph/