Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Monday, November 20, 2017

Ben Askren Has No Intention of Giving Up Welterweight Gold in Career’s Final Bout

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Ben “Funky” Askren isn’t just the reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion, but he is also universally recognized as one of the best welterweights in the entire world.

Askren is highly regarded for his outstanding wrestling background that earned him two NCAA Division I national championship trophies and the privilege to represent the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Growing up in the Midwestern United States, a region traditionally known as a hotbed for amateur wrestling, Askren was motivated by the spirit of competition and wanted to participate in a sport where he could be the master of his own fate.

Askren had long planned switch to mixed martial arts and conquer that sport once he hung up his wrestling boots.

Following his 2008 Olympic campaign, Askren made the transition and has flawlessly translated his exemplary grappling skills into his growing skillset.

In his eight-year run as a professional martial artist, Askren holds an immaculate standing of 17-0, 1 No Contest, owning five submission victories and five knockout triumphs.

The 33-year-old American will step into the cage for the very last time on Friday, 24 November as he defends his coveted title against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in the main event of ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, which takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

Coming off masterful performance against talented challengers such as Agilan Thani and Zebaztian Kadestam in 2017, Askren looks to cap off a momentous year and an illustrious career with one last title defense versus a tough opponent like Aoki.

“Shinya is a really good final opponent. Obviously, he is a legend of the sport, and he is a really big challenge on the ground, which is where I like to compete, personally. I am excited for this bout,” he said about his marquee match-up with Aoki.

Askren revealed that he did not think a match with Aoki was an option, considering the 34-year-old Tokyo, Japan native is an Evolve MMA teammate.

However, Askren admitted that the more he thought about it, the more he loved the idea of sharing a martial arts platform with Aoki.

“He is a grappler and has a great skill set that I respect, so I think it will be a great battle,” Askren quipped.

Known by his cage moniker “Tobikan Judan” or “The Grandmaster of Flying Submissions” due to his spectacular submission victories, Aoki is widely regarded as the most dominant lightweight in Asia for the better part of the last decade as he has had 47 professional bouts and strutted his wares in various promotions.

In addition, Aoki proudly owns black belts in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and has won an astonishing 25 of his 39 matches via submission.

Even with Aoki’s accomplishments and his dynamic grappling pedigree, which vastly contrasts from the American’s approach in the cage, Askren guaranteed that he will continue to employ his signature game plan of wrestling his opponent to the ground and using an impeccable top game to finish off his opposition.

“I said from day one that I am the best in the world at what I do, and this is what I am going to do every single time. I have been saying that since I started in 2009, and I believe it more strongly than ever because I have proved it 17 times now, and I am pumped to prove it again,” he stated.

Askren maintained that he has no intentions of giving up his gold-plated strap to Aoki as he collides with the Japanese submission wizard at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT.

“He’s going to stick around until I put him out,” the undefeated ONE Welterweight World Champion declared with confidence.

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.

Yoshitaka Naito to Defend One Strawweight World Championship Against Alex Silva at One: Warriors of the World

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The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced another blockbuster showdown at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD, scheduled for the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Saturday, 9 December. Undefeated ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Chiba, Japan will defend his title against Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil in the main event of the evening.

Ticket information for ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD is available at www.onefc.com.

Yoshitaka Naito, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Winning the ONE Strawweight World Championship and becoming world champion has always been a dream of mine. To be recognized amongst my peers as the best at what I do, it’s important to me. Having this belt means I am a master of my craft. It hasn’t been easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I am prepared to do whatever it takes. Alex Silva is a worthy challenger and an amazing competitor. I look forward to testing my skills against him.”

Alex Silva, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “Defeating Hayato Suzuki has been one of my greatest accomplishments inside the ONE Championship cage. I was very well prepared to for him, I expected a tougher match and I did not expect him to try to take me down and compete with me on the ground because I knew if it went to the ground that I would submit him. So I saw the armbar, I went for it and now we’re here. I'm competing for the ONE Strawweight World Championship and have a chance to be known as the best strawweight in the world. I'm excited for the opportunity and in the name of Jesus Christ, I will bring this belt back to my team, Evolve! Honor and glory to God!”

Reigning and defending ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Chiba, Japan, is an unbeaten in his professional career with a perfect 12-0 record. He owns six victories by submission and one by knockout. The 33-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world famous Korakuen Hall competing for Shooto as its Flyweight Champion, captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship in by submitting the Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut in 2016. Naito makes the second defense of his strawweight belt against Alex Silva in Bangkok this December.

Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and world champion with a professional record of 6-1. Silva is riding high on a five-bout winning streak, rapidly climbing ONE Championship’s stacked flyweight ranks. He is a technical grappling specialist with a penchant for securing highlight-reel submission finishes. With steadily increasing confidence, Silva’s last five victories have all ended in spectacular fashion. In his most recent contest, Silva made quick work of the highly-regarded and previously unbeaten Hayato Suzuki, earning him an opportunity at the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

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.

Smart Tips in Buying the Right Refrigerator

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The days of boring, old-fashioned refrigerators are gone. Today, manufacturers are constantly innovating technologies that make them more attuned to the needs of today’s buyers. But with the many brands available, how can you be sure that you are making the right choice?

According to Dyeun Zapanta, Sales and Marketing Head of Beko Philippines, households still put great value on the quality of the food that they eat. Despite the hectic pace of today's lifestyle, it is still important to serve only fresh and nutritious meals to your family. That is why your fridge must have all the right features to help you store your food items as best you can.

To help you make the right choice, Beko, one of the largest appliance brands in Europe, listed a few things to consider when buying a new refrigerator.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Let the festivities begin in Bonifacio Global City!

Join the BGC community as it brings you its biggest, grandest celebration – the “Season of Passions” as a way to cap off another great year. It will kick off with its annual city fiesta Passionfest, alongside the BGC Arts Center Festival’s “Champions of Passion” from November 24 to 26; followed by a slew of amazing Christmas surprises from November 29 to December 25, and an exhilarating welcome to 2018 with a New Year’s Countdown on December 31.

Experience the four seasons in BGC’s Passionfest

Recognizing the vibrant global community, Passionfest 2017 is themed “FestivALL in Seasons,” where everyone will get to experience summer, winter, fall, and spring along the whole stretch of Bonifacio High Street.

Gear up and bask in pure, unadulterated fun at the Summer block (starts at 11th Avenue) – explore the street of lost clock, enjoy games and loads of other activities here; As the cold brings in a new spirit, find warmth as you watch soulful performances at the Winter block (9th Avenue); With everything around us changing, celebrate new shapes, new colors, and new life by learning crafts for Holiday gifting at the Fall block (7th Avenue); and like a whiff of fresh air, feel alive and join fitness playoffs, as well as taste what’s cooking by exploring new dishes and gourmet finds at the Spring block (BHS Central) from 11am to 9pm.

Also, watch out for R&B artist Quest’s free concert on Nov. 25, Saturday, 7pm at the Globe Iconic Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater and the community parade on Nov. 26, 3pm at Bonifacio High Street.

Expect surprises from Katipunan Weekend Market, Gourmand Market, Haribon Foundation, Go Pro, The Mind Museum, Bungee Bungee, National Bike Organization, Volkswagen, Locally, Mang Tomas, Nutriasia Philippine Obstacle Sports Federation, Embassy of Denmark, Smile Train, Globe, Makeup Factory, The BookStop Project, and many more.

Admission is free! Just present your passport which may be redeemed at the main activity center.

BGC Passionfest 2017 is brought to you by Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation in partnership with Huawei and Citibank.

Feel the passion at BGC Arts Center Festival

Spark your creativity!

Happening simultaneously with the Passionfest is the BGC Arts Center Festival with the theme “Champions of Passion: Soulful Feats of Art.” Don’t miss this chance to watch an array of plays, dance, musicals, improvs, workshops, and music from various artistic productions and an Art Tour to visit this year’s newest Art BGC Murals.

Love arts and crafts? Do drop by the BGC Art Mart at the Alveo Central Plaza and support the products of many of our local artists!

BGC Arts Center is located at 26th St. corner 9th Ave.

For more information and updates on the Season of Passions, stay tuned to BGC’s official Facebook pages at Bonifacio Global City, Bonifacio High Street, and BGC Arts Center.

Schedule of Events

BGC Passionfest [Calendar of activities attached]

November 24-26, 2017 | 11AM onwards

Bonifacio High Street and city center

BGC Arts Center Festival

November 24-26, 2017 | 9AM onwards

BGC Arts Center 26th Street corner 9th Avenue

For tickets, visit TicketWorld or the BGC Arts Center TicketWorld Box Office.

BGC Art Mart

November 24, 2017 | 4PM-10PM; November 25-26, 2017 | 10AM-10PM

Alveo Central Plaza

Gugmang Giatay: Manila (musical)

November 28-30, 2017 | 8PM

Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater

Car Guide for Filipino Travellers, Working Professionals and Immigrants in the US

‘Tis the Season for a Holiday Blend and Festive Treats at FamilyMart

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The holidays are coming up, and that means we’re going to be in for all of the season’s celebratory treats. But we don’t have to wait for Christmas day to indulge in some of our favorites. Popular Japanese convenience store FamilyMart is spreading the warmth and happiness with holiday goodies you can enjoy any time of the day.

Christmas coffee has definitely become part of the most wonderful time of the year. You can enjoy a warm cup of the rich and buttery Toffee Hazelnut Latte for only P75 for 8oz and P85 for 12oz.

The taste of the toffee hazelnut flavor is also great with Santa-worthy Christmas Cookies. You can grab one of these delectable cookies for only P22. But, when you purchase a Toffee Hazelnut Latte, you can get your hands on a tasty cookie just by adding P10.

Get into the spirit of the holidays with delightful treats only for P39 like the Cinnamon Roll with Almond Caramel, the Cinnamon Roll with Chocolate, and the Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes.

FamilyMart brings you even more cheer with the Holiday Savers deals happening until November 30. Your FamilyMart Meal Savers gives you P10 off your go-to rice meals. Now you can treat yourself by getting the Bagoong Tinapa Fried Rice with Lumpiang Gulay for only P74, the Yang Chow Friend Rice with Pork Siomai for P79, or the Japanese Fried Rice with Ebi Tempura for P98. Plus, you can also get up to P7 off on the Taro Slush.

Visiting FamilyMart might even win you a special holiday gift. From now until December 31, every minimum spend of P50 on a single receipt earns you an entry to the Let it Snow! Christmas Raffle Promo 2017. Who knows, you might be one of the lucky winners who will receive the prize of a trip for 2 to Hokkaido, Japan, Seoul, Korea, or Beijing, China!

What are you waiting for? Feel the warm and joyful spirit of Christmas by heading over to FamilyMart any time and any day for a tasty Toffee Nut Latte and your favorite go-to meals at great prices.

For updates, exciting products, and awesome deals, like and follow FamilyMart Philippines on Facebook, @familymartph on Instagram, and @FamilyMartPH on Twitter. For store locations or more information on FamilyMart Philippines, log on to www.familymart.com.ph.

FamilyMart is the 2nd largest convenience store chain in the world with over 18,000 stores across Asia. In the Philippines, FamilyMart has branches in Makati, Fort Bonifacio, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pasay, Alabang and Laguna.

Aruba Named as ‘Leader’ in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant and Tops All Six Use-Cases in Critical Capabilities Report

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For the first time ever, Aruba is positioned furthest overall in the ‘Leaders’ category in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure. Aruba is also ranked number 1 in all use-cases in the accompanying Critical Capabilities report, which scores 16 vendors on a variety of networking capabilities across six enterprise use-cases. This is the first time any vendor is leading in all the use-cases.

Gartner also notes that Aruba has scored higher than Cisco in every use-case, the first time in the four editions of this research, positioning Aruba as the top networking vendor in the world for wired and wireless LAN access. According to the report, Aruba has one of the broadest wired and wireless access layer portfolios in the market, and Gartner recommends organizations to consider it for all campus deployments globally.

This is the 12th consecutive year Aruba has been positioned as a Leader in the market, including the prior Gartner Magic Quadrant for the Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure[1].

In addition,

Aruba’s AirWave and ClearPass remain as some of the most complete solutions in the market
Gartner indicates that its clients report a high degree of satisfaction with Aruba’s ClearPass, which provides guest access, device profiling, posture assessment and onboarding
Aruba’s management and service applications (Airwave, ClearPass, IMC, and Meridian) support for non-HPE devices such as ALE and Cisco, which simplifies orchestration with multi-vendor environments, has been indicated as a key strength
The acquisition of Niara and Rasa Networks strengthens Aruba network traffic and security monitoring capabilities

DOE: All Systems Go for 13th Fuel Economy Run

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The Department of Energy (DOE) in cooperation with Petron Corporation is all revved up for the 2017 DOE Fuel Economy Run to be held on November 20-21 at Clark, Pampanga.

Already on its 13th run since its inception in 2002, the Fuel Economy Run serves as a platform for the DOE as well as the consumers in determining the fuel consumption rating of different brand-new vehicles available in the market based on actual highway driving conditions.

This annual event invites participants to test the fuel efficiency of sedans, SUV’s, MPV’s and pickups of the different car manufacturing companies, brands and models.

Participating entries will be divided into two categories: those vehicles running on diesel and those running on gas. Each vehicle will have a driver, a navigator, and an auditor who makes sure that the performance and settings of the car strictly follow the activity’s guidelines throughout the whole run.

This year, participants will take a route with a standard distance of 216.6 kilometers. The flag-off will start at the Petron Service Station Clark, pass through SCTEX and TPLEX Binalonan, then make a U-turn to get back to the Petron Service Station Clark.

Announcement of results will immediately follow to determine which vehicle from each category is the most fuel-efficient. Each participating vehicle’s fuel economy rating will be recorded in kilometers per liter.

The 2017 Fuel Economy Run is in line with the DOE’s “E-Power Mo” Campaign which gives consumers the power of choice in putting premium on energy efficiency when it comes to purchasing vehicles.

Over the years, the Fuel Economy Run has gained a bigger following which shows that car companies realize the positive impact fuel efficiency has on their vehicles and how consumers start to consider this as one of the main criteria in choosing their ride.

Fortinet Philippines Bags the 12th National Product Quality Excellence Award for Best IT Security Solutions Provider

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Fortinet Philippines, a global leader in high-performance cyber security solutions, was recently recognized as the Best IT Security Solutions Provider during the 12th National Product Excellence Awards held at the Crown Plaza Hotel Manila in Quezon City.

The said Awards was spearheaded by the National Council for Product and Service Quality and QAsia Magazine. It aims to recognize companies that exemplify product and service excellence, and that has won the admiration of consumers and the general public. The products and services that received the awards are conferred with the Seal of Product Quality or Seal of Quality Service, a symbol of having met rigorous standards set forth by the award-giving body.

This year, the National Product Excellence Awards received hundreds of nominations from across the country. Out of all the submissions, Fortinet emerged as the recipient of the Product Quality Excellence Award for the Best IT Security Solutions Provider category.

Through the years, Fortinet has demonstrated excellence in the field, especially with its vision to deliver, broad, truly integrated, high-performance security across the expanding IT infrastructure.

“As a company, we are determined to shape the future of security by empowering our customers with intelligent and seamless protection across the expanding attack surface. This award serves as an inspiration for us as we continue advocating this drive,” said Jeff Castillo, regional director for Fortinet Philippines.

Since its inception, 17 years ago, Fortinet foresaw the move of IT systems to the Internet of Things (IoT), the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) revolution, and the cloud and built a security strategy to address the unique challenges brought about by these changes.

Through its Fortinet Security Fabric architecture, the company is now one of the frontrunners in addressing the security issues faced by today’s enterprises, such as complex network ecosystems; public, private, and hybrid clouds; and parallel networks encompassing IT, OT, and IoT.

To date, Fortinet has already surpassed its competitors with its more than three million deployed devices, making it the number one network appliance vendor globally. More than 330,000 customers worldwide, including the majority of the Global Fortune 100, rely on Fortinet for protection.

Fortinet is also the industry’s most independently tested and validated security vendor. With its Fortinet FortiGuard Labs global research team, which consist of over 200 threat researchers. It monitors 50,000 threat events and resists more than 470,000 network intrusions every minute.

Photo Caption (L-R) Jeff Castillo, regional director for Fortinet Philippines, together with Jessica Jugo, inside sales representative, Fortinet Philippines and Nap Castillo, regional pre-sales consultant for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, during the gala of the National Product Quality Excellence Awards.

DOE Highlights Energy Safety and the Transition to Smart Grid Technology

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E-SAFETY NATIN: DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella delivers his Keynote Address calling for a safer energy sector and wiser energy consumers during MERALCO’s K-Ligtas Awards on 17 November 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The Department of Energy (DOE) underscored the importance of electrical safety in the workplace and the transition towards a smart grid regime by promoting the E-Safety Mo Campaign.

The DOE emphasized this during the K-Ligtas Awards of Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) held last Friday (17 November) at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

The DOE said it shared the same ideals of MERALCO in giving recognition to organizations and businesses that promote electrical safety in the workplace.

“The delivery of electricity is vital, but the safety of our people is more important. Giving attention to safety and the energy sector’s move towards the adoption of smart grid technologies will benefit both the industry participants and the consumers,” DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella pointed out in his keynote speech.

The DOE sees K-Ligtas as a venue for industry players to showcase their best practices, especially since the government is currently formulating the policy on the performance assessment and audit of power generation, transmission and distribution systems and facilities.

“We want not only to make our energy facilities more efficient through the use of emerging technologies, but also safer for our people,” Fuentebella said

“When we talk of safety, it means both private utilities and electric cooperatives should be updated in terms of knowledge, capabilities and skills,” he added.

Fuentebella said there is also a need to tap the academe by incorporating energy safety in the curriculum, especially in engineering courses.

The energy official also underlined that new and emerging technologies should be safe to use thru higher standards, proper regulations and multi-party cooperation.

The DOE’s E-Safety Mo campaign seeks to promote safe energy practices across the whole energy sector, including educating stakeholders and consumers of their options for a safer, wiser and more intelligent utilization of energy resources.

"The DOE's E-Safety Mo campaign is part and parcel of our mission to expand knowledge and enhance capabilities in the industry as we work for all power sector participants to set higher safety standards," Fuentebella stressed.

"The DOE will continue to collaborate with both the public and private sectors to provide safe and secure energy for the public as a contribution to President Duterte’s vision of a globally competitive and inclusive economy," he said.