Top Entries in 32nd DPC-PLDT Visual Arts Contest on Exhibit at CCP Little Theater Lobby till March 20

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Thirty diverse visual interpretations of the theme, “Pinoy Pride”, in oil and acrylic are on exhibit from March 13 to 20, 2018 at the Little Theater Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The exhibit pieces are the works of fine arts students, aged 18 to 24, from all over the Philippines. The 30 paintings constitute the finalists, chosen among more than 70 entries to the 32nd edition of the DPC-PLDT Visual Arts Competition (VAC 32), sponsored by Directories Philippines Corporation and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. The annual nationwide competition showcases and immortalizes the winning artworks on covers of telephone directories distributed in Metro Manila and other key urban centers and regions across the land, as well as on multiple online and mobile platforms.

“It is heartening to see a broad national representation of the entries this year,” noted Ricardo D. Bautista, DPC president. “We had submissions from Mindanao, the Visayas, northern and southern Luzon, in addition to the usually prolific output from the fine arts schools in Metro Manila. Interpretations of this year's theme are just as diverse. Some student artists dwelt on our natural endowments; others on our customs, crafts, traditions, and unique aspects of our culture; still others on our admirable traits and on unheralded countrymen, like soldiers and overseas workers, who make great sacrifices for our country.”

The 29”x29” paintings rendered in a variety of styles—realist, impressionist, graphic, and abstract, among others—were the nation’s young artists’ response to the VAC 32 invitation to “bring to light the things inherent in our national identity, culture and diversity that are sources of immense pride unique to Filipinos”.

DPC-PLDT officially launched the contest in November 2017 and will announce the winners of VAC32 on March 20, 2018 at the Main Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City at 1:30 p.m.

The student who painted the first-place winning entry will receive P100,000 in cash and the VAC32 Grand Prize Trophy; in addition, his/her school will receive a P40,000 donation for it’s fine arts program. Second and Third Prize winners will receive P75,000 and P60,000 in cash, respectively, plus trophies and corresponding donations to their respective schools. Besides the trophies and cash prizes, the Grand Prize winner will have his/her work featured on the cover of the 2018-19 Metro Manila telephone directories of DPC (Yellow Pages) and PLDT (White Pages).

The VAC annual competition is a much-awaited event in the art world, particularly for young artists, as it gives recognition to the abundance of creative and artistic talent available in the country’s fine arts schools.

For more information, please visit VAC 32’s website, www.visualarts.ph, and its official Facebook page, VISUALARTSPH. Queries can also be emailed to visualartsph@gmail.com

Cebu To Produce Natural Gas and Oil

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi today declared the Alegria Oil Field in Southern Cebu to have commercial quantities of natural gas and oil resources.

The pronouncement was made after the ceremonial signing of the Joint Declaration of Commerciality (JDC) between the DOE and the service contractor China International Mining Petroleum Company Limited (CIMP Co. Ltd.) on 14 March 2018 at the Hyatt Hotel-BGC in Taguig City. 

CIMP Co. Ltd. holds Petroleum Service Contract (SC) No.49, which covers the Alegria Oil Field.

Signing the declaration along with Cusi was CIMP Co. Ltd. Chair Lam Nam, while DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos and CIMP Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Eric Lai served as witnesses.

Exploration and drilling activities on the oil field by the service contractor started in 2009.

By 2016, the DOE and CIMP Co. Ltd. jointly established that the oil field contained commercial quantities of natural gas upon its discovery of oil accumulation in the adjacent hydrocarbon traps within the Alegria underground area.

The DOE and CIMP Co. Ltd. discovered an estimated 27.93 million barrels of oil (MMBO) with a possible production recovery of 3.35 MMBO or a conservative estimate of 12% of total oil in place/reserves.

For natural gas, about 9.42 billion cubic feet (bcf) reserves were found, with the recoverable resource estimated at 6.6 bcf or about 70% of total natural gas in place/reserves.

Based on the development plan crafted after the initial testing, the natural gas and oil production of the field may last until 2037.

The JDC outlined the roles and responsibilities of CIMP Co. Ltd., particularly its compliance with all conditions stated in the approved Plan of Development dated 19 December 2017.

Satisfy Your Urge to Party at Class Recess XII: Resurgence

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We’ve all been there. Late night, early morning, or sometimes even in a lazy afternoon, you feel a sensation building up. You feel like something’s missing from you; a sensation, a feeling, something you want, something you NEED. Everyone has those urges and like a popular ice cream brand would say, “Indulge.” However, some of those urges cannot necessarily be fulfilled each day. Thankfully, the International Order of DeMolay, Mt. Makiling Chapter along with the UPLB DeMolay Club thought about this and this year they are giving us a party to help us satisfy those urges with Class Recess. Class Recess XII: Resurgence is the twelfth installment of one of the biggest parties down south. Every year, DeMolay keeps on upping the ante to make sure that we enjoy great company, make amazing memories, and satisfy our urges. Speaking of satisfying certain urges and feelings, here are a few urges you can certainly satisfy in Class Recess: Resurgence. The Urge to get wasted Exams, reports, and toxic groupmates can really take a lot out of you, so to unwind you usually get a drink or two (or seven) at Jacques Pub. The only problem is with your workload, you don’t have time to schedule an "inuman sesh" with your friends. Class Recess is here to satisfy your thirst, along with long time partners, Tanduay and Smirnoff Mule. So prepare your livers and hope that you wake up for your classes tomorrow. The Urge to meet someone (new?) Ever feel like you see the same people every day? Same classmates, same friends, same people walking around Raymundo or Grove, etc. Let Class Recess remind you of how huge the Elbi community is with a pool of party people you don't see very often. Moreover, with DeMolay’s color-status system you’ll get a hint if the person you’re talking to is looking for a friend, a one-time thing, or something long-term. So go on… wear your status. The Urge to party Look, I get it; sometimes life can get toxic. That’s why we have to unwind every once in a while. However, sometimes it can be guilt inducing especially when you have deadlines, homeworks and exams. They thought of that, they thought of your needs and demands which is why they scheduled this party right after the midterms season so you can party to your heart’s (and liver’s) desire. Class Recess: Resurgence is coming to you this April 5th! Look up Class Recess: Resurgence on Twitter and Facebook for more details. You can also contact any DeMolay member to satisfy your need to know more about this party.

https://www.facebook.com/MakilingDeMolay/?pnref=story

Urges are natural. So why not satisfy them? #ClassRecessXII #SatisfyYourUrge

ONE Championship Announce Partnership with Great Sports Media at One: Battle for the Heavens

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), recently held a press conference at the SMG Building in Shanghai, China to announce a partnership with Great Sports Media. The partnership will commence at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS, which takes place 26 May at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. In the main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan returns home to China to defend her title against the challenger, Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin of Argentina.

Ticket information for ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS is available at www.onefc.com.

Victor Cui, CEO International of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is proud to announce its partnership with Great Sports Media, to bring fans the unique action of world class martial arts to the Chinese audience. Martial arts is on the rise globally, and ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. Xiong Jing Nan is an incredible martial arts champion and we are extremely proud of her accomplishments. ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS is going to be a spectacular evening that fans will not soon forget. We are excited to continue delivering an authentic martial arts experience to fans all throughout China.”

Weng Weimin, General Manager of Great Sports Media, stated: “Recently combat sports are growing very fast in popularity. We believe ONE Championship has a bright future in China, and we share the same culture and values. We hope though joint efforts to introduce this sport to a wider Chinese audience, makes them fall in love with ONE more.”

Great Sports Media, the holding company of Shanghai Media Group Inc. is one of China’s largest sports broadcasters. Under the Great Sports Media platform, all live ONE Championship events will be broadcast by Great Sports alongside a weekly magazine show.

ONE Championship and Great Sports spoke to media in attendance, revealing ONE Championship’s plans in China for the year 2018, including its stacked calendar of events. The two companies are set to collaborate throughout the foreseeable future and also announced that, two of the top talents from Great Sports, Ni Tianqi and Zhuang Ningyu, have joined ONE Championship as Chinese language cageside commentators.

Xiong Jing Nan, ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion, stated: “Thanks to ONE Championship for giving me the great opportunity to perform at home in Shanghai, China in the one of biggest international cities of the world. It’s really honor for me as an athlete. Although I have experienced competing in China so many times, this time I feel so much more excited because I have the chance to showcase the beauty and strength of Chinese martial arts to the entire world on the ONE Championship platform. I will do my best to defend my title and bring honor and glory to my country.”

Laura Balin, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “I am very thankful to ONE Championship for giving me the opportunity to compete for the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship. I am excited to join the organization and showcase my talents and skills on the global stage of martial arts. My opponent Xiong Jing Nan is a talented athlete, and it will be a difficult test for me. But I will bring my absolute best to the cage to bring the title back home to Argentina.”

“The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of Shandong is the reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion. She is known as one of the top three leading female martial arts talents in China. With a professional record of 14-1, Xiong began her career competing in professional boxing and was inspired by her father, who imparted in her values of courage and integrity. Featuring a wide array of skills, Xiong recently bagged a gold medal at the prestigious China Open Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in 2017. In her last bout, Xiong figured in a gruelling championship encounter against Singapore’s Tiffany Teo, winning by technical knockout in the fourth round. Up next, Xiong returns to China to defend her title against Laura Balin.

Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin of Argentina is a female strawweight contender who will be making her ONE Championship debut at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS. Balin, who competed largely in Argentina for most of her professional career thus far, will compete for the very first time in Asia. She owns a professional record of 10 wins and two losses. Out of her 10 total victories, nine have come by exciting finish including five submissions and four knockouts. For Balin’s first foray into the ONE cage, the Argentinian warrior will face China’s Xiong Jing Nan for the ONE Women’s 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.

One: Heroes of Honor Announced for Manila For April 20

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced ONE: HEROES OF HONOR, set for 20 April at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Fans will once again be witness to another evening of world class martial arts action, delivered by the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, hometown favorite Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines takes on Andrew Leone of the United States. In the co-main event, kickboxing superstar Giorgio Petrosyan of Italy faces “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut of Thailand in a ONE Super Series bout.

Launching at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR is the highly-anticipated ONE Super Series, a celebration of the world’s most effective striking arts, and invites the very best martial artists from Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, wushu, sanda, and more to showcase their skills on ONE Championship’s global media platform. ONE Super Series was created to showcase the adrenaline-pumping action of world-class martial arts on the world’s biggest and most prestigious stage of competition, designed to showcase the purest forms of world-class striking.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE: HEROES OF HONOR is a historic event for ONE Championship. For the first time ever, we are combining the action and thrill of mixed martial arts with the authenticity of the world’s most elite striking arts in ONE Super Series. I am excited to unveil our brand new ONE Championship ring where all the action will take place, as well as welcome the world’s greatest martial artists to the most prestigious global stage of competition. It’s going to be an evening filled with excitement as we showcase the best in martial arts, and with ONE Super Series, ONE Championship is now the largest martial arts organization in the world.”

Ticket information for ONE: HEROES OF HONOR is available at www.onefc.com.

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. With a professional record of 17-5, the Filipino champion and former world title challenger is known as a fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods. The 29-year old wushu stalwart owns seven huge knockouts on his resume, and is one of the most feared strikers in ONE Championship’s deep bantamweight division. In his last bout, Belingon took a unanimous decision victory over South Korean-American opponent Kevin Chung. Belingon now takes on Andrew Leone in the main event of ONE: HEROES OF HONOR.

Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, is a 28-year-old top contender in ONE Championship’s deep bantamweight division. He trains alongside some of the most talented martial artists in Asia at the renowned Bali MMA gym in Bali, Indonesia. A winner of three of his last five bouts, Leone faced ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes in his most recent bout. He is now seeking to get back into title contention, and a victory over his next opponent could put him right back in the title mix. In his next bout, Leone takes on crowd favorite Kevin Belingon.

32-year-old Giorgio Petrosyan of Italy is known as the doctor due to the surgical precision of his strikes. He is considered the greatest kickboxer of his generation. Petrosyan began his professional Muay Thai career at the age of 16 competing between bantamweight and middleweight, winning multiple titles across each division. He sports a professional kickboxing record of 85-2-2, 2NC and is known for his incredible 6-year 42-bout win streak which is considered one of the most dominant reigns in middleweight history. Petrosyan will face Jo Nattawut in his ONE Super Series debut.

“Smokin” Jo Nattawut of Korat, Thailand is a 25-year-old kickboxing star from Atlanta, Georgia with a professional kickboxing record of 60-11-2. A two-division Lion Fight Champion and WMC Champion, Nattawut is known for his powerful kicks and ultra aggressive style, which always provides fans with exciting matchups. Nattawut will make his ONE Super Series debut opposite global superstar Giorgio Petrosyan.

Team Lakay’s Honorio “The Rock” Banario has long been one of the Philippines’ most respected martial arts veterans. His tremendous cage experience has brought him all over Asia in many memorable battles against top divisional talent. Among his many skills, Banario’s strength lies in striking, although he has recently exhibited a vastly-improved grappling game. The former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Banario is ready to once again showcase his world-class wushu skills and lightning-quick strikes against Adrian Pang.

Adrian “The Hunter” Pang is a martial arts veteran from Queensland, Australia, with a 22-11-2 professional record. The veteran Pang has decimated opponents with his incredible power and no-frills approach to striking in nearly two decades as a professional. He is known for his astounding durability and overwhelming strength, with the ability to walk through opponents with little to no resistance. Pang will need to muster all of his strength however, when he takes on fellow veteran and former champion Honorio Banario in his next appearance inside the ONE Championship cage.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is considered by Thai boxing purists as one of the top pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners in the world. He is a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion, a Rajadamnern Stadium champion, two-time Thailand national champion, and two-time Fighter of the Year. He is also a five-division world champion in the sport. Nong-O is known for the incredible speed, power and precision behind all his strikes. He will make his ONE Super Series debut against Fabio Pinca.

Fabio Pinca is a French-Italian and highly-decorated kickboxer known for his technical and precise offensive style. He is a welterweight who hails from Lyon - Saint-Fons, France, and was a former French Muay Thai champion, WPKC European Kickboxing Champion, WBC World Muay Thai Welterweight Champion, and Rajadamnern Stadium champion. Pinca makes his ONE Super Series debut opposite Nong-O Gaiyanghadao.

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Dagestan, Russia, is the former ONE Featherweight World Champion. An martial artist with 15 wins and only one loss, Gafurov is a high-level grappler with 11 of his wins coming by impressive submission over top-caliber opponents. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Gafurov captured the featherweight title in 2015 with a gutsy victory over former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa in an epic battle. In his last bout, Gafurov suffered a shock defeat at the hands of now reigning champion Martin Nguyen. Gafurov would like nothing more than to regain his championship mettle, and in his next bout will be taking on Emilio Urrutia.

Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia is an American martial arts talent from Miami, Florida. The 31-year old made his professional debut in 2013, and has since produced a solid 11-4 record. He is the former SFC Bantamweight Champion. A skilled grappler, four of Urrutia’s 11 total victories have come by submission. In his last bout, Urrutia continued his winning streak in ONE Championship with a knockout victory over Bruno Pucci. Training out of Thailand, Urrutia looks to continue his run through the featherweight ranks and will take on former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov next.

Brad “Quake” Riddell is a top Muay Thai and K-1 rules competitor from New Zealand. He is the former WMC New Zealand Middleweight Champion, Oceania Super 8 Middleweight Champion, HK Commonwealth Middleweight Champion, CIK Chinese K-1 Champion, and WKBF Middleweight World Champion. He will be making his ONE Super Series debut against Regian Eersel.

Regian “The Immortal” Eersel is the former Lion Fight Welterweight Champion from the Netherlands representing Sityodtong gym. He is a kickboxing and Muay Thai stylist known for his all powerful brand of Dutch Muay Thai, combined with excellence of execution. Eersel will be taking on Brad Riddell in his ONE Super Series debut.

Top Filipino women’s martial arts contender Gina “Conviction” Iniong of Baguio City, Philippines, is a six-time national wushu champion and member of the renowned Team Lakay. She owns a professional record of 6-3, with four of her six victories coming by thrilling finish, including two highlight-reel submissions and two knockouts. In her last bout, Iniong took top talent and Japanese martial arts veteran Mei Yamaguchi to the distance, falling by unanimous decision. Iniong will look to regain her winning form as she takes on former world title challenger Jenny Huang next.

27-year-old Jenny Huang is a female martial arts athlete who represents Chinese Taipei. Highly-regarded as one of the most skilled female talents in ONE Championship, Huang sports a professional record of five wins and two losses. In March of 2017, Huang challenged Singapore’s Angela Lee for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship. Of her five victories, Huang owns three via impressive submission. In her next bout, Huang is seeking redemption, but she will have to defeat the Philippines’ Gina Iniong to achieve it.

Japanese martial artist Masakazu Imanari is a ONE Championship bantamweight with years of high-profile experience on the global stage of martial arts. With nearly two decades of experience under his belt, Imanari is a veteran of the sport and one of the most talented competitors to come out of Japan. With a style focused on submission grappling, Imanari is a former 3-time DEEP Champion. Out of Imanari’s 36 total victories, 25 have come by submission finish. “Ashikan Judan” is set to return to the ONE Championship cage against Kevin Chung.

Kevin “Oldboy” Chung is a 25-year-old South Korean-American martial artist who was born and raised in the United States. He began his amatuer career in his adoptive hometown of Centreville, Virginia, in 2010, and has since impressed with his spectacular performances inside the cage. Chung turned professional in 2015, and currently holds a perfect professional record of 4-1, with two of his four career wins having come by way of spectacular stoppage. Chung prides himself on being an exciting competitor, willing to please the crowd by constantly seeking the highlight-reel finish. He is set to face feared Japanese veteran Masakazu Imanari next.

24-year-old Adrian Matheis of Jakarta, Indonesia, is a martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s talented strawweight division. In the ONE: TITLES & TITANS strawweight tournament in August 2016, Matheis defeated both Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts in one night to be crowned tournament champion. In his most recent outing, Matheis finished the tough Eddy Kalai via first round submission. In his next bout, Matheis crosses paths with Lan Ming Qiang.

Lan Ming Qiang is a national sanda champion from China, who trains alongside ONE Championship flyweight standout “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin at the Jincan Defense Club. After a 16-2 sanda record and several championship titles, the 24-year-old native of Guangxi, China recently made his transition to the cage and already has a pair of stunning victories to his credit. In his most recent bout, Lan faced the former world title challenger Joshua Pacio, and is set to make his next appearance at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR in Manila against Adrian Matheis.

ONE: HEROES OF HONOR

Friday, 20 April, 7:00 PM local time

Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines

Main Event

Kevin Belingon vs Andrew Leone

Global Rule Set: 65.8kg

Main Card

Giorgio Petrosyan vs Jo Nattawut

ONE Super Series: 70.0kg

Honorio Banario vs Adrian Pang

Global Rule Set: 77.1kg

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao vs Fabio Pinca

ONE Super Series: 67.0kg

Marat Gafurov vs Emilio Urrutia

Global Rule Set: 70.3kg

Brad Riddell vs Regian Eersel

ONE Super Series: 78.0kg

Prelims

Gina Iniong vs Jenny Huang

Global Rule Set: 52.2kg

Masakazu Imanari vs Kevin Chung

Global Rule Set: 65.8kg

Adrian Matheis vs Lan Ming Qiang

Global Rule Set: 56.7kg

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.

Pump Up Your Emotions this March on GEM

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Discover Tokyo and its surroundings like never before in the travel documentary NEXT STOP, DISCOVERY. Indulge in dining with a twist in the reality series GOCHI: Dinner is on YOU Tonight Season 3. Love for family and professional ethics collide in The Kitazawas -We Mind Our Own Business-. Finally, learn anything and everything under the sun in the intriguing game show Burning Questions! SP2.

GOCHI: Dinner is on YOU Tonight Season 3

You’re invited to a brand new season of GOCHI where our celebrity guests get ready to indulge in a wide array of delicious treats prepared specially by world-renowned chefs. While the guests can order as many courses as they want, they have to be mindful that the total price of their dishes should not exceed their given budget. The guest who has the biggest price difference will have to be the one to pay for everybody’s meals! Who will be the ‘lucky’ one?

GOCHI: Dinner is on YOU Tonight Season 3 premieres March 15, Thursdays at 9PM.

NEXT STOP, DISCOVERY

Gear up for brand new episodes of NEXT STOP, DISCOVERY and uncover some of the hidden gems around Tokyo! Using the stations along the railway line as destinations, NEXT STOP, DISCOVERY introduces to you hundreds of inexpensive, interesting, and easily reachable places within Tokyo and surrounding areas. Be captivated by the unique sights, distinct flavor and fascinating history in each neighborhood and get to know the real Tokyo from the inside out!

NEXT STOP, DISCOVERY airs every Thursday at 10:10PM.

The Kitazawas -We Mind Our Own Business-

Shusaku is the youngest of three elite siblings and a police officer with a strong sense of justice. His brother is a heart surgeon who loves himself too much. His sister is a lawyer who has no common sense. Raised by their headmaster father, these siblings try to prioritize their family’s happiness over common sense or even the law! With strong personalities and opinions in the family, Shusaku is burdened with picking up the slack. Follow the Kitazawa family and their antics as they struggle to balance their family’s happiness and their work ethics.

The Kitazawas -We Mind Our Own Business- premieres March 19, Mondays and Tuesdays at 9PM.

Burning Questions! SP2

It is the ultimate true or false quiz show! Educational yet entertaining, there is no shortage of intriguing, bizarre, and sometimes risqué questions to pique your interest. Celebrity contestants’ general knowledge is put to the test with intriguing and bizarre questions, to which they must rack up the highest number of points to win and get a chance at the final challenge. But when two cunningly eloquent representatives, Mr. True and Mr. False, join in to muddle the minds of the contestants, will the celebrities be fooled? Who will emerge as the winner?

Burning Questions! SP2 premieres March 23, Fridays at 9PM.



GEM is available on SKYCable Channel 116 in Metro Manila and on Channel 222 in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Baguio, as well as other cable operators nationwide.

Catholic Student Councils, Student Leaders Push for SOGIE Equality Bill

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Our faith is grounded on love.

This was the message that student leaders from Catholic schools and law students in Metro Manila had on Wednesday urging the public to support the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) Equality bill in the Senate.

“Discrimination is real and denying it risks the lives of the LGBT+ community who have to face hate every day,” Mikee De Vega, President of DLSU Student Government said.

“We can no longer stay silent on the issue of discrimination. As student leaders from Catholic schools, love and acceptance is in the core of the teachings of our schools. We are here to make our voices count all around the country for the SOGIE Equality Bill,” De Vega added.

“The passage of a SOGIE Equality bill will be historic as it will introduce the concept of SOGIE in our country’s legislation for the first time,” Hurjae Lubag of FEU Law said.  “This law not only becomes the first law to protect people from the LGBT community from discrimination, it also makes the Philippine state fulfill its international obligations for human rights,”

“Our message to the Senate: we are keeping close watch and we are demanding that the SOGIE Equality bill gets passed,” Kana Takahashi of UST Hiraya said. “We are addressing Senator Joel Villanueva specifically to stay true to his promise of supporting the bill.”

“Senator Villanueva, don’t be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Don’t betray the LGBT+ community by feeding into the misinformation campaign of some groups,” De Vega said. “As an author of an anti-discrimination bill in the Senate, there’s no sense to backbend on your promise.”

De Vega also hit statements that skew the SOGIE bill as a measure against religious freedom: "Religious freedom should not entrap persons in a culture of hate. The SOGIE Equality Bill is about love and respect, values which most religions should believe in."

A big flower heart with the message #EqualityNow was in display in the press conference as the students posed with heart hand signs and placards urging the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill. 

The student governments and organizations in the press conference also included College of Saint Benilde- CSG, Students Rights and Welfare PH, UP LAW, FEU LAW and DLSU LAW.

The student leaders, advocates and allies will be launching the Fight for Love. Fight for Equality nationwide rally on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 5PM in People Power Monument to show popular support for the bill protecting LGBT+ Filipinos from discrimination.

There will be simultaneous events and mobilizations in Metro Manila, Albay, Iloilo, Cebu and General Santos City on Saturday. 

Despite Father’s Passing, Hisyam Samsudin Finds Strength in Moving Forward

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Fathers play many roles in parenting responsibilities to their children. Some are involved in every aspect of their children’s lives, while others work on only selective facets.

Regardless of which areas a father chooses, this relationship begins the journey towards an inevitable bond between parent and offspring.

Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin, a professional mixed martial artist who hails from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, looked up to his father all throughout his life and considered him as his personal hero.

“The most important influence in my childhood was my father. My dad was my hero because he's someone I looked up to every single day,” he shared.

Samsudin’s father supported him in the early stages of his martial arts journey as he trained at a local training facility in his hometown to lose weight.

The 27-year-old Malaysian pugilist used to weigh 100 kilograms as an overweight child, whose only exercise was getting up off the couch to use the bathroom.

“I was really fat before. Eating was my hobby. When I was a kid, I was not very active. I was just at home being cozy and always eating. I was shy. I did not really talk to people,” he revealed.

Samsudin’s fitness breakthrough finally came in 2009 when he commenced his college education at a local university in Kota Kinabalu.

During his free time, he checked out the highly-regarded Borneo Tribal Squad, where he met head coach and fellow ONE Championship athlete AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor.

Samsudin dedicated time and effort to his training, training twice a day with Mansor in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling.

A few months later, Samsudin started to see the result of his hard work, which also won the commendation of his father.

“I became stronger—not only physically, but mentally. My dad was so happy because he knew it was good for my health,” he recalled.

Although Samsudin initially started learning martial arts for shedding excess weight, it led him to a continuous path of self-improvement.

“You should get physical strength by working out or practicing martial arts to protect yourself. I don’t regret anything. Learning martial arts was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life,” he said.

As he progressed deeper into his martial arts journey, Samsudin dabbled into different combat disciplines such as Muay Thai and boxing.

Fascinated by martial arts’ competitive nature, Samsudin eventually transitioned from being a student learning the tricks of the trade to becoming a professional competitor.

Samsudin’s father was a bit hesitant about his choice to compete professionally, but he ultimately earned both of his parents’ support.

“I guess it’s normal for parents to be worried because what we do is so physical. After talking to them and explaining things, they understood. Also, they knew it started to become my passion,” he stated. “They ended up being my strong followers because of my persistence.”

Samsudin experienced major success in the sport of boxing in February 2016 when he replaced an injured Thai athlete in a four-man tourney in Singapore to determine the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia-Pacific light heavyweight champion.

Despite being several kilograms underweight, Samsudin won the whole tournament, becoming the first Malaysian to hold a WBF title.

“My parents, especially my father, were really nervous at that time. I am glad that I came home unharmed and as a champion. I celebrated with my family, friends and teammates when I got back. It was such a memorable moment,” he remembered.

After capturing the WBF Asia-Pacific light heavyweight belt, Samsudin elected to hang up his boxing gloves and turned his attention to the ONE Championship cage.

As a mixed martial arts competitor, Samsudin holds a professional record of 2-2 with a pair of wins by way of knockout and submission.

In his second outing as ONE Championship athlete last September, Samsudin claimed a bittersweet victory when he thwarted Indonesian hometown hero Jeremy Meciaz via first-round technical knockout.

Samsudin was incredibly emotional after hearing the announcer declare his name as the winner.

With tears flowing from his eyes, Samsudin dedicated his triumph to his father, who passed away just 24 hours prior to the bout.

“I love you, dad. This is for you,” Samsudin uttered in his post-match interview with color commentator Mitch Chilson.

According to Samsudin, his father’s last wish before he died was for him to notch his first victory on the world’s premier martial arts stage.

“He flew from my hometown to Jakarta with my mom to watch me compete. All he wanted was to see me get my hand raised as the winner of the bout,” he articulated.

After getting the news that his father passed away, Samsudin disclosed that it was his mother who gave him the strength to go on with his bout.

“I was unsure whether to get into the cage, but my mom told me to do it as because my dad came all the way to see me fight,” he said. “He came to Jakarta to support me and see me win. Thankfully, I got the win. I dedicated it to him."

Strutting his wares in front of a partisan crowd and with the passing of his father at the back of his mind, Samsudin came on strong and weathered the storm.

“I was ready to throw in the towel, but my family gave me the motivation and the drive to enter the cage. Even though my father is gone, I still have them. My friends and family are now the source of my strength,” he stated.

Now taking care of his mother, Samsudin believes that he has to hold onto his persistence as he knows that life will never be a straightforward pathway.

“Life can get hard and things can go wrong, but no matter what happens, I’ve got to stay strong for my family. I know deep in my heart that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations,” he ended.

Samsudin is set to return to action on 24 March as he tests his mettle against “The Terminator” Sunoto of Indonesia on the undercard of ONE: IRON WILL in Bangkok, Thailand.

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