Sustaining Career Renaissance is in Honorio Banario’s Best Interest

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After scoring a one-punch knockout that was heard around the world, former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario is set to make his much-awaited return to action on 20 April.

Banario is slated to duke it out with Australian veteran Adrian “The Hunter” Pang on the undercard of ONE: HEROES OF HONOR, which takes place at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

“I am back! It’s exciting because this will be my first bout in 12 months. I miss everything about competing. It’s an honor because my comeback bout will happen on Philippine soil. Big things are ahead of me,” he expressed.

The 28-year-old native of Mankayan, Benguet never entertained the idea that his best days were behind him as after losing five bouts in a row from 2013 to 2015.

Proving that he could bring back the glimmer in his professional career, Banario has won four-straight matches, including two spectacular finishes in his last two outings.

In April 2017, Banario showcased another epic performance, stopping ONE Championship debutant Jaroslav Jartim with a single left hook.

Countering a body kick with a punching combination, Honorio unleashed a left hook that landed square on Jartim’s jaw, turning the lights out immediately for his Czech opponent.

It was Banario’s first real knockout victory since he stopped compatriot Andrew Benibe at ONE: PRIDE OF A NATION in August 2012.

“That win was so memorable. It was all muscle memory because in training, the left hook is always my go-to move. It landed flush during the match. I went home with a big smile on my face,” Banario recalled.

Following four stellar victories since transferring to the stacked lightweight bracket, another win could elevate Banario to title contention for the ONE Lightweight World Championship, which is currently in the possession of two-division kingpin Martin Nguyen.

However, a tough test in the form of Pang awaits Banario at ONE HEROES OF HONOR, which is headlined by his Team Lakay comrade Kevin Belingon taking on American contender Andrew Leone.

Pang, who hails from Brisbane, Australia, is a perennial lightweight competitor famous for his extreme toughness and has walked through opponents with his overwhelming power.

In addition to being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Pang is regarded as a hard-hitter who is known for dropping foes with a single punch.

Although Pang is already 40 years old, Banario believes that his Australian opponent remains as a formidable counterpart due to his vast martial arts experience.

“Even if he is up there in age, he has not appeared to have slowed down. He is still very strong, and he has the experience of a veteran, which is very tough to deal with,” he acknowledged.

However, Banario likes his chances against Pang as he believes that his size advantage will play a pivotal role in their lightweight clash.

“I have a better cardio than he does, and I am a little taller than he is, so I am going to use that to my advantage. I am young, and I am strong, so I feel very confident that I can outlast him, conditioning-wise. In terms of skill, however, we are very even. We have a similar skill set,” he explained.

According to Banario, if he can defeat Pang in convincing fashion, it will be the biggest triumph of his pristine run as a lightweight.

“Ever since I moved up to lightweight, I feel so much stronger. This is my natural fighting weight. I am a lightweight fighter. I just feel reinvigorated. My punches and kicks are powerful, my body is sturdy, and my mind is strong,” he stated.

“I feel as though the momentum is still on my side. I want to continue what I started,” Banario added.

With ONE Championship housing high-caliber lightweights such as Pang, Eduard Folayang, Ev Ting, Amir Khan, Timofey Nastyukhin, Ariel Sexton and Shinya Aoki, Banario asserted that his main objective is to elevate his status in the weight class’ rankings.

“I’m a hundred percent ready to go back in there again. I will fight anyone who stands in front of me. I have no problem if it’s a big name or a small name in this division. What’s important is that I stay active and improve my rankings,” he ended.

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​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.​

PLDT Employees Cooperative Partners with ePLDT to Adopt Microsoft Office 365 ​

Wazzup Pilipinas!

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ePLDT, Inc., together with PLDT Enterprise, recently penned a partnership agreement with the PLDT Telephone Employees’ Service Cooperative (TELESCOOP) to fully integrate Office 365 into the company’s daily business operations.

Microsoft Office 365 is a suite of productivity tools, which allows users to work anytime, anywhere and on any device. It boasts of communication solutions built for effective team collaboration—from e-mail and instant messaging (IM) to social networking and video conferencing.

“One way to professionalize us as a company is to upgrade the tools that we use to serve the members of TELESCOOP,” said Marcos De Leon, TELESCOOP Chairperson. “Adopting Office 365 is just the start of our meaningful engagement. We’re glad that both ePLDT and PLDT Enterprise are with us for this cause.”

TELESCOOP is a PLDT cooperative that offers financial empowerment to employees and stakeholders of the company and its subsidiaries. It aims to provide prompt, efficient, quality and innovative service that complies with the principles of its cooperatives. Its services include financial loans, business loans and loans for personal purchases such as gadgets, among others.

“ePLDT has been transforming enterprises with best-of-breed platform that are deployed and managed by certified experts,” said Nerisse Ramos, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ePLDT Group. “This engagement for TELESCOOP’s adoption of Office 365 marks the beginning of their digital transformation, and we look forward to build stronger partnerships with them.”

Jovy Hernandez—Senior Vice President and Head of PLDT Enterprise—said that PLDT Enterprise and ePLDT team up to help customers like TELESCOOP improve their e-mail system with the adoption of a more professional suite of productivity solutions.

“TELESCOOP has been positively transforming the lives of PLDT employees for many years. As they evolve through the adoption of innovative solutions, they will be even more beneficial and critical to PLDT’s workforce. We look forward to how they will continue to create an even more positive and lasting impact on the organization as a whole.    

ePLDT is the industry-leading enabler of digital enterprise solutions in the Philippines. It is the top Cloud Solutions Provider of Microsoft Office 365 in the Philippines and one of the leading in the Asia Pacific region.

The company received an International award from Microsoft as the PH Country Partner of the Year for 2017, and the Microsoft Philippines SME Cloud Service Provider Partner of the Year 2017.

For more information, please visit the website at www.epldt.com.

Photo Caption:

(L-R) Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of PLDT Enterprise; Marcos De Leon, Chairperson of TELESCOOP; Hector Profeta, Vice Chairperson of TELESCOOP; and Nerisse Ramos, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ePLDT Group, recently engaged in a strategic partnership for PLDT Telephone Employees’ Service Cooperative (TELESCOOP)’s adoption of and migration to Microsoft Office 365. ​

From Construction to Cars: “Build, Build, Build” Program Set to Thrive at MIAS 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Time and again, Worldbex Services International (WSI) – the country’s biggest events and expositions organizer – proves its unrivalled capacity in stimulating economic productivity with the recently-concluded WORLDBEX 2018. Following in the footsteps of its groundbreaking installments in the past, this year’s WORLDBEX had once again broken new grounds as it welcomed close to 180,000 visitors – transcending last year’s visitor count of 170,000.

As the country’s biggest construction event draws closer to its Silver Anniversary, attendees and exhibitors alike significantly benefitted from the dynamic B2B opportunities that unfolded during the widely successful trade event – a development that openly complements the ongoing “Build, Build, Build” Program of the current administration.

Drawing from the same objective, WSI picks up the pace in realizing the vast economic possibilities that abound as it gears up to deliver another highly anticipated trade event that will serve to augment the country’s plight towards infrastructure development. Hailed as the biggest and most awaited car show in the country, the Manila International Auto Show is set to return on April 5 to 8, from 10:00am to 10:00pm at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM), WTCMM Northwing, and the Philippine Trade Training Center.

This time around, fueling the direction for this year’s MIAS is its strong intent to focus on the dual nature of today’s vehicles. Through the theme of “Work & Play”, this year’s MIAS will be all about showcasing a wide array of cars and other automotive innovations that will elevate not only the way people travel but also, the way companies do business.

To date, MIAS has noted a 38% increase on its exhibiting companies and a whopping 60% increase on the anticipated car and motorcycle displays which is in part a result of the 16% increase in venue of this year’s show. Moreover, apart from boasting of over 200 exhibiting companies and over 400 car and motorcycle display, MIAS is thrilled to announce a new addition to its roster of event highlights – the Truck Pavilion which will be located at the WTCMM Northwing.

Taking cue from the “Build, Build, Build” Program, MIAS believes that vehicular and automotive development play just as crucial a role in actualizing the planned expansion and growth in the infrastructure sector. As such, attendees can expect a high percentage of commercial vehicles on display at this year’s show.

Among the must-see exhibitors at MIAS 2018 is FOTON, an international automotive company which designs and manufactures trucks, buses, sport utility vehicles, and even agricultural machinery. At this year’s show, FOTON is expected to unveil the FOTON Tornado C, a Cummins-powered light duty transport vehicle best suitable for construction businesses.

From passenger cars that can double as Transport Network Vehicle Services to commercial vehicles that bear features as luxurious as executive sedans, this year’s MIAS is all about highlighting the multi-functionality and flexibility of today’s vehicles. Furthermore, this is attested by the fact that around 40% of this year’s exhibitors primarily deal with commercial vehicles.

MIAS 2018 is expected to bridge the gap between various industries by providing business owners and investors with an extensive access to the world’s leading automotive brands.Likewise, it serves to open up the possibilities for automotive companies to foster connections across other sectors. Indeed, the optimistic and ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program finds a fitting platform in MIAS 2018.

Now on its 14th year, MIAS remains to be the most significant automotive event in the country for car enthusiasts and industry players alike! As this year’s show centers on the theme of “Work & Play”, MIAS 2018 invites everyone to take part in a different kind of automotive experience; one wherein the boundaries between leisure and progress collide to create a never-before-seen spectacle of automotive evolution. For more information, visit our facebook page @mias and on instagram: @mias.ph.