One Championship Star Aids in Rescue of Children Trapped in Thailand Cave

Wazzup Pilipinas!

22-year-old ONE Championship mixed martial arts star Pongsiri Mitsatit isn’t just one of Thailand’s most decorated athletes, he is also a member of the

Pingnakorn Rescue Chiang Mai volunteer group, where he offers his spare time to help out in situations when duty calls.

When 12 boys of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach went missing for several days in June and were discovered to be stranded in a Chiang Rai cave complex, Mitsatit jumped at the opportunity to help rescue efforts in any way that he could.

“We drove to Chiang Rai in the early morning, worried about the children. But I knew our team was very capable, and I knew we would do everything we could to find them,” said Mitsatit.

“Many people from all over the world came to help, it was a joint effort and a great sight to see everyone coming together for a common goal.”

The children, aged 11-16 years old, were exploring the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system on Saturday, June 23, when torrential rain and flash floods quickly filled up the entrance and trapped them inside.

Forced to seek shelter and to escape the rising floodwaters, the team and their coach ventured further into the cave system, reaching an elevated sandy area where they sought refuge until help arrived.

A major search and rescue operation was launched with efforts to drain the cave just enough so that Thailand’s Navy SEAL divers could go in and extract the victims. After some time, authorities were able to discover where the group had been holed up, and rescue operations were quickly underway.

Navy divers and volunteer rescue teams, including Mitsatit’s unit, worked together, traversing murky waters, treacherous cave chambers and narrow passageways. Divers had to use several heavy equipment such as oxygen tanks and various rock climbing gear in a complicated operation.

When rescuers reached the area where the footballers were discovered, photos and videos sent from the rescue team showed the boys smiling for cameras even after nearly two weeks of being trapped in the cave.

Family members of the young footballers were ecstatic and celebrated the news that their children had survived the ordeal and had been found without major physical injuries.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help find these kids alive,” said Mitsatit.

“It didn’t matter if I was in training for a big fight, I wanted to do everything I could to help those boys. This was bigger than everything else. The British divers saw them first and sent back photos and videos, I was so relieved. Just seeing them alive and well, it makes my heart feel full.”

Mitsatit knows what it’s like to face adversity, albeit in the cage. A ONE Championship strawweight contender with an unblemished 9-0 professional record, and widely-considered one of the fastest rising stars in the world of martial arts, Pongsiri had much to lose in risking his life. But he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“When we are given the ability to help others who are in dire need, we must do everything we can. It doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor, we do what we can,” said Mitsatit.

“In my mind, I wanted to find those kids as soon as possible. Then to see them strong and doing well, it motivates me to be as strong as them.”

Rescue operations concluded yesterday, as teams worked round the clock to rescue the victims at the soonest possible time. All 12 boys and their coach are well and in good spirits after being airlifted to the nearest hospital as soon as they got out of the cave. Although Mitsatit’s role in rescue operations has concluded, he is more than willing to offer more help if need be.

“I would do anything if it meant saving those boys,” Mitsatit concluded.

Mitsatit is scheduled to return to action on 27 July at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. He will face Baguio City’s Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of Team Lakay in the supporting card.

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.

Primiera Exhibit at Gateway Gallery

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Pastel Artists (PPA) opened a new exhibit at Gateway Gallery on July 7. Entitled Primiera, the exhibit showcases its members’ latest works that use and promote soft pastel. It is a juried exhibition wherein the best entries were carefully selected by the officers of the group.
The Philippine Pastel Artists (PPA) opened a new exhibit at Gateway Gallery on July 7. Entitled Primiera, the exhibit showcases its members’ latest works that use and promote soft pastel. It is a juried exhibition wherein the best entries were carefully selected by the officers of the group.

Primiera features 33 vibrant and colorful artworks on landscapes, still lifes, portraits, underwaterscapes, and genre paintings. During the opening night, three artists were given the Primiera recognition, the best of the best. The three Primiera awardees were Glenn Perez, Alex Sibug, and Manny Vailoces.

PPA is led by president Julius Legaspi, one of the more prolific pastel artists in the country today. Other officers include Celeste Lecaroz-Aceron, Phoebe Beltran-Almazan, Alvin Montano, Grandier Bella and Ronald Santos. Its vision is to be a premier and globally-recognized organization promoting the use of pastel as a medium for artistic expression and to set a standard of excellence for pastel painting in the Philippines. Its mission includes, among others, fostering understanding and cohesion among artists and promoting excellence in the medium.

Artists participating in Primiera are: Aiza Joy Mapanac-Allid, Alex Sibug, Bing Famoso, Cats del Valle, Danilo Madrazo, Dennis Baquial, Glenn Perez, Heidi Palaueg-Fernando, Irene Sy, Iris Babao Uy, Jan Karlo Cortez, Jherwen Mermonde, Jule Ervin de Guzman, Manny Vailoces, Ricky Porras, Robert Deniega, Rosanne Hugo, Sarah Ongsun, Sheila Quisumbing Bondoc and Yel Cast.

Primiera will run until July 22 at Gateway Gallery, the art museum of Araneta Center.

The Gallery is located on the fifth floor of the Gateway Tower in Quezon City. It is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm. Entrance to the museum is free.

For further inquiries on the exhibit and other events, please call 588-4000 local 8300. Please like us on Facebook (GatewayGalleryPH), Twitter (gateway_gallery) and Instagram (gateway.gallery).

foodpanda Continues to Go Green with the Launch of Bike Delivery Service

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As the world moves toward its sustainability goals across all industries, foodpanda, the on-demand food delivery service in the Philippines, recognizes how it shapes the country's food industry and its impact on food wastage and the environment.

After the successful opt-in/out cutlery initiative, foodpanda continues to strive to become an environmental-friendly delivery service with the launch of its fleet of pink bicycle riders in Metro Manila. Starting in July, a large group of pink cyclists will start roaming the busy streets of the metro to deliver food to hungry customers.

“We, at foodpanda, are taking into account the importance of an environmentally friendly delivery service by continuously increasing our group of non-motorcyclist riders. This is so we can potentially lessen our contribution to pollution and traffic on the streets.,“ shared Iacopo Rovere, CEO for foodpanda Philippines.

This initiative of foodpanda is just one of the few steps in its effort to reduce the impact on the environment and also to continue with their Go Green Campaign. Adding walkers in the delivery fleet is also in the pipeline with the hopes to continually reduce the use of vehicles on the streets and reduce contribution to pollution.

Simply download the foodpanda app or go to foodpanda’s website to place your order and wait for the food you love to be delivered to your doorstep! Also, the delivery fee is now P49 reduced from P59!