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Business
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
UP ALUMNI HARNESS HEAT TO PRODUCE ICE
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wo University of the Philippines alumni believe that a technological irony could be the next big thing in the local refrigeration industry. They want to harness the heat of the sun to produce ice. King Karl Seroje and Brian Tan Seng established a company that promotes using the heat of the sun, instead of electricity, to activate a sustainable refrigeration system and help the country reduce its carbon footprint. Seroje and Seng are the entrepreneurs behind Cleverheat Thermal Technologies Inc. which revives the use of heat pipe technology for refrigeration and cooling solutions. Another irony is that it is actually an old technology predating the era of electricity, they say, but it is something that can best provide cooling solutions amid today’s global warming. “It is using heat to refrigerate. It is an old technology, but now we are seeing its huge potential, because of the global warming issue,” says 24-year-old Seroje, who obtained a BS Physics Degree from UP in 2015. Seng, 39, describes CleverHeat as “a hardware startup seeking to provide low-carbon footprint solutions to airconditioning and refrigeration by harnessing heat from the sun.” Seng is already a successful IT professional, being the president and chief executive of 98Labs Inc. He graduated from the University of the Philippines-Diliman with a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering in 2002. Cleverheat’s technology uses heat pipes that absorb and transfer heat from one interface to another. “Cleverheat is developing a non-electric, solar heat-powered refrigeration system, so that industries would reduce the use of electricity for their refrigeration operations. Ice plants, for example, can use Cleverheat for their operations, instead of spending too much on electricity,” says Seroje. Seroje says the same technology can work for air-conditioning needs of households. He says Cleverheat can be installed together with existing electric-powered refrigerator. “Since it is heat-powered, when the sun is up, Cleverheat starts to work and it automatically shuts down the electric powered refrigerator. Once the sun is down, then the conventional refrigerator or air-con can take over. This way, electricity cost is reduced,” he says. Seng explains that compared to costly
photovoltaic system that uses solar panels, Cleverheat uses heat pipes. “We have heat collectors that look like tubes which trap the heat from the sun. That is what drives the refrigeration cycle,” he says. He says the technology is timely because “we have reached a point we are consuming a lot of electricity that contributes to global warming.” “We are reviving this heat technology which is sustainable, because it is using solar heat,” says Seng. Cleverheat is one of the three groups that won the six-month fellowship program and P800,000 in financial support from Impact Hub Manila, World Wide Fund for Nature, Peace and Equity Foundation and the Asian Development Bank. Other awardees are HiGi Energy Pte. Ltd. and
Solar Sari-Sari Store. The two-man team is working on a demo unit that they can showcase to potential customers. “Using the funds that we received from Impact Hub, we want to create a much bigger unit to match the cooling requirements of ice plants,” says Seng. “So far, we have been able to build a proof of concept that really works. There is a solid science behind that,” he says. At least two ice plants have expressed interest in using Cleverheat. “They are just waiting for us to complete the product, then we can install,” Seroje says. Seroje estimates that it would cost P750,000 to build a complete Cleverheat unit designed for ice plants. “In the future, it would be cheaper than electricity, because Cleverheat could pay for itself maybe in one to two years,” says Seng.
The plan also involves providing refrigeration or air-conditioning system for households, says Seroje. “Our primary goal is to close the first customer. We are perfecting the product. Once we have the success story that can be applied on business, hopefully it will roll in more customers,” says Seng. Cleverheat is now being incorporated as a company. “So far, we are just two in the team, but we are recruiting more team members to help us in this project because it will be huge,” says Seng. Roderick T. dela Cruz
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HEAT HARVESTERS.
Cleverheat Thermal Technologies Inc. co-founders Brian Tan Seng (left) and King Karl Seroje
INTERNET RELIANCE RISKY FOR CHILDREN R E S E A R C H conduc ted by iconKids & Youth for Kaspersky Lab has uncovered the harsh impac t of I nternet overdependency among children across the globe. About 55 percent of children were qualified by the research as dependent on the Internet. These children are twice as likely to conceal potentially risky online activities from their parents and use content, inappropriate for their age. The survey of 3,780 families with children aged 8 to 16, conducted across seven countries, found that dependency on the Internet has a marked impact on kids’ behavior and actions. When asking children to score key aspects of their daily life between 1 and 10, their ability to learn and interact with peers and parents suffers as children get older. This trend was most notable in relationships with parents, with Internet dependent children showing a steady worsening in their parental relationships as they get older. A third (36 percent) of kids dependent on the Internet freely share their home address details online, compared to just a quarter (25 percent) of those who are non-dependent. They are also more likely to share information about the places they visit often (60 percent vs. 41 percent), expensive purchases made (41 percent vs. 27 percent) and where their parents work (36 percent vs. 26 percent). Children at the younger end of the internet dependent spectrum are more likely to share this information than older kids. Family relationships are also at risk, with Internet dependent children twice as likely (50 percent) to communicate less with their parents than those not dependent on the Internet (25 percent), as a result of their connected devices.
DAVAO CHOCOLATES REACH THE US SHORES MALAGOS Premium Chocolates, which are produced in the Philippines, are now available in the United States, according to the Trade Department’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center - Los Angeles. This followed the announcement made by Davao-based Malagos AgriVentures during its recent participation at the North West Chocolate Festival in Seattle, Washington on Nov. 12 to 13. The Malagos line of chocolates has received acclaim from international fine food and chocolate award-giving bodies in Europe for its premium qualities. The products are single-origin, having been manufactured fully on-site on its farm in Davao. Jojie Dinsay, trade representative of the Philippines for the US West Coast and head of the Philippine Trade and Investment Centers in Los Angeles and San Francisco said this is another success story for the promotions efforts of premium food products in the US market as a result of the partnership
between government and the private sector. “We are very happy and proud to have another premium product from the Philippines enter this market,” Dinsay said. “The Philippine Trade and I nvestment Centers as par t of our mandate will continue to support companies like Malagos in promoting their products all over the world”. Featuring 110 exhibitors, the Nor thwest Chocolate Festival is known to be among the top shows for artisan chocolates in the world today with around 12,000 visitors. Malagos Premium Chocolates, a multi-awarded Philippine chocolate from Davao, was introduced not only to choco-loving consumers but to traditional and artisan chocolatiers, chefs and baristas present at the show. Malagos Agri-Ventures’ participation at the NW Chocolate Festival was supported by the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau. Prior to this, assistance from the
DTI regional office in Davao was also recognized by Malagos. The Malagos brand is also expected to be introduced by Ampac International Inc., its importer in the United States, to Uni-Mart Niles in Niles, Illinois and Uni-Mart Hoffman in Hoffman Estates. Rex Puentispina, sales and marketing head of Malagos Agri-Venture, said joining the festival validates his belief that their chocolates can match the quality and taste of US and other international brands. “ We have received a lot of good feedback from chocolate lovers visiting our booth,” said Puentispina. “There were even some who say that this is one of the best they have ever tasted.” I n 2 0 1 5 at t h e I nte r n at i o n a l Chocolate Awards, Malagos 65-percent Dark Chocolate was named one of world’s best drinking chocolates. In the same year, it won at the Academy of Chocolate Awards when its 100-percent Unsweetened Chocolate won the
Bronze Award for Best Unflavored Drinking Chocolate. In 2016, its Premium 100-percent Unsweetened Chocolate won the silver at the Drinking Chocolate competition of the Academy of Chocolate’s Eighth Golden Bean Awards in London. It also won this year a blind-taste competition when its Unsweetened Chocolate earned two of the maximum three stars awarded by Great Taste, the world’s most prestigious food accreditation body. The company continues to invest in equipment and technology, producing its premium, single-origin chocolate products such as Malagos 100-percent Pure Unsweetened Chocolate, Malagos Roasted Cocoa Nibs, Malagos 65-percent Dark Chocolate, Malagos 72-percent Dark Chocolate and Malagos 85-percent Dark Chocolate. With its expansion in the United States, Malagos is expected to generate more jobs for Filipinos back in the Philippines.
Trade and Investment Center-Los Angeles and San Francisco trade representative Jojie Dinsay (left) with Rex Puentispina of Malagos Agri-Ventures at the NorthWest Chocolate Festival.
Business
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 business@thestandard.com.ph
FILIPINO SPACE SCIENTISTS THE Philippines has the capability to become the hub of space technology and space applications in Southeast Asia where engineers, scientists and industry stakeholders around the region can converge, instead of the country sending its professionals abroad to learn and be trained. This was stated by astrophysicist Dr. Rogel Mari Sese in an interview during a press conference for the 23rd Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum at the Sofitel Philippines Plaza Manila. Sese is the focal person for the Philippine Space Science Education Program of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute. “These are the areas where we would like to have an impact thru space technologies: national security and development, hazard management and climate studies, space industry and capacity building, and education,” Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said. He said the government earmarked P1 billion for space technology from 2017 to 2018, after which the yearly allocation would be around P2 billion. M e a nw h i l e, t h e g ove r n m e n t invested around P840 million prior to the launching of Diwata 1 – the first microsatellite designed and built by Filipinos, and deployed into orbit from the International Space Station on April 27, 2016. “The initial strategy is to send our scholars abroad,” de la Peña said. “ The best strategy is to institute some academic programs here in the Philippines and that might involve the invitation of some foreign experts to help us initialize some of these programs. But eventually, we hope that we will be able to train our own.” “We’re looking toward building our own space industry,” said Sese. “We are a little bit behind. But if we do things right, we can take the lead in the Southeast Asian region.” Sese, a member of the APRSAF Space Environment Utilization Working Group, claimed that having a space industry in the Philippines will translate into jobs not only for astrophysicists, engineers and others directly involved with the space industry, but also for support personnel. “It had been stated that we need around 800 aerospace engineers and scientists in the next 10 years. Studies have shown that for every one person that is directly involved in the space field, there are four other people who serve as support personnel,” Sese said. Wi t h a l o c a l s p a c e i n d u s t r y generating a lot of jobs, the brain drain that currently characterizes local manpower will hopefully be put to a halt. “The Philippines is pursuing this space technology development because we are also asking our lawmakers to have a bill approved for the creation of a Philippine space agency and a national space development program for the next ten years,” said APRSAF co-chair and Science undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara. “I assure you space technology is very useful for this country.”
Del Monte’s pineapple plantation
GE TURNS DEL MONTE’S
WASTES INTO GREEN ENERGY By Alena Mae S. Flores
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AGAYAN de Oro City—Fruit producer Del Monte Philippines Inc. is now able to save 25 percent of its annual power costs, thanks to a waste-to-energy project developed by GE. Del Monte’s 2.8-megawatt waste-to-energy project is powered by GE’s Jenbacher gas engines and located at its cannery operations. Wastewater from the pineapple cannery operations of Del Monte’s 23,000-hectare pineapple plantation in nearby Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon contains organic material. The wastewater is gathered and treated in an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant, which turns the biowaste into biogas to fuel two of GE’s Jenbacher J420 gas engines installed at the cannery’s on-site power plant. “As our demands for reliable and secure electricity continue to grow, we considered ways to generate on-site power that would fit into the region’s strategy to reduce the carbon footprint in the Philippines while also supporting our growing investment and employment in the country,” says Francisco Molas, Del Monte Philippines’ head for Mindanao operations. “The anaerobic treatment is an excellent alternative to existing aerobic systems. We can turn our biowaste into biogas to produce on-site power and heat for the cannery,” he says. The combined heat and power plant generates close to 2.8 MW while the company’s demand is about 8 MW. It powers the operations of the Del Monte cannery and the plant, and it uses the excess heat to power the boiler. These energy solutions enable Del Monte to realize substantial savings of 25 percent in current annual electricity needs and 9 percent of its annual energy requirement for fuel, thereby lowering production costs and overall waste and carbon emissions. Del Monte spends about P20 million for its electricity bills monthly. The company sources power from electric cooperatives at P6.50 per kilowatt-hour, higher than P4.23 per kWh from the waste-to-energy facility. The company also successfully reduced its reliance on the national grid, thus freeing up power for local communities and contributing more to the development of the local economy. The waste-to-energy project also supports the government’s initiatives under the Renewable Energy Act and Clean Air Act. “As the needs for reliable and secure on-site power and electricity are rising, and the world continues to experience the impacts of climate change, the ability to meet multiple needs through one solution is increasingly important. By generating electricity and heat simultaneously through GE’s Jenbacher gas engine technology, this CHP project could achieve overall efficiency of more than 82 percent with no additional fuel consumption,” says Daniel Icasiano, general manager for Asia Pacific sales and commercial operations of GE’s Distributed Power. “The CHP technology of our Jenbacher gas engines produces power used as electricity for the plant and, at the same time, recovers heat from exhaust for use in heating the boiler,” he says. Desco Inc.—GE’s authorized distributor and service provider for Jenbacher gas engines in the Philippines—is providing a full power plant engineering solution including the installation of the two Jenbacher J420 gas engines, balance of plant, engineering support and the overall maintenance of the units. Del Monte manages the world’s largest fully integrated pineapple operations with a 23,000 hectare pineapple plantation in Bukidnon and cannery in Cagayan de Oro which processes 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons of pineapple a year. Del Monte targets to increase the cannery’s annual capacity to 800,000 to 850,000 metric tons. “We want to double our business in the next five years,” Del Monte
Inside Del Monte’s cannery plant
GE’s Jenbacher J420 gas engines installed at the cannery’s on-site power plant Philippines manufacturing director Alan Zalcedo says, adding that the company hopes to reach $1 billion in revenues from $350 million at present. Del Monte is looking at adding two gas unit engines for the waste-toenergy project to support its planned expansion program. “Apart from delivery and installation of the Jenbacher engines, GE’s multiyear agreement with Del Monte also includes technical consultation, equipment such as an activated carbon filter and exhaust gas heat exchanger, startup and commissioning of the engines as well as training,” says Joycelyn Yeo, regional sales leader of GE’s Distributed Power. The CHP plant at Del Monte Philippines has been continuously providing power and heat to the cannery since its startup in 2015, with an average of 6,000 operating hours a year. GE’s Distributed Power is a leading provider of engines, power equipment and services focused on power generation and gas compression at or near the point of use. Distributed Power offers a diverse product portfolio that includes highly efficient, fuel-flexible, industrial gas engines generating 200 kW to 10 MW each of power for numerous industries globally.
WHIRLPOOL CELEBRATES 105 YEARS
Exatech president and chief executive Nixon Sioco
WHIRLPOOL Corp. is marking its 105th anniversary this year, commemorating its world-renowned legacy and excellence in the home appliance business. An afternoon of thanksgiving and celebration was recently held at the ballroom of Luxent Hotel in Quezon City wherein Whirlpool took the opportunity to thank and give back to the people who have supported and trusted the brand for the past 105 years. “As we mark another milestone for Whirlpool, we are reminded of its long-standing heritage and excellence in the home appliance industry,” said Blanco Wong, managing director of Whirlpool Southeast Asia. “It’s a fitting tribute to the core principles of integrity and perseverance set by Whirlpool’s Lou Upton, Emory Upton and Lowell Bassford when they introduced the first electric wringer washing machine in Nov. 11, 1911. But while Whirlpool has a proud history, this is really about looking forward to the coming years and how the company will continue to improve home and family life for future generations.” Even before coming to the Philippines in 1992, Whirlpool has become among the very few brands Filipinos trust. It has been Whirlpool’s passion to make home life better, which drove them to constantly
develop innovative home appliances worldwide. Whirlpool Philippines kicked off the global company’s 105th anniversary with the unveiling of cutting-edge features on its world-class appliances that will introduce Filipinos to a whole new level of innovation and energy efficiency. “At Whirlpool, we try to never lose sight of what performance means and how it should be delivered. Our home appliances possessadvanced technology which are intelligent, intuitive and innovative,” said Joy Catiis-Cruz, marketing manager of Whirlpool Philippines. “The Whirlpool brand symbolizes what drives and inspires us to be consistent with what we do best--making home appliances with innovative technology that give our consumers better than expected results in everyday life at home.” One of the products introduced is the IntelliFresh Refrigerator. Equipped with the exclusive TriSensor Technology, it guarantees to give you maximum energy savings that is better than inverter refrigerators. Whirlpool’s IntelliSense Technology has sensors that detect both internal and ambient temperatures so cooling is adjusted to achieve optimum cooling performance and ensures 70 percent faster ice-making. Aside from refrigerators, Whirlpool has always been
a trusted brand for its line of washers, and their latest product offering, the 360o Bloom Wash is something worth watching out for. Promising to deliver “the most advanced washing technology”, it boasts of the 3600 Tumble Motion feature, which ensures complete soil removal. It also features an Anti-Allergy and Bacteria Cycle which utilizes Catalytic Soak, a hot concentrated soak that offers 99.9% germ protection. Whirlpool appliances is exclusively distributed here in the country by Exatech. According to its president, Nixon Sioco, “True to our name, our company, Excellence Appliance Technologies, Inc., is founded on excellence in appliance retailing and customer service. Whirlpool is instrumental in helping us build on this foundation of excellence and this year signals exciting opportunities for us to widen and strengthen Whirlpool’s presence here in the Philippines. More than ever, we are confident in building a stronger, longer relationship with our loyal customers while strengthening our efforts to attract new ones.” As the celebration drew to a close, Whirlpool and Exatech vowed to do more than just provide great products, but to also continuously create innovative solutions that will make life a little easier for families all over the world.
Sports
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 reuelvidal@yahoo.com
PH KITE BOARDING HOPES TO PRODUCE MEDALS By Peter Paul Duran
KYLIE VERSOZA (Star)
KIM DOMINGO (Barangay Ginebra)
BEVY OF PBA BEAUTIES OUT TO HOG SPOTLIGHT
DIANA MENESES (Blackwater)
VALEEN MONTENEGRO (Globalport)
JUSTINE MAE SAN JOSE (Rain or Shine)
ELISSE JOSON (Phoenix)
ANGELICA ALITA (TNT)
YASSI PRESSMAN (San Miguel)
By Jeric Lopez
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ODAY marks a new beginning as the 42nd season of the Philippine Basketball Association formally opens. A new breed of talent as well as teams raring for a solid campaign are set to show the stuff they are made of. But before the slam-bang action on the court, a bevy of beauties is bound to captivate basketball fans with their charm. Leading the list of head-turners are Star’s muse Bb. Pilipinas International Kylie Versoza, who was recently crowned Miss International 2016, and Barangay Ginebra’s Kim Domingo, a rising GMA-7 sexy star, who is a mainstay of comedy show Bubble Gang; and young star Yassi Pressman, the muse of the defending champion San Miguel Beermen. Other muses out to capture the ordinary PBA fan’s fancy are Ciarra Bachmann of Alaska; Diana Meneses and Janelle Olafson of Blackwater; Globalport’ Valeen Montenegro; Mahindra’s Sophia Rankin (Miss
Global England 2015); of rookie big man Arnold Games Today Meralco’s Maxine Media Van Opstal. (Smart Araneta Coliseum) Bb. Pilipinas Universe; Three-time reigning 4 p.m. Opening Ceremonies NLEX’s Margo MidwinMost Valuable Player June 6:30 p.m. San Miguel vs. Star ter (model/actress); Mar Fajardo, Arwind SanPhoenix Petroleum’s tos, Alex Cabagnot, MarElisse Joson and Sofia cio Lassiter and Chris Ross Andres; Rain or Shine’s Justine Mae San will once again lead the pack for San Miguel. Jose (Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Tourism InOn the contrary, Star is facing a brandternational); and TNT’s Angelica Alita (Bb. new day after undergoing a major rebuildPilipinas 1st Runner Up. ing process in the off-season. Meanwhile, powerhouse teams test The Hotshots will no longer have their longeach other’s mettle as defending champi- time face of the franchise in James Yap after on San Miguel Beer takes on retooled Star they dealt him away. at 6:30 p.m. in the initial game of the seaInstead, Paul Lee will now take his place and son-opening Philippine Cup at the Smart is expected to likewise be a cornerstone of the Araneta Coliseum. team moving forward. Prior to the formal start of hostilities, the Also, Star now has a new coach in Chito traditional opening ceremonies are to be held Victolero, who took over from Jason Webb in first at 4 p.m. the off-season. The defending champion Beermen are conIn addition, the debut of touted rookie Jio sidered by many as the favorites to win it all. Jalalon is also highly anticipated. “Again, many consider us as the team to Star dealt away Garcia and Alex Mallari to beat and we’re getting used to that so we need make room for Jalalon and see how he can imto take the challenge again,” said San Miguel pact the team. coach Leo Austria. Despite the changes, other usual suspects San Miguel Beer has kept its championship of Star like Peter June Simon, Marc Pingris, core intact and became even deeper with the Mark Barroca, Allein Maliksi and Ian Sangalang addition of prolific guard RR Garcia and entry are still all in tow.
THE Philippine Kiteboarding Association Tour is all set for its 4th season later this month, and with the crop of young prospects, organizers are optimistic that the tour will produce the country’s next Olympic medallist. “This competition will be a perfect staging ground in discovering fresh new talents,” said PKA President Jay Ortiz during the launch of the tour in partnership, with the International Container Terminal Services Inc., at the Mango Tree in BGC. The exec’s comment comes after the recent announcement that kiteboarding will be included in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and the organizing body is already taking steps for an Olympic gold to come from their sport. “We have already outlined a two-year program for the 2018 YOG, and we will actually start that in Cuyo Island,” Ortiz said, referring to the first of stop of the tour in Palawan, which will be held Nov. 24 to 26. The exec also said that they have already sponsored five young athletes, bannered by Boracay-native and Kiteboarding prospect Christian Tio. The PKA is also aimed at “building the next generation of Kiteboarding superstars by developing grassroots program for kids.” Asked what are the chances for an Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo 2020, Ortiz bared that it could happen, but the tides would have to be favorable. “If it’s going to be announced as a twin tip race, then we have a fighting chance because our athletes are very much experienced in that discipline,” he explained. “But that’s still four years from now, and a lot of things could happen,” he added, noting that they are focused on training the young athletes at the meantime for the YOG. The PKA is sponsoring the expenses of the young athletes for the duration of the 4-stop tour. After Cuyo Island, the next stops will be in Bantayan Island, Cebu (Jan. 13 to 15, 2017) and Boracay Island (Feb. 3 to 5), before capping it off in Cagbalete Island, Quezon on March 3 to 5, of which the airfare of the youth will be sponsored by Air Juan. The 2016-2017 PKA season will also feature three different fields; Race, Freestyle and Hangtime, which are sub-classified to Men’s, Women’s and Masters’ Class with the inclusion of the Novice and Kids category. According to the organizers, the tour could entice more than 160 participants across 20 countries. A total of $40,000 in cash prizes will be given away throughout the 4th season of the PKT, sponsored by Cabrinha, Greenyard Boracay, Cobra Energy Drink and Brew Kettle Beer.
FOLAYANG...
From C4
China has a humongous population of 1.4 billion. A second tier city in China, and there are dozens, has a population of 10 million which is much more than enough to sustain the holding of regular live events. Martial Arts have deep, deep roots in Asia which has been its home for 5,000 years. Asia is a continent of warriors. It is also home to more than half the 7.4 billion people on earth. On sheer potential alone the possibilities for ONE Championship are limitless. There are 4.1 billion people in Asia. There is a long, long avenue for growth ahead of ONE Championship which Chatri has always seen to become Asia’s first multibillion dollar sports media property. The next step for ONE Championship will be to hold live events every weekend all across Asia within the next three to five years. The plan is to increase the number of events to 52 per year. Sort of Friday Fight Night. By this time ONE Championship will be embraced by Asia and already woven into the fabric of society and daily life according to Chatri. All this becomes possible with the ascendance of Asian heroes like Folayang.
C4
Sports
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
NUVALI DIRT WINNERS QUALIFY TO GERMANY
ONE Championship lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang raises both hands in triumph after wresting the title from Shinya Aoki during the ONE Championship: Defending Honor at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend. ONE Championship
FOLAYANG COULD BE ASIAN GLOBAL ICON
THE top 40 finishers of the Cross Country Marathon World Series qualifying race will be eligible to join next year’s world championship race in Germany. The event was held at Nuvali’s Dirt Weekend bike festival, its eighth installment which gathered more than 1,500 cyclists representing different provinces and countries around the world, including Japan and Portugal. In the men’s division, Japanese rider Motoshi Kadota won the race, finishing the 90-kilometer course in 4:06:17.87. In second place was Alvin Benosa of Team BMC Philippines with a time of 4:09:13.92, and in third was Eusebio Quinones, also from the Philippines, with 4:11:05.79. Ariana Dormitorio finished first among women riders with 5:12:12, followed by Melissa Jaroda with 5:16:45 in second place, and Avegail Rombaon with 5:19:45 in third. All three riders are from the Philippines. Nuvali partnered for the second consecutive year with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the international governing body on sports cycling events, to host this year’s Asian qualifying leg of the 2017 Cross Country Marathon World Championship. The top 40 riders scored points for their UCI Mountain Bike (MTB) Marathon Series ranking.
By Reuel Vidal
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T didn’t matter if you were Singaporean, Filipino, Malaysian or any other nationality. Twelve thousand fans inside the Singapore Stadium just stood up as one and applauded lustily when Eduard Folayang’s arms were raised in triumph after his archetypal victory over mixed martial arts legend Shinya Aoki at the One Championship Defending Honor held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend. Folayang scored the crushing victory early in the third round after barely surviving Aoki’s takedowns and submission attempts during the first two rounds. As the third started Aoki swallowed a flying knee while lunging forward to attempt another takedown. He grabbed Folayang instinctively but the Filipino fighter pushed him aside. Folayang pinned Aoki to the cage and delivered another vicious knee. Aoki turned his back and assumed a fetal position while Folayang rained down vicious blows to the side of his head which forced Referee Yuji Shi-
mada to halt the bout. It was a spectacular finish to a high-profile bout that drew the interest of millions across Asia. ONE Championship chairman and founder Chatri Sityodtong believes Folayang could be the next Asian global icon who will follow in the footsteps of Manny Pacquiao. Chatri said ONE championship fighters like Folayang are different from their western counterparts. Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather are great draws in the American and European stage but Asians simply do not identify with their
ONE Championship lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang (right) kicks Shinya Aoki during their championship bout at ONE Championship: Defending Honor held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend. ONE Championship
Ariana Dormitorio (left) celebrates her victory with a stuffed toy and a bottle of champagne. Beside her are second placer Melissa Jaroda (left) and third placer Avegail Rombaon.
ONE Championship chairman and founder Chatri Sityodtong talks to reporters during a media scrum before the start of the ONE Championship: Defending Honor at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend.
belligerent, boorish behavior. Asian heroes are fighters like the humble, self-effacing Pacquiao and yes Folayang. “If you look at Asia the reason we love Manny Pacquiao is because he’s a monster in the ring. Beautiful. B u t outside he’s humble. He’s kind. He’s gentle. This is the Asian hero. It’s a very different approach than the western counterpart,” said Chatri. Asian fighters from South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Mongolia and Thailand have already won ONE Championship titles. ONE Championship has local relevance and global appeal because Asians genuinely are the best martial artists on the planet. People simply love to root for heroes who remind them of themselves. Historically, Asians have never had many heroes on the global stage, except for Pacquiao and a few others. ONE Championship is changing that. It is creating
and building Asian heroes that the entire continent can rally behind according to Chatri in a report. The National Basketball Association is the global basketball organization because of its heroes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and now Lebron James. The UFC is the most successful fight promotion in Europe and America because of its heroes like Chuck Liddel, Ronda Rousey and now McGregor. ONE Championship will enjoy a similar explosive growth into global relevance if they have their own heroes like Folayang. ONE Championship live events are broadcast over one billion homes in more than 70 countries. Events are held in Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Dubai and China. The fighters come from all over the world. From Europe, the United States, Brazil, Japan, and Southeast and Central Asia. According to Chatri ONE Championship has not even begun to scratch the surface of the opportunities in Asia. Turn to C3
“We are excited to be back here in Nuvali for Dirt Weekend. This year, we took the competition up a notch with new and longer routes at 90Km from 70Km last year, designed to challenge the local and international cycling community with a noteworthy qualifying race,” said Geoff Kronenburg, UCI Technical Delegate. Nuvali is an Ayala Land sustainable estate that sits in the cities of Sta. Rosa, Calamba and Cabuyao in Laguna and features a diverse mix of residential and commercial developments. “Nuvali is known as a popular destination for mountain bikers with its natural trails and dedicated lanes that encourage biking as a sport and a mode of transportation. We continuously aim to take this a step further and serve as venue for world-class competitions in order to recognize local talents as well as give our athletes a chance to compete globally,” said John Estacio, Nuvali General Manager. Dirt Weekend also featured its signature yearly event, the 35-kilometer Dirt Weekend Cross Country Fun Race, which had over a thousand participants, ranging in age from 15 years old up to 50 years old and above in the Masters Category. “Dirt Weekend is just one of our outdoor adventure activities that we hold to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. Along with the readiness of our trails and the willingness of people to participate, further boosts the presence of the Philippines in the global map of competitive mountain biking. ” said Estacio. To get to Nuvali, private vehicles can pass through Mamplasan, Sta. Rosa, Eton-Greenfield, Silangan, or Canlubang exit along South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Public transportation to Nuvali is available from major jump-offs such as Makati, Bonifacio Global City, and Balibago.