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Business
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
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ENTERS LADY CEO WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES
PRINTER INSTALLS SOLAR ROOFTOP THE Rex Group of Companies tapped Greenheat Corp. to build a 178.5-kWp solar rooftop at its office in Quezon City, becoming the first publishing house in the Philippines to go solar. Greenheat, a solar solutions provider, installed the 595-photovoltaic module solar power plant that can generate up to 216,036 kilowatt-hours in its first year of operation, displacing Rex’s power consumption by 20 percent.
LADY CEO Synergy 88 managing director and co-founder Jackeline Chua
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Filipino company led by a lady executive has created three-dimensional art assets for bigbudget video game ‘Gears of War 4,’ which was launched globally on Oct. 11.
“We are proud of our artists who were part of that development,” says Jackeline Chua, the managing director and co-founder of Synergy 88, an IT conglomerate that employs 200 Filipino professionals. Gears of War 4, which was reportedly produced at a cost of over $100 million, is the fourth main installment in the Gears of War series, developed by The Coalition and published by Microsoft Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. The Coalition, a Canadian video game developer and a subsidiary of Microsoft Studios, selected Synergy 88 Digital Inc., one of the companies under Synergy 88, as a development partner to create 3D art assets. Synergy 88 Digital thus became the first Microsoft-certified studio in the Philippines for game art outsourcing. By being part of an elite game development team, Synergy 88 Digital joins the ranks of premiere 3D game art providers in the world. Initial reviews are positive about the new weapons, the active game play and smooth movement of the characters. Early beta testers describe Gears of War 4 to be a natural evolution of the popular series. “The budget for this one is more than a Hollywood production,” Chua says of Gears of War 4. Synergy 88 Digital is one of the companies under Synergy 88 Group
headed by Chua, who hones and taps Filipino talent to render 3D animation, cutting-edge visuals and virtual reality designs for foreign and local companies. “We are a technology and creative company. We produce cutting-edge gaming visual effects and animation. We try to come up with a lot of new ideas,” Chua says in a news briefing in Makati City. Chua says a team of six Filipinos worked for about 20 months for the art assets of Gears of War 4. “It is a milestone [for the Philippine game development industry] because it [Gears of War] is one of the biggest titles in the world,” she says. “We have heard about Pinoys being involved in Pixar and Disney. This is the equivalent of that. The game industry, as far as I know, is greater than the animation,” says Chua, a corporate manager, entrepreneur and visionary. Synergy 88 Digital is the same company behind Filipino-made mobile game apps ‘Catch the Guava’ and ‘Barangay Basketball.’ Catch the Guava, a game developed for GMA Network, had more than a million installs and was featured seven times on Google Play. Synergy 88 Digital also did outsourced services for ‘The Witcher Wild Hunt,’ which won the Best Video Game of the Year twice in a row. “All its arts assets were made here and were integrated in the game,” says
Chua, who obtained degrees in political science and marketing management from the De La Salle University. Board of Investments director for international investments promotion service Angelica Cayas says game design and development is the next evolution of the country’s blooming BPO industry.
The impending success of the game is icing on the cake. Our partnership with The Coalition gives us the confidence that we can compete with the world’s best in our area of expertise. “With the steady growth of the economy, and the continued public and private support, we are confident that the industry will remain on its positive growth path in the years ahead,” Cayas says. The Coalition, the Vancouverbased game studio, says it is pleased with the quality of work produced by Synergy 88 Digital. “I would like to thank Synergy88 Digital for their contribution in making the environments of Gears of War 4 come to life. Their quality was world class and they delivered when we needed them to. We look forward to collaborating with them on future projects,” says The Coalition director
of production Walter de Torres. Alvin Juban, president of Game Developers Association of the Philippines, says: “There has been no greater honor and pleasure than serving with the Coalition. The mentorship, work style and communication practice, the entire experience from qualification to execution was beyond all our expectations.” Chua says Synergy 88 Digital invested in hardware and software, particularly in human resources to make this possible. “Two years ago, this partnership was just a gleam in the horizon. Since then we’ve consistently and continuously grew our capabilities, our facilities, and our people because we foresee bigger, more resource-driven engagements with our partners.” “When The Coalition with the Gears of War 4 project came along, we knew for sure that we were on the right track all along. The impending success of the game is icing on the cake. Our partnership with The Coalition gives us the confidence that we can compete with the world’s best in our area of expertise,” she says. Chua says being involved in Gears of War 4 is expected to draw the attention of global foreign studios to the rich talent available in the Philippines. “If they can see in the credit that it is a Pinoy studio, then the other producers of video games will also tap our talents, so they will be able to create more jobs. People will discover that Filipinos are very good in creative products,” says Chua. Roderick T. dela Cruz
Greenheat, which installed the solar rooftop in 155 days, said Rex’s solar energy initiative would reduces carbon emission by 108 metric tons a year. It is like having 1,080 adult trees planted within its vicinity, it said. “We cannot reduce the impact of climate change without transforming global energy systems, but today, we have the unique opportunity to transform not only our company but society as well,” said Rex Printing chief operating officer Don Timothy Buhain. The solar power plant is a part of Rex’s energy conservation and efficiency program that institutionalizes the practice of saving energy using available technologies. “As a company whose core business is to produce books and with paper as its raw material, the solar power plant is definitely a worthwhile project,” said Rex Group chairman and president Dominador Buhain. Manufacturing companies have the most to gain from going solar because of the nature of their business, according to Greenheat director Glenn Tong. “Your operations never stop and you have a constant power usage, so by being the pioneer in using this system, Rex is showing that this is the way of the future for the country,” said Tong.
HANS SY ENDORSES NEW BUSINESS MODEL SM Prime Holdings Inc. president Hans Sy has renewed his commitment to incorporate disaster resiliency into business models in accordance with the call of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Sy made the commitment during the UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilience Societies meeting in Washington DC held recently. Sy is the only Filipino international board member of the UNISDR Private Sector Alliance which is also called Arise. SM Prime is the secretariat of Arise Philippines. “Our commitment to disaster resiliency has always been at the core of our business and we will further find ways to innovate in order to make business more responsive to the needs and demand of our times,” Sy said. UNISDR has called on business leaders to make the risks posed by natural and man-made hazards
to be put front and center in investment choices in order to curb disaster-related economic damage around the globe. Taking note of the frequency and intensity of weather hazards such as super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) and more recently, Hurricane Matthew, as a result of climate change, the UNISDR said disaster risk reduction should be the topmost consideration in all business decisions because of the costly consequences of disasters. More than 100 private sector representatives from different industries such as construction, insurance, retail, tourism, consulting and technology attended the meeting which was aimed at reviewing ongoing projects to build resilience and identify gaps to reach the global goals set out in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Sendai Framework, a 15-year plan to curb
disaster deaths, the number of affected people and the scale of economic losses, was adopted by the international community in March 2015 which is also linked tightly to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. SM Prime has been spearheading disaster resiliency and management in the private sector through the annual Top Leaders Forum which brings together the UNISDR, government officials and business leaders to discuss best practices in DRRM and how to adopt them in their business operations and bring them to the communities where they operate. Sy vowed to continue to do DRR to energize the private sector for a resilient Philippines. “Rest assured, we will continue to do this. Disaster resilience is not only the private nor public sector’s concern; it is everybody’s business,” Sy said.
From left: Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings Inc., US Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate and Sandra Wu of Kokusai Kogyo.
Business
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 business@thestandard.com.ph
FILIPINO COMPANY REAPS SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY AWARD Lenovo country manager for mobile business group Dino Romano
LENOVO REINVENTS MOTOROLA MOTOROLA, one of the iconic mobile phone brands that pioneered cellular communications in the Philippines, is back under the new ‘Moto’ brand. A recent acquisition of the Lenovo group, Moto aims to recapture its glorious past by offering a new device line-up, attractive enough to pique the interest of the millennials and older generations. “Moto has been absent from the Philippines for quite a long time. We reinvented the brand, called it Moto, to appeal to younger generation. Our focus is to drive a really good customer experience and make sure that in terms of brand recognition, we remain strong,” said Lenovo country manager for mobile business group Dino Romano. Romano described the launch as a new era for mobile phones in the Philippines “because we are bringing back iconic brands.” Lenovo acquired Moto in 2014 as another product line to help beef up sales of its mobile devices. One of the previous mobile devices that made an impact, before the Motorola hiatus, was the Lazer, an ultrasleek phone that combines class with power. Lenovo’s priority for Moto is to create brand communication that is consistent based on consumer touch points from marketing to products to digital engagements, according to Romano. In Southeast Asia, Lenovo launched the Moto brand in the Philippines first because of its large consumer base, a proof that the Philippines is one of the most important and fastest growing mobile phone markets in the region. For the new Moto brand, the company is introducing six new smart phones including the two flagship phones—the Moto Z and Moto Z play. With the new products, Lenovo hopes to become the third biggest smartphone player. “We have a strong heritage from China but we are a global player. We have bigger ambitions. How we leverage the strengths of Lenovo and Moto will again make us the top third smartphone company in the world,” Romano said. Othel V. Campos
Human Nature marketing head Wowie Meloto-Gonzalez at the European Edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit at the Paris Marriott Champs-Elysées in Paris, France.
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uman Nature has become the first Asian brand to win in the prestigious Sustainable Beauty Awards.
Organized by Organic Monitor, a globally-recognized specialist research and consulting company for organic products and related industries, the Sustainable Beauty Awards attracts hundreds of entries yearly. Winners were unveiled during the European Edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Awards at the Paris Marriott Champs-Elysées in Paris, France on Oct. 24. Sustainability Pioneer Award is given to a beauty industry operator who has blazed trails in manufacturing techniques and processes, use of novel materials, carbon management, energy management or has led in social aspects. Human Nature took home the Sustainability Pioneer Award for its social entrepreneurship work in Asia. Launched in 2013, the Sustainable Beauty Awards echoes how green issues have gained prominence in the personal care and cosmetics industry. Other categories include Sustainability Leadership, Sustainable Ingredient,
Green Formulations and Sustainable Packaging. The eight-year-old Filipino brand bested industry leaders such as Éminence Organic Skin Care and Givaudan, a 250-year-old French company producing scents and flavors. Weleda, a German company that has been producing natural products since 1921, was a runner up for the category. Past recipients of the Sustainability Pioneer Summit included Cruelty Free International and L’Oreal USA – Garnier. “We didn’t realize that our small company, which is just eight years old, would come this far. We just wanted to do something good, something right, and this award is an affirmation of what we are doing,” said Human Nature marketing head Wowie Meloto-Gonzalez during the awards reception. Anna Meloto-Wilk, president and co-founder of Human Nature said that “today we can truly say that made in the Philippines is equal to; or maybe even better than made in Germany and made
in France.” In 2011, Human Nature became the first Filipino company to receive cruelty-free recognition from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The company was recognized by the World Economic Forum’s Schwab Foundation as a Champion for Social Entrepreneurship in 2012. Meloto-Wilk said the Sustainable Beauty Award is a “testament to the creativity, ingenuity and hard work of the Filipino people. Our little country in the Far East, despite the problems that we continue to grapple within our society today, is paving the way to the future for kinder, more sustainable businesses especially in our industry.” The interests of the poor, from making safe and genuinely natural products more accessible to setting a more dignified standard for labor practices in the Philippines, is at the core of all everything Human Nature does. The Philippines is one of Asia’s most populous markets. In the Philippines and in many other developing nations, genuinely natural and sustainably-made products are usually at a much higher price point than readily available
synthetic counterparts. Human Nature is the only Filipino personal care brand that is a member of the Natural Products Association of America, which holds its members to the strictest standards of naturalness anywhere in the world. In addition, 44 Human Nature products bear the Natural Products Association Natural Seal, giving it the distinction of having the most number of certified genuinely natural products in the world. Human Nature believes that a significant difference in social impact and environmental sustainability is only possible when everyone can enjoy safe, highquality natural products. In reaching out to and partnering with both “traditional” businesses/retailers and social enterprises, Human Nature is working to scale sustainability by influencing systemic change in how they conduct business. “The path we have carved has been fraught with difficulties like cutting through rock but just like the explorers who discovered the new world… but our sacrifices and contributions will ensure a more loving and caring society for our children,” said Meloto-Wilk.
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS, INNOVATORS GATHER IN MANILA YOUNG entrepreneurs and business leaders gathered at Green Sun Hotel in Makati City on Oct. 22 for Bootstrap Manila 2016, a startup and innovation conference. Organized by two of the country’s leading co-working spaces and incubator/accelerator hubs—Impact Hub Manila and Launchgarage—the oneday conference presented bright ideas from the ecosystems of Berlin, Bangalore, Jakarta and Manila. Bootstrap Manila is a part of the StartHubs AsiaBerlin Roadshow that ran from Oct. 18 to 27, with Bangalore as the first stop, followed by Manila and Jakarta. StartHubs AsiaBerlin is a project initiated by the Berlin Ministry of Economic Affairs in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It seeks to shed light on the four important startup hubs and build an open platform for interconnectivity, networking, direct communication and cooperation and collaboration among the partner cities. It is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Delegates kicked off the Manila leg
of the roadshow with a tour of the world-class Manila Fame, Design and Lifestyle Event, at the World Trade Center, and an al fresco dinner at Nayong Pilipino’s Orchidarium at Rizal Park, Manila on Oct. 21. Both activities were hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Slingshot Philippines, a program that aims to nurture and grow the local ecosystem through capacity building, funding and policy support for startups. Senen Perlada, DTI’s Export Market-
ing Bureau director, recognized the importance of startups. “Creativity and innovation are the currency of today,” he said. Impact Hub Manila’s co-founder LizAn Kuster and Launchgarage’s Jay Fajardo opened the whole day conference on Oct. 22. Kuster delivered an insightful introduction on what it means to bootstrap as an entrepreneur. “Bootstrapping is more than just building your solutions without external fundings. It means growing your
enterprise with people and connections. Thus StartHubs AsiaBerlin is extremely valuable for our ecosystem,” Kuster said. Rainer Seider, head of the International Unit for Cooperation of the Berlin Ministry for Economic Affairs, described Berlin’s diverse and vibrant ecosystem and outlined the goals and plans of StartHubs AsiaBerlin to create a “single intercontinental startup ecosystem through structured channels, such as a online platform which will
launch soon and everyone can join” despite each city’s different intricacies. Seider was joined by other members of the keynote panel - Deepash Agarwal of MoveInSync from Bangalore; Fajar Anujerah from Bali Recycling; Ces Rondario, Impact Hub Manila cofounder; and Jay Fajardo. Moderated by Kuster, the panelists shared the characteristics, strengths, challenges and opportunities of their respective ecosystems. Following the keynote panel was Geraldine de Bastion, founder of Global Innovation Gathering, a network of grassroots innovators, social entrepreneurs, founders, makers and hackers. Speaking about Innovation in the Global South, she showed examples of innovative and creative ideas and solutions from GIG’s network. Yathan Blumenthal, founder and accelerator chief of Hardware Co., talked about accelerating business, methodologies and co-working, based on first-hand credible experience and the successful Berlinbased co-working hub, Betahaus. Luis Buenaventura of Bloom Solutions and a cryptocurrency and fintech expert spoke about blockchains and how the Philippines was starting to use it in remittances.
Sports
C3
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
EXPECT...
From C4
Coach Mark Sangiao (center) gathers his fighters to take advantage of the high altitude as they prepare to do some roadwork for stamina. The fighters are, from right: Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Geje Eustaquio, April Osenio, Danny Kingad and Edward Kelly. Reuel Vidal
TEAM LAKAY FIGHTERS GIRD FOR COMBAT By Reuel Vidal
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A TRINIDAD, Benguet—The Team Lakay gym was humming with activity as fighters went through their paces under the watchful eye of head trainer and school founder coach Mark Sangiao. A Mixed Martial Arts fighter himself, international Wushu practitioner and trainer, Southeast Asia Games gold medalist and now full-time trainer Sangiao is almost as excited as his fighters preparing for their coming ONE Championship bouts. After a stellar career as a fighter Sangiao decided to teach and pass on to the next generation everything he has learned. He soon gathered under one roof some of the best, most courageous MMA fighters in the country. Six Team Lakay fighters will soon to do battle at the ONE Championship stage and they are preparing to win honor and glory for themselves, their teammates and their country as well. ONE Championship PR Director Loren Mack said their organization seeks out the best MMA fighters in Asia and are pleased to be working with the world class fighters of Team Lakay. Arguably the best and most popular homegrown Filipino MMA fighter Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Honorio “The Rock” Banario— wearing padded knee, shin and leg guards—trade powerful hits while holding full contact sparring. Folayang battles for the ONE Lightweight World Championship against defending champion
Shinya Aoki in ONE: Defending Honor at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on November 11. Banario, on the other hand, is one of five Team Lakay fighters who will participate in the ONE: Age of Domination set December 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena. The others include Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, April Osenio and Danny Kingad. The veteran Banario, a former ONE Featherweight World Champion, battles Rajinder Singh Meena in a lightweight clash. Banario—a Wushu expert, world-class striker and respectable grappler—will be favored over Meena who has tallied eight victories by submission. Eustaquio is one of the most proficient Wushu practitioners in the country. Another world class striker, Eustaquio has tallied big wins over the course of his career in ONE Championship including a one-punch knockout over Saiful Merican at ONE: Clash of heroes last January 29. Eustaquio is far from your typical MMA fighter. He holds a Bachelor of Education major in MAPEH (Music, Arts, Phyiscal Education and Health) degree and has also completed his master’s degree on secondary education at the University of Cordilleras. Eustaquio battles 31-year-old flyweight Toni Tauru of Utti, Finland.
Eduard Folayang (left) and Honorio Banario - wearing padded knee, shin and foot guards - trade body blows in a full contact sparring session under the watchful eye of head trainer Mark Sangiao (right). Reuel Vidal
Tauru owns a record of 10-4-1 with seven wins coming by submission. The 32-year-old Kelly is a ferocious striker who will be looking to follow up his electrifying victory over Dutch fighter Vincent Latoel when he battles 31-year-old Sunoto “The Terminator”of Jakarta, Indonesia. Kelly beat Latoel on the undercard of ONE: Titles and Titans at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia last August 27. The pair were trading haymakers when Kelly hit Latoel with a left-right combination which sent Latoel crashing to the canvas. Kelly dropped to his right knee beside the fallen Latoel and brought down a hammer fist prompting the referee to stop the fight late in round two.
Atomweight Osenio, 22, who was practicing her grappling skills against male Team Lakay teammates, battles 25-year-old Jenny Huang from Taiwan. Osenio will be looking to follow up her spectacular victory in her last bout. The fierce female fighter submitted Ann “Athena” Osman with a guillotine choke. The fifth Team Lakay fighter is unbeaten flyweight contender Kingad, easily the team’s top young prospect. Kingad is a tremendous striker who needed just a round to pound Malaysia’s Muhammad Haidar. Kingad battles fellow Filipino in veteran Eugene Toquero next. Tickets for ONE: Age of Domination are available at smtickets.com/ events/view/5040.
FANS GET BETTER NBA ACCESS By Peter Atencio
Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas (right) tries to dribble past Brooklyn Nets defender Jeremy Lin. NBA fans now get unlimited access to games through the Globe app. AFP
OVER the past two years, National Basketball Association fans and hoop junkies have been seeking better live and online access of National Basketball Association games. They finally got their wish and got access to NBA games starting with the tipoff of the 71st season last Wednesday. Fans were able to watch the opening game of the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors live on their smart phones. This was made possible through mobile devices after Globe Telecom finally made a wireless partnership with the NBA. “After four months, we’re excited that
opening day finally came. The league is incredibly popular,” said NBA Philippines managing director Carlo Singson during a presentation at the NBA Café in SM Aura, Taguig last Wednesday. Singson said there are 5.4 million Filipinos who tried to access th eNBA games through their mobile fans last year. This year, it will much more easier. “Since 2014, over the past two years, you get a pin code. But it was not as easy as it seems. For the past month, Globe worked with the NBA to give fans easy access via apps,” said Globe Director for Sports Content Consumer Business Martin David. Singson added tha the NBA’s popularity continues to rise in the country, with last year’s NBA Finals getting a 67 percent share of the TV audience. David explained they found a way to get fans easier access to NBA games through their improved app.
In availing of the app, users will go through a simpler registration process that no longer requires the repetitive typing of PIN codes. Once customers have completed promo registration, they will receive a link via text message that will direct them to the NBA app to verify their mobile number. After authentication, they can now watch the games live on their phones or tablets. They will also have access to other content such as archived NBA videos, shows such as Hardwood Classics, NBA Inside Stuff and Shaqtin’ A Fool. Globe Broadband plans come with six months free access to NBA League Pass. On mobile, various NBA promos are NBA499 for a 30-day premium access; NBA299 for 7 days; and NBA50 for 24-hour access. To register to NBA League Pass, users need to send the NBA promo keyword to 8888.
“I can say that working in the Senate is not easy, especially, along with training. You need to manage your time and that’s what I did in training for this fight, while I am working in the office. I don’t have time really for any other activities—all of my time is with working and training,” said Pacquiao. Questioned as to what was the most difficult part trying to do both jobs, Pacquiao responded:”The most difficult part is trying to control my time and to manage and discipline myself. The most difficult part of training in the past has always been when I do a bad job of managing my time. This time, I managed my time and disciplined myself from going to my work to my training and that’s what I did in the Philippines. I don’t have any time to spend with my friends—just time for hard work.” One journalist pointed out that in looking at Vargas’ opponents, he doesn’t see a “Murderers’ Row.” “Is it difficult to take this fight seriously?,” the reporter asked. “Vargas is a world champion, so in no way can I underestimate him. You can never underestimate a boxer who is a champion. He is good. I just have to make sure that I am 100 percent ready for the fight,” said Pacquiao. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum clarified that there was “No murderers row of opponents, but when Pacquiao fought Tim Bradley, he had Bradley out on his feet and because the referee got mixed up, he stopped the fight 10 seconds too soon so who knows how that would have ended? And he (Vargas) fought Sadam Ali to win the title and Sadam Ali is a terrific fighter —he was a member of the US Olympic Team, he was undefeated and certainly not a tomato can and he entered the fight a big favorite over Vargas and Vargas dominated him and eventually knocked him out. I think that victory alone qualifies Vargas for top level of fighters and opponents for Manny,” said Vargas. Asked about what his plans are for Pacquiao after the Vargas showdown, Arum replied: “Let’s take it one at a time. If Manny comes in and dominates this fight and looks like the old Manny, and wants to continue fighting, there will be certain opponents that will be considered. If he decides that it’s too much juggling two careers then he shouldn’t continue. If he is determined to continue and his performance suffers because of his work in the Senate, I would have to look in the direction of somebody else for an opponent. So to jump now about names and so forth, who knows? Manny may look so good in this fight and may have such senatorial presence in the fight that we may be looking for (middleweight champ Gennady) Golovkin next. And if he doesn’t vote right in the senate, I think some of his constituents may be urging him to fight Golovkin,” which drew a quick response from Manny. “Bob, I hope you are joking about Golovkin!” Pacquiao reacted. But a more likely opponent should he beat Vargas handily would be Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Justin Fortune told Manila Standard he is confident the Filipino can outbox and overcome Alvarez. But before anything else, he has to beat Vargas on Nov. 6.
PH IS KING...
From C4
“This did not happen overnight for us, it was five years in the making as we went through a lot of heartbreaks and frustrations. But even before the tournament started, I had a feeling that the boys will own the doubles’ this time. Last year, we placed third here, but this time, the boys underwent a one-month training in Thailand prior to the competition and that made the difference,” said Karen Tanchanco-Caballero, President of the Philippine Association of Sepak Takraw and who also scored her own victory by getting elected as Vice president of the Asian Takraw Federation. Caballero is hoping that there will be more recognition for the sport and more people will support the team. “I am already talking with some possible sponsors, including PLDT. I want to bring the team to the Europe championship next year, then go for the gold in the SEA Games,” said Caballero.
C4
Sports
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
RUNNING NEVER SOUNDED THIS GOOD
EXPECT MORE PACMAN FIGHTS By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Young runners run to the beat of their favorite songs in The Music Run by Philam Vitallity. Martin Capstick (below), co-founder and CEO of Exceed sports and Entertainment at the launch
By Peter Paul Duran
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ITH the success of its inaugural run last year, The Music Run by Philam Vitality is back as Asia’s most exciting 5k event is about to get even louder this time around.
The ultimate running and music festival drew nearly 10 thousand runners last year at the Philippine Arena, but organizers expect a larger crowd to flock McKinley West in Taguig City on Dec. 3 as everyone’s favorite hits will be playing all throughout the event. TMR by Philam Vitality partnered with music streaming service Spotify as participants will run to the beat of 120 concert-quality speakers across the venue and add to that the much-awaited after party. “We are so pumped-up to be back here in the Philippines,” said Martin Capstick, cofounder and CEO of Exceed sports and Entertainment who is organizing the run. “We had so much fun last year and the feedback we got from the Filipino runners were so wonderful so we are very excited to come back,” he added during the event’s media launch at Revel at the Palace in BGC. The five-kilometer run will include five music-themed zones playing rock. pop, old school, hip hop, and dance—and all of the songs, will be chosen by the runners themselves. Using the live Spotify Music Voting App on www.themusicrun.com.ph. participants can vote up to five songs per playlist everyday to build the official soundtrack for each zone. Runners can also enjoy every song they vote for in the build up to the event as every music zone is 1km each, and organizers assure that there will be music from pre-run to the after-party.
The event kicked off with a performance from up-and-coming local alternative band Sud, while the after-run music festival will feature Australian radio house DJ Sam Withers. “This is the second time that Philam Life is partnering with The Music Run,” said Deputy head of Philam Vitality Kats Cajucom. “We want to send a strong message that being healthy can also be fun and engaging.” Launched in 2014, TMR is “more likely a party than a run” and that it puts music at the heart of everything, that’s why the event continues to expand and attract a growing number of followers. “The Music run has really taken off, so that’s why it was voted as the best event in its class in all of Asia. It just continues to rise and grow,” explained Capstick referring to the award TMR garnered in Singapore. TMR and Philam Vitality realized the importance of living an active lifestyle and through these kind of events, Filipinos can enjoy being healthy. “Exercise has become more and more important to people, but some people still think that it’s gonna hurt or it’s gonna be painful. That’s where music run comes in, because it’s all about fu,” added Capstick. And for Philam Life, Cajucom says they are “taking active steps to positively transform the lives of Filipinos by helping them live longer, healthier, and better lives.” “We at The Music Run, we use music as a gateway to a healthy lifestyle,” stressed
Capstick. “Literally, running never sounded this good.” Music Runners can select from two event packs--the Standard Pack for P850 and the Rock Star Pack for P1,400. The Standard Pack comes with a T-Shirt, bag, beat band, sticker, and temporary tattoo, while the Rock Star Pack, apart from the freebies indicated, will also have a towel, water bottle, and a cap. Children less than five years old can join the run free of charge. Registrants can collect their event packs at Glorietta 5 in Makati from Nov. 26 to 28.
PH IS KING OF WORLD SEPAK TAKRAW By Lito Cinco IT was sweet victory indeed for the Philippines’ top sepak takraw athletes at the recent King’s Cup Sepak Takraw World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, where they beat two powerhouse countries en route to a gold-medal finish in the men’s doubles event. After defeating Singapore, Australia, Chinese Taipei and Indonesia in succession in the elimination round, the Filipinos went up against heavy favorites, local team Thailand which has not tasted defeat in this event ever, not on their home turf, in a game watched live on nationwide television in Thailand. Losing the first set 15-21, the Filipinos were on the
verge of losing the game in the second set with a 1720 deficit when a “miracle” happened as they rattled off 5 straight points behind Mark Joseph Gonzales to win 22-20 to even the match. Then, they duplicated it in the deciding set before an unbelieving and stunned crowd, winning 21-19 to advance to the finals against another powerhouse team in Myanmar, the reigning SEA Games champion team. And history repeated itself as the Filipinos, down again after the first set, 12-21, came back strongly in the next two to take the gold and create their own place in history. This time, it was Rheyjey Ortouste, who led the charge supported by Gonzales and the The champs with their president Karen Tanchanco-Caballero third member of the team, Jason Huerte. Turn to C3
HALL of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who handled eightdivision champion and senator Manny Pacquiao’s training at the classy Flash Elorde Gym in the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City, said the Filipino ring icon is in great shape, looking good. So good in fact, that Roach expects Pacquiao to have more fights after his showdown with WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas on Nov. 6. “I’m looking forward to this fight and many more to come after that,” said Roach of his prized boxer. Pacquiao, who has trained relentlessly under Roach and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune has, at times, looked tired and flat because of his long hours and diligent work in the Philippine Senate but still shows up at the gym in the evenings to train. He has been sparring three times a week with unbeaten welterweight Jose Ramirez, who stands 5’10” and fights very much like Vargas, who is also 5’10.” Longtime adviser and confidant Michael Koncz summed up Pacquiao’s preparation in Manila. “There were a lot of new challenges. However, I am very happy and pleased with Manny’s training.” There were times that both Roach and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune conceded that Pacquiao, because of his long hours in the Senate, “looked tired and flat” during sparring but at other times he was “devastating.” “It was a pretty tough schedule in this camp but he held up really well. The sparring days were really good and it’s the best I’ve seen Manny in a long time—he is a lot more aggressive than I have seen him in the past and there was a lot of the old Manny Pacquiao coming out and he really, really looked good. We trained right up until Saturday morning before our flight out to Los Angeles and he boxed 10 rounds and he looked great and he’s in great shape, I know it has been a very difficult camp with the Senate and so forth. Manny has always been a busy person, but because of the Senate, he seems to be a lot more serious than anything else he has done. He is in Senate sessions on some nights until 7:30 or 8:00 at night and when he is done, we go right to the gym,” said Roach. Pacquiao conceded that the setup is hard. Turn to C3
Manny Pacquiao running with the pack Photo by Wendell Alinea