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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017
Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
REGUS MANAGER DESIGNS OFFICE SPACE FOR MILLENNIALS By Othel V. Campos
CONTRACTUAL employment is often perceived as temporary. And with this comes the belief that it doesn’t offer any advancement options – one’s career is only as good as the length of his or her tenure. But these are all misconceptions according to the Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors. “That’s not the case. Just because you’re under service contracting employment doesn’t mean there’s no chance or hope for advancement or a better position. In the end, career growth is not dependent on your type of employment – it still about perseverance, hard work and your skills,” says Palscon president Rhoda Caliwara. She says there are already a number of employees of Palscon member companies who are enjoying good jobs and experienced career advancement. One of them is Corazon Llamoso.
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ILLENNIALS demand more mobility and flexibility in work, leisure and personal space. This demand is also what Regus aims to meet, says Lars Wittig, the man behind the company which provides flexible work space solutions in the country.
Wittig, the country manager of Regus Philippines, oversaw the expansion of the company over the past five years. It now has 5,300 work stations across 25 centers, including one that has recently opened in Davao City. Wittig introduced fresh ideas to improve, innovate and make working more relevant for professionals, entrepreneurs and people who value mobility. This led to the gradual, but steady acceptance of flexibility in work and work space in the Philippines. “The trend is now more and more companies, regardless of size, are abandoning the concept of traditional workspace. Co-working is a absolutely a keyword today and that is what we are embracing now,” he says. “Regus provides the flexibility to work anywhere in the world where there is Regus presence compared to when you enter a conventional work space where you sign up for minimum of six or seven years lease and make a very big capital investment. For office space flexibility, Regus is the best choice, regardless if you are an up and coming company or whether you’re a Fortune 500 company,” he says. In 2016, demand for flexible work stations grew 65 percent. Driving the demand is the growing need for flexible working space. As country manager, Wittig’s mandate is to keep up with the demand and respond to the growing need for flexibility. “The need for work space five to six years ahead is impossible to predict. Majority of the upcoming office spaces in the country’s business districts have been pre-committed. If you are an entrepreneur or a start-up company, it will be prudent to go for flexible work space so you can work whenever, wherever you like and your capital is not tied up to assets that depreciate over time. Companies don’t to be stuck in big capital investments,” he says. “With the traffic condition, don’t expect your employees to commute to office everyday. Sitting in coffee shops is not a way to work. And the millennials who are very successful in every way prefer to work at their own pace, at their own time, anywhere. To go forward we have to embrace the millennial thinking,” he says. Wittig first moved to the Philippines over 20 years ago and worked for Coca-Cola Co. as a director for marketing, then with Dole Packaged Foods as marketing manager for Asia and with Philip Morris in the distribution network. Now with Regus, he says human resource experts stepped up along with the changing times. They accept working flexibly, giving managers and select employees access to the Regus work site, where productivity is maximized by optimizing time that would have been spent on the road. Right now, Regus has more than 5,300 work stations in 25 locations in the Philippines and continues to grow its network of flexible work space. It has plans to add 200 more stations to existing locations. It biggest location in Davao hosts 360 work stations. It first office in the Philippines, located at the Entreprise Building in Makati continues to draw crowds of professionals, students and foreign
CAREER ADVANCEMENT STILL POSSIBLE UNDER SERVICE CONTRACTING
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MANAGER.
Regus Philippines country manager Lars Wittig nationals. Wittig says the company has no choice but to keep increasing locations and work stations. It has over 30,000 square meters of prime commercial space. As it continues to establish locations in megacities, Regus is looking at expanding to second tier cities. Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Mactan, Iloilo and Bacolod are among the sites eyed for expansion this year. Another expansion model Regus is working on is a partnership with property developers to allow Regus to operate and manage a Regus office in building owned by the developer. “They [developers)] saw the opportunity. They appreciate the value of flexible work space. If we want to grow as fast as we would like to then we will go to these partnerships. It will accelerate our ability to grow. It is obvious that his type of operation will put in additional leg to their real estate business. It will feed in to their existing real estate business as incubator. To be honest this good business and a great advantage to developers,” Wittig says. Regus does not pay rent. It has a formula for profit-sharing with the developers. It repays the
capital investment the landlord made through profit-sharing. “The more locations we have, the more value we give to our customers,” says Wittig, noting that Cagayan de Oro City is one of the locations eyed for this type of expansion mode. The company’s aggressive expansion program is a part of the strategy to raise the bar in 2017. Regus wants to expand its presence to airports. “I want airports to be destinations not just by airplanes but also destinations to different cities where you can go hosting a Regus meeting at the airport. That is part of our vision to continue to lead in terms of innovation of flexible work space,” he says. “Through a range of office formats, as well as growing mobile, virtual office, and workplace recovery businesses, Regus enable people and businesses to work where, when, and how they want, with a range of price points. Regus, a multinational corporation headquartered in Luxembourg, is the world’s largest provider of flexible work space solutions, with a network of 3,000 locations in over 1,000 towns and cities, across 120 countries, serving 2.3 million members.
“I started out as a promodiser. But eventually I got hired at the office. Service contracting gave me an opportunity to grow, develop my skills, and learn almost everything that I need to know to become better in my job,” Corazon says. Corazon sees her employment under service contracting as a big help to her family. Through this job, she is able to support her father, a farmer, and was able to help her younger sibling finish college. “My younger sibling has just graduated from a four-year course. I funded her schooling. Add to that the fact that I’m able to continuously help my family. These are just a few of the benefits I’m enjoying under service contracting.” Caliwara says that with the continuous operations of service contracting in the country comes Palscon’s commitment of providing hope and progress to a number of Filipino workers. “As long as we, legitimate service contractors, are here, every Filipino worker could trust that that there will be a continuous provision of good jobs and fair labor. There will be more Filipino workers with better jobs making better lives for their families,” she says.
PHINMA CELEBRATES 60TH YEAR
Phinma Corp. executives led by president and chief executive Ramon del Rosario Jr. (third from left) and chairman Oscar Hilado (fifth from left) recognize the best employees of Phinma Group.
PHINMA Corp. recognized its best employees at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City as a part of the Filipino holding company’s 60th anniversary celebration. Phinma leaders and executives marked the activity as the first of a yearlong celebration. The event entitled ‘Phinma Honors Its Own’ recognized select men and women within Phinma, who on their own time, in their own way, exemplify its mission of making lives better. The gala had Phinma employees
and executives toast to 60 fruitful years of service to the country and the Filipino people through its various businesses and affirm a commitment to decades more of making lives better. Founded in 1957 by a group of young Filipino manager-entrepreneurs envisioning a vibrant and progressive Philippine economy, the company was one of the leaders in cement, oil, paper, roofing and coal. With the turn of the century, Phinma refocused its participation in nation
building from the industrial base to services. Beyond its businesses that seek to provide the essentials of a better life, it expressed its commitment to community service through the recently held one-day simultaneous outreach activity spread out through various areas in the Philippines. Covering community development and environmental preservation, Phinma held coastal clean ups, tree planting, traffic assistance, house building, storytelling activities and more.
Business
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 business@thestandard.com.ph
AVIATION EXPERT SHARES
F&B GROUP HOLDING 1ST RESTAURANT, CAFE, BAR EXPO PHIL. ASIA Conferences and Exhibitions Inc. is holding the first expo on restaurants, cafés and bars on March 1 to 4. With close to 100 exhibitors from at least 20 countries, the Philippine Restaurant, Café and Bar Expo will be held at Hall A of the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City on March 2 to 4, with a pre-show coffee event on March 1. Philresca debuts as the country’s first dedicated sourcing event for the booming industry of beverages. It will feature events in partnership with World Coffee Events, including the anticipated Philippine National Latte Art Championship, Philippine National Barista Championship and Re:Verb, which comes to Manila for the first time.
“With nearly 100 exhibitors at Philresca, the event will cater to a growing number of industry players, professionals and students who are looking for a quality event on the business of restaurant, café and bar,” says May Juan, president of Phil. Asia Conferences and Exhibitions Inc. “As seats especially in our educational sessions are limited, we encourage visitors to take advantage of our online registration and book into our seminars in advance to reserve their slots.” On March 1, Phil. Asia Conferences and Exhibitions and World Coffee Events will co-organize Re:Verb, a knowledge-sharing event that has made rounds in cities like Tokyo and Seoul. Re:Verb will feature a series of talks and dialog from global coffee experts in El Salvador, New Zealand, Denmark, United Kingdom and the US. Among the speakers are two-time Austrian barista champion Sonja Zweidick, Federico Pacas of Café Tuxpal, Michael Cleland of Assembly Coffee and Matt Graylee of Raw Material Coffee. The expo proper is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 2 to 4, with the last day open for the public. The three-day B2B exhibition will showcase suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and service providers in the sectors of baking, café, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, charcuterie, condiments, confectionary, flavorings, herbs and spices, pasta/noodles, seafood, delicatessen and other allied services. Philresca will also host the two Philippine coffee championships. For three days, the country’s most skilled baristas will compete at the Philippine National Latte Art Championship and the Philippine National Barista Championship, where champions are expected to represent the country in coffee competitions abroad. In addition, the event will feature educational seminars such as The Cupping Exchange, which will highlight the best local coffee beans and their farmers, and the Philresca Sessions, a learning-filled discussion on business strategies, latest product and trends, and other essential knowledge and issues in the industry.
KNOWLEDGE WITH MILLENNIALS
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VIATION expert Avelino Zapanta says that for the Philippines to leverage itself as one of Asia’s next aviation powerhouses and for related businesses to prosper, government and industry players must align their thrusts and work collaboratively to take advantage of impending developments. Zapanta’s sterling reputation is from his almost 50 years of leadership experience and knowledge in the field of aviation. From a rank-and-file position as a cargo clerk in Philippine Airlines in 1966, Zapanta gradually went up the ladder, occupying various leadership roles before becoming president and chief executive of the flag carrier from 1999 to 2004. In 2006, Zapanta joined Southeast Asian Airlines and was instrumental to the expansion of its operations from an all turboprop airline flying domestic routes to a regional airline operating Airbus 320s. Zapanta recalls how local aviation has evolved dynamically and survived economic challenges throughout the years. “I’m happy with the state of commercial aviation in the country today, it is very healthy. Since the fuel crisis of 2008 where a lot of airlines really suffered, our carriers on the other hand were continuing to grow. New players entered the picture, and there were mergers and acquisitions, as well,” he says. Zapanta cites the fuel price decline in 2015 to 2016 as a big help to carriers as fuel comprises the biggest operating expense for airline operators. “However, we don’t know if this will last as there are indications that fuel producers will once again begin their practice of closing and opening valves of fuel supply in order to play with fuel price. The last two years have been steady, this is the third year that we are enjoying good fuel price,” he says. “When fuel prices went down at that time, operating costs went substantially low to almost 20 percent and airline passengers and even private motorists are enjoying
Aviation expert Avelino Zapanta relatively cheaper fuel,” he says, adding that this resulted in “our carriers expanding.” “PAL and Cebu Pacific have aircraft orders. For the former, it is opening up more points to Europe, specifically London, then Amsterdam, Paris and Rome. For Cebu Pacific with their A350 being a long-haul aircraft, may be they have plans to open more regional points, may be they will fly in the mainland US as well as it is already operating in Guam. And that’s good news to the airline riding public,” Zapanta says. Zapanta points out the behavior of economy as an influencing factor. “When the economy is down, passenger traffic is also down. When it is up, so is the airline industry,” he says. “In terms of manpower, sad to say we still have shortage of mission-critical skills. These skills are so important that the airline can’t operate without them, you have to have the pilots and the mechanics basically. We have a shortage because they are being pirated by foreign airlines and big MROs,” he says. With the anticipated increase in passenger traffic and the predicted expansion by many airlines, the time is ripe for training many highly qualified Filipino aviation personnel. To ensure that the country has adequate supply of well-trained aviation people to meet the boom, WCC Aeronautical and Technological College is leading the way in offering courses that help aspirants get ahead in the industry. “This is the main reason why we see the expansion of aeronautical schools in the country, which is good to go about training qualified people. And the WCC is at the forefront of making these happen,” Zapanta says. In his new career as head and lead professor of WCC School of Aviation Business at the WCC Aeronautical and Technological College in Binalonan, Pangasinan, Zapanta’s
goal is to inspire and share his experience to the next generation of aviation professionals. Zapanta will be responsible for developing and conceptualizing the contents of the new subjects that will be offered in the new courses that WCC president and chief executive Ramon Guico III has planned for the WCC Center for Aviation Business. The center aims to educate students how to organize the airline industry. Zapanta says he is focusing on the commercial, business and management aspects of the center. “A business aviation degree program provides students with a well-rounded business foundation exploring all facets of business administration and management like economics, aeropolitics, accounting, marketing, finance, human resources management and valuable global business strategies,” he says. For aspiring aviation students to successfully thrive, Zapanta stresses the importance of having quality education – one that involves industry-standard competence training and holistic character transformation. Under his expertise and academic guidance, Guico believes Zapanta will further boost WCC’s role as an institution that molds highly competent aviation leaders of the future. “We are pleased to have Dr. Zapanta in WCC. With him onboard we are confident that WCC can achieve its ultimate goal of producing high-caliber aviation professionals that will help propel the local industry into greater global heights,” he says. “We must look at every possible angle, every advantage, to succeed. If we can get things right for the local aviation industry now, we can expect sustainable growth and brighter future prospects for the entire country ahead,” Guico says.
AIRLINES USE CLARK AIRPORT FOR STRATEGIC EXPANSION LOCAL and foreign airline companies are turning to Clark International Airport to boost their strategic expansion, according to a foreign investor in Clark Freeport Zone. Mark Williams, chief executive of Global Gateway Development Corp., said the simultaneous expansion of airline companies at Clark is a clear indication of robust growth and strong demand in Central and Northern Luzon. Officials of Clark International Airport Corp. are holding talks with more airlines to connect the premier airport north of Manila to different parts of the country, Asia and even North America. CIAC president Alexander Cauguiran said the airport operator is currently in talks with air carriers on possible air connection between Clark and North America. He said Clark has a huge market potential consisting of travelers coming from Northern Luzon, Cagayan
Valley Region, Central Luzon, and the northern part of Metro Manila or Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela). Together, these areas have a combined population of 24.2 million. “Clark ought to be the most logical and practical airport of choice of the people from the morthern and central parts of Luzon,” Cauguiran was quoted as saying. C I A C ’s m a s t e r d e v e l o p m e n t plan includes developing a new passenger terminal with an 8-million-passenger capacity. The Duter te administration plans to construct another terminal by 2019 or before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down from office. Studies point to the strong growth in the number of passengers in Clark, with the increase in flights at CRK. In its report, CIAC seeks to maximize in the next two to three years the existing terminal with a capacity of 4.2 million
passengers annually. The goal of decongesting Metro Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport is on track to being achieved with more airlines mounting flights from the Clark International Airport, according to Philippine Airlines executives. Philippines AirAsia, the local unit of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, is also set to resume flights from Clark International Airport in Pampanga to Kalibo, Aklan. Cebu Pacific also has flights to and from Clark. More flights means good business for Clark International Airport, which was designed to accommodate 4 million passengers but only sees about a million a year. More flights to and from Clark will not only decongest Metro Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, but will also help prop up the local economy. Cauguiran said more flights to Clark will boost economic activities, including transportation, food and
other businesses down the line. Airport authorities say less traffic, comfor t and a better passenger experience form part of the lure of Clark airport for those from Northern and Central Luzon and even people from Metro Manila. Williams expressed optimism that as more flights land in Clark International Airport, Clark Freeport Zone will solidify its position as the next growth area in the country. He said GGDC’s huge investment in Global Gateway City is timely for new locators in the Freeport area. “Global Gateway City, the 177-hectare development of GGDC is in the midst of riding on the crest of economic progress,” he said. Williams said the multi-billion project is envisioned to provide support for various industries such as aviation that needs aeroparks and business process outsourcing complete with mix-used infrastructures.
Sports
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 randyproject@yahoo.com
The Colegio de San Agustin (CSA) spikers will take on the Jubilee Christian Academy
METRO’S TOP TEAMS SLUG IT OUT IN WVL SEMIFINALS LJ Gonzales and teammate Rhon Abarrientos prepare to double team an opponent.
FEU’S GONZALES SHOWS WHY HE’S THE FINALS MVP By Peter Atencio
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OINT guard Louell Gonzales said he did not focus when was in foul trouble in the first half. He knew the job at hand and he intended to finish it. Gonzales had a slow start as he was of little use to the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws’ cause for most of the game. At the end of the first half, he already had three fouls. The defending champion National University Bullpups jumped the gun on them and took an early lead of 10-to-nil. With John Clemente, Karl Penano and Paul Manalang in charge, NU quickly took the upperhand, 26-15. From there, NU stayed in control until the final period. It was at this juncture that Gonzales showed to all what he’s capable of. “Hindi ako nawalan ng loob. Nagfocus lang ako. Iyun, naabot namin,” said Gonzales, an 11th grader, before he broke into a celebratory laughter. He sank crucial baskets that carried the FEU Baby Tamaraws to their first title in four years at the Arena in San Juan. The 5’10 Gonzales knocked in 10 of 12 points in the 10 minutes of the game to lead the Baby Tams to an 81-73 subduing of the
LJ Gonzales celebrates his Finals MVP win with teammates.
LJ Gonzales
defending champion National University Bullpups. This allowed them to claim the crown in the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Basketball tournament following a two-game sweep of their best-of-three finals series. Gonzales will be going up to K12 next year and he’s given by the UAAP to join the college team of the FEU next year. “For now gusto ko pa siguro one more year with the Baby Tamaraws,” said Gonzales, who added that he still love to enjoy the fruits of continuous training under Baby Tams assistant coaches Victor Pablo and Johnny Abarrientos. Both Pablo and Abarrientos
were alumni of FEU and former stars in the Philippine Basketball Association. Gonzales’s series heroics earned him the finals MVP honors, while University of the Philippines Integrated School’s Juan Gomez de Liano took home the season’s MVP plum. “Buti, nakabawi siya sa foul trouble. Hindi siya makapaglaro masyado ng first quarter, second quarter at third quarter. Nung fourth, tinanong ko coaching staff kung kaya pa dahil kailangan namin ng penetrator. Buti, naka-catch up,” said FEU coach Allan Albano. In Game 1, the Baby Tamaraws pulled off a stunning 66-65 victory over the Bullpups.
PADIZ TOPS REGION TILT, GETS TO DEFEND PALARO TITLE
Solomon “Monchie” Padiz Jr.
SPORTS run in the blood of Solomon “Monchie” Padiz Jr. His chosen sport may not be as popular as before but he’s willing to continue his quest all the way up the summit. First he has to take the best in local turf. Padiz, son of Dela Salle Calamba Solomon Sr., booked another ticket to the Palarong Pambansa following a smashing victory over familiar foe, Joel Albo of Antipolo City in the recent Southern Tagalog CALABARZON Athletic Association held in Whackers Badminton Academy in Victoria Laguna. The 16-year old Padiz used his lethal jump smash lefty to outscore Albo 21-11,21-13 in their secondary boys singles
duel to qualify once again for another Palaro stint where he is the defending champion. “My continuous and rigid training in the Philippine Badminton Association courts plus my advantage in height prove to be my weapon in this division and my ticket to Palaro finals in Antique this year”, said Padiz, who got his love passion sports from his father, a former sepak takraw and arnis national official. A varsity player of Rexdei Academy,Inc in Santa Rosa City who ranked no. 1 in the Juniors national team and no.2 in seniors class, Padiz will try to better his last year’s Palaro gold romp in the secondary boy’s singles as he will also go for the gold in secondary
mixed doubles . The left-handed Padiz will begin his comprehensive preparation for the national finals, his first step towards a bigger, ambitious goal to bring his act in international competitions and give honors to the country. It’s not mission for impossible for someone who works hard. “Sabi lang po sa akin work hard, work it out lang po talaga and it will be rewarded.” Hard work plus the support of his proud parents, PBA Smash Pilipinas, Rexdei Academy Dep Ed Sta Rosa, City Mayor Danilo Ramon Fernandez and Santa Rosa Badminton Center, success is never impossible for this young Laguna shuttler.
TOP-RANKED teams from across the National Capital Region will battle it out in the semi-finals of the 21st season of Women’s Volleyball League (WVL), one of the country’s biggest and longest running volleyball tournaments for girls. Organized by BEST (Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training) Center and sponsored by Milo, the games will be held on Sunday (February 26, 2017) at the Xavier School High School Gym. Four teams will be competing in each division which consists of 17 and Under Developmental Division, 17 and Under Competitive Division, 13 and Under Developmental Division, and 13 and Under Competitive Division. Colegio San Agustin will face Jubilee Christian Academy in the first set of 13 and Under Competitive Division while Escuela de Sophia Caloocan and Kings Montessori School will face in another set. Meanwhile, College of San Agustin will try to oust St. Paul’s College Makati while School of Holy Spirit will play against School of Saint Anthony in the 13 and Under Developmental Division. On the other hand, Kings Montessori School will face Hope Christian High School in the first set of 17 and Under Competitive Division while La Salle College Antipolo will go against San Pedro Relocation Center National High School in another set. In the 17 and Under Developmental Division, Saint Pedro Proveda College will battle against Colegio de Sta. Rosa while St. Paul’s College Makati will compete against School of St. Anthony. Winners for each set will be competing against each other for the 21st WVL championship title to be held at San Beda College Gym in Metro Manila on March 5, 2017. BEST Center is nationally renowned for its great contribution to sports development in the Philippines. Because of the clinic’s dedication to not only producing future champions but also promoting sports and physical fitness among kids, BEST Center is cited by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) and the Olympism Award from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) as hall of famer. Meanwhile, WVL has recently received a citation from the Philippine Sportswriters Association “for being a consistent breeding ground of young talents in volleyball for the past 20 years”. By continuously organizing sports event such as WVL as well as SBPPasserelle Twin Tournament, an annual basketball competition for kids aged 9-14, BEST Center is confident that the sport in the country will continue to grow in both popularity and equality. For more information about the BEST Center Women’s Volleyball League and BEST Center’s volleyball clinics and tournaments, call 411-6260, 3723066 and 372-3065, email bestcentersports@gmail. com or follow its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/pages/BEST- Center-Spor tsInc/66172039922.
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Sports
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
PACIO, LEE HEADLINE ‘WARRIOR KINGDOM’ Kevin Martin
MARTIN LEARN ROPES IN SACTOWN
Promising Filipino MMA fighter Joshua Pacio (right) unloads a ferocious side kick against Yoshitaka Naito during their bout. ONE Championship
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ROMISING Filipino MMA fighter Joshua Pacio and reigning ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee headlines ONE: Warrior Kingdom at the 12,000 seat Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on March 11. \Pacio squares off with former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke on the undercard of Lee’s title defense against the unbeten Jenny Huang. Pacio guarantees a better version of himself as he crosses paths with Dejdamrong. “He is a former champion. There shouldn’t be room even for a single mistake in this bout. One mistake took everything away from me in my last fight. This time around, I can’t be complacent. Moreover, I have to be two steps or three steps ahead of him,” Pacio said. “Expect that I will be a better competitor inside the cage. My team has prepared a good strength and conditioning program to level up my cardio. I made sure to sharpen my striking. I also invested time in my ground game.” Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class. Lee is of mixed Singa-
porean and Korean heritage and trains at Asia’s premier mixed martial arts gym, Evolve MMA in Singapore. Lee’s beautiful combination of solid striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success as she remains unbeaten in her MMA career. In her last bout, Lee captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an impressive victory over Mei Yamaguchi. Lee makes the first defense of her title against Huang. Twenty six-year-old Huang represents Chinese Taipei. Unbeaten with a professional MMA record of five wins and no losses, Huang also owns three impressive submission victories. In her most recent bout, Huang electrified the arena by executing an extremely rare submission, the gogoplata, overcoming a spirited performance from the Philippines’ April Osenio. Dejdamrong is a threetime Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion and has a 6-1 record as a pro-
fessional mixed martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative combinations. He has 25 years of competitive experience. The other matches include Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand taking on Filipino OFW Richard Corminal; Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai battling Indonesia’s Adrian Matheis; Pongsiri “Punhod” Mitsatit facing Rabin Catalan of the Philippines; Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige facing Malaysian Audreylaura Boniface; and Chinese standout Ma Jia Wen taking on Yohan Mulia Legowo. Wiratchai of Thailand is a staple in exciting and memorable battles inside the ONE Championship cage. A mainstay of Bangkok Fight Lab, he trains in various martial arts disciplines at home in Bangkok, including Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Wiratchai likes to be creative with his striking, employing a myriad of un-
ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee (above) holds down opponent Mei Yamaguchi in a full mount during their fight. ONE Championship
predictable off-angle elbows and kicks. Corminal is a Filipino mixed martial artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He holds a professional MMA record of four wins and one loss, with all of his career victories to date coming by way
of knockout. Kongsrichai is a Thai national wrestling champion, and has a 4-3 record as a professional mixed martial artist. He has not gone the distance yet in his young career, having two knockouts and two submissions under his belt.
KEVIN Martin went under the tutelage of some of the game’s best tacticians. In truth, just before he retired a season ago, he was coached by one of the greatest minds in professional basketball, Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. But even after 12 years playing for the best coaches and alongside some of the best players in the NBA, the former Western Carolina standout still owes a debt of gratitude to the core of the “greatest show on court” and the main man at it’s helm. “As a rookie, you wanna just get on the court, but coach (Rick) Adelman made me work hard for everything,” said Martin during an interview at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Capitol Commons, Pasig. “I wouldn’t have made it 12 years without him,” added Martin who was in the country for the 2017 NBA All-star game viewing party. Martin, who was selected by Sacramento 26th in the first round of the 2004 draft, played his first six seasons with the Kings until he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2010, but he still treasures his time in SacTown and the help he got from Adelman and the Kings players. “I thank him for that first year, and just being surrounded by great guys like Brad Miller, Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Chris Webber and also Bobby Jackson, they just taught me a lot,” said the 34-year-old Martin. “It was a blessing to be around those group of guys. They played the game the right way, they played for their teammates and they shared the ball. It was great just learning behind those guys.”
ONE MAY HOLD EVENTS OUTSIDE METRO MANILA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP, considered the frontrunner of mixed martial arts (MMA) in the Asian region, has become a staple of the growing local combat scene in the Philippines since its first venture on the country’s shores in 2012. ONE has held nine of its last 52 events at locations such as the historic Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the state-of-theart SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. When ONE Championship struck a lucrative broadcasting deal with ABS-CBN in 2016, it paved the way for the Asian brand of MMA to be viewed by millions of Filipinos on free television. Company chairman Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the Philippines is one of ONE Championship’s primary destinations in its
yearly multinational itinerary. “The Philippines is one of our biggest markets because the fans in the country are just so passionate about mixed martial arts,” Sityodtong said. “The country is a very important market for us. I truly believe that ONE Championship can become mainstream where every single Filipino is enthralled with what ONE Championship has to offer.” Sityodtong bared ONE Championship’s plans of extending its reach in the archipelago by staging an event outside Metro Manila. “Our operations team has looked at various stadiums across the Philippines. We’ve scouted places that could meet our standards in terms of size and quality. I will
not be surprised if in the future, we will see more events in the Philippines, not just Manila but in other cities,” he said. According to Sityodtong, one of ONE Championship’s target destinations outside Metro Manila is Cebu City. “We’re looking at Cebu City as a possible future destinations,” he said. Cebu City is no stranger to sporting events as it hosted numerous blockbuster boxing cards in the past. Meanwhile, fans from Baguio City are clamoring for a ONE Championship event to be held in the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” as its hometown hero Eduard Folayang currently reigns as the ONE Lightweight World Champion. Sityodtong is not closing the doors on
the possibility of hosting a stacked card in Baguio City in the future. “We are open to all options definitely. I don’t want make any announcement or prediction right now, but there is a possibility,” he said. ONE Championship returns to the Philippines for the tenth time on 21 April, with Folayang defending the ONE Lightweight World Championship title for the first time against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the main event. “Eduard Folayang is going to defend the ONE Lightweight World Championship in his home country for the first time. I want the entire country, if you’re a Filipino or have a Pinoy heart, you’ve got to watch this fight,” Sityodtong said.
ONE Championship chairman Chatri Sityodtong says the promotion will eventually hold events outside Metro Manila. ONE Championship