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Business
Ray S. Eñano, Editor / Roderick dela Cruz, Issue Editor business@thestandard.com.ph
HOW A MILLENNIAL COUPLE BUILT A CAFE
odrigo Ang Escobar and his girlfriend Andy Wong saved most of their income from office jobs in Makati City in preparation for a married life. Instead of spending the money in a grand wedding, the couple decided to put up a business that can support a family. Last year, they quit their jobs and established Sulok Cafe in a busy corner of Antipolo City just across Ynares Center at L. Sumulong Memorial Circle. “When we had the money, we thought we could not be stuck in our jobs. I, for one, cannot be a father if I spend more than 12 hours in the office. I would not be able to fulfill my role as a dad. She also spends four hours a day to commute from Antipolo. And we were salaried employees. We don’t want to be stuck as employees, so we made sure that once we move on to the next stage of our life which is marriage, we would be better off,” he says. Escobar says they chose to have their own business first, before the wedding. Aside from being a couple, they are now business partners. “She is my longtime girlfriend for seven years since college. I am 25 and she is 26. We first met at University of Asia and the Pacific where we were studying. She was taking Business Management and I was taking Integrated Marketing Communications,” says Escobar. Escobar, who got tired of a 12-hour work day, quit his job as a digital marketing professional while Wong, who used to commute for at least four hours a day between Antipolo and Makati, resigned from an electronic commerce company. They applied what they learned from school and work in promoting Sulok Cafe, which now has one of the strongest online presence among the 16 cafes in Antipolo City. “We now work full-time with Sulok,” says Escobar. “We want to have our own business. We are technically in the age group of millennials. I was born in 1992 and my girlfriend in 1990.” Once they had the money, they looked for a good location for a business, even without a solid concept in mind, says Escobar. Escobar, who lives near Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City, says they explored various areas in Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig and Antipolo during their weekend dates to find the best site. “We had no solid business concept. That’s why a number of landlords rejected us. We could not blame them because they would not bet on a tenant without a solid concept in mind,” he says. When they found an ideal place at the second floor of Okinari Arcade Building near Ynares Center—a popular sporting arena in Rizal province—they immediately knew a cafe would be the right business there. “That is what the location dictated. We made sure it had three qualities we were looking for. First is purchasing power of people in the area. Second is foot traffic and third is points of interest,” says Escobar. Aside from Ynares Center, the cafe is also located near Pinto Art Museum, one of Antipolo’s main tourist attractions. “It had those three qualities that we were looking for,” says Escobar. Escobar says Wong took the task of overseeing the construction of the cafe, while he was still rendering his remaining 30-day work in Makati. It is a 36-square-meter commercial space, which they divided into a 25-meter dining area and a small kitchen. “We did not have a background on hotel and restaurant management. We studied to make professional-grade coffee two weeks before we opened. Most of our investments went to the acquisition of an espresso machine,” he says. Sulok Cafe, which had a soft opening in July 2016, now has seven tables and 22 chairs. About 60-percent of the coffee shop is a non-smoking
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MILLENNIAL COUPLE.
Sulok Cafe owners Rodrigo Ang Escobar and Andy Wong
area. “At first, we did not know where to source the coffee beans. But once we got the word out, it is the suppliers who approached us. Very recently, we have established a good supplier connection,” he says. He says through economies of scale, they are able to bring down their prices. “It is cheaper to buy your products such as coffee and milk in bulk,” says Escobar, who goes to Antipolo public market everyday to source most of their supplies. “Here, we were able to apply all the discipline, skills and temperament we developed while working for different companies in the past four years,” he says. Escobar says they decided to choose the name Sulok Cafe, because they want to provide every customer a corner or a confined space that he or she finds comfortable to be in. “That’s how we envision Sulok to be for our customers. It is nothing pretentious—a corner that can be their personal space,” he says. Aside from coffee and tea, Sulok Cafe is known for its good food, including pasta and meals. Janine Tolentino, who used to work in Las Vegas, prepared their menu. The cafe also employs a barista, three cooks, a helper and a part-time server. “We are a self-service cafe,” says Escobar. “The price of the same drink and quantity is almost half of those in commercialized coffee shops,” he says. “But what makes us different is how we treat people. There is this certain appreciation that people give us. Once customers enter our coffee
shop, we never call them sir or ma’m. We call them tito, tita, pare or idol. Yes, we are feeling close.” He says Sulok Cafe has built a network of repeat customers. “What sustains a coffee shop is repeat purchases. That affirms you are doing a good job,” he says. Escobar says the first year is about building the business, the second year is making it profitable and the third year is for expansion. “Two years and eight months is our realistic ROI [return on investment] target. With a growth rate of 10 percent to 15 percent on a monthly basis, we can achieve it in one year and eight months. But realistically, it is two years and eight months,” says Escobar, who has never had a hair cut since the business opened in July last year. “That’s the symbolism behind my long hair. Once we have our ROI, that’s the time I will go to the barbershop,” he says. The couple experienced a number of challenges in operating the business, including falling short of their sales quota for a number of days. “There was a time our sales reached only P398. There was a time we prepared our resume because we did not meet the quota. But we have high hopes for the business. This is our second year. In 2016, the goal was to operationalize the business. This year is to make it stand alone on its own, and next year is to have it franchised,” says Escobar, who looks up to businessman Edgar “Injap” Sia as a model. “Mang Inasal of Injap Sia is the business model we follow. Start small, make it big and have it franchised,” he says. Escobar has a piece of advice to other millennials who want to start their own business. “Start moving. Plans won’t get you anything unless you move it. It is when you’ve taken the first step that sets the pace for your business. Be brave and scared at the same time—brave enough to take on the call for putting up a business and scared enough to be delicate about the decisions you make. Don’t get too worried if you make mistakes. It is part of the process and one of the special things that will shape you to become an entrepreneur,” he says. As to their wedding plan, Escobar says it remains the ultimate goal. “It will come. We are still young,” he says. Roderick T. dela Cruz
WHICH UNIVERSITY PRODUCES THE MOST EMPLOYABLE MILLENNIALS? By Othel V. Campos THE country’s largest state-run university also produces the biggest number of employable millennials, results of an online job site show. In its latest Employers’ Survey on Fresh Graduate Hiring Preferences, Jobstreet.com said newly hired fresh graduates from PUP average 3,000 a year, the highest among
Philippine universities. The survey conducted in February among 644 companies also shows that employers prefer graduates from PUP, the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas. When asked to assess the performance of these fresh hires, UP graduates scored the highest, followed by alumni of PUP and Ateneo
de Manila University. Particular industries also had different views on where their best new hires graduated. PUP graduates came up on top among employers in the BPO, retail, manufacturing and real estate industries, while IT and education companies gave their highest marks to UP alumni. According to the survey, eight out of ten employers are happy
to employ a recent graduate into their workforce, similar to last year’s figures. While the 2016 survey championed their need for applicants who have a solid working experience through internships and part-time employment, this year’s results revealed attitude, field of study, and asking salary as the primary factors they consider for hiring fresh graduates.
WOMEN CLOSING GENDER PAY GAP WOMEN graduating from university in developing markets in 2020 could be the first generation to close the gender pay gap in their lifetime, according to new research from Accenture. The report, Getting to Equal 2017, reveals that within decades, the pay gap could close if women take advantage of three career equalizers and if business, government and academia provide critical support. With these changes, the pay gap in developed markets could close by 2044, shortening the time to pay parity by 36 years. In developing markets, the changes could cut more than 100 years off the time to reach pay parity, achieving it by 2066 instead of 2168. “The future workforce must be an equal workforce. The gender pay gap is an economic and competitive imperative that matters to everyone, and we must all take action to create significant opportunities for women and close the gap more quickly,” said Accenture senior managing director and technology lead in the Philippines Ambe Tierro. Accenture’s research found that globally, a woman earns an average $100 for every $140 a man earns. Adding to this imbalance is the fact that women are much less likely than men to have paid work (50 percent and 76 percent, respectively). This contributed to a “hidden pay gap” that increases the economic inequities between men and women: for every $100 a woman earns, a man earns $258, the research shows. The research also identifies several critical factors that affect a woman’s ability to achieve equal pay as early as university. Female undergraduates in the Philippines are currently less likely than their male counterparts to choose an area of study that they believe offers high earning potential, have a mentor or aspire to senior leadership positions. Additionally, young women lag in adopting new technologies quickly and in taking coding and computing courses. The report, which builds on Accenture’s 2016 research on closing the gender gap in the work place, offers three powerful accelerators to help women close the pay gap: digital fluency – the extent to which people use digital technologies to connect, learn and work; career strategy – the need for women to aim high, make informed choices; and manage their careers proactively; tech immersion – the opportunity to acquire greater technology and stronger digital skills to advance as quickly as men Applying these career accelerators, combined with support from business, government and academia, could reduce the pay gap by 35 percent by 2030, boosting women’s income by $3.9 trillion. Accenture surveyed more than 28,000 women and men, including undergraduates, in 29 countries. Othel V. Campos
Business
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SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 business@thestandard.com.ph
Cavite 2nd District Rep. Strike Revilla
LETRAN CELEBRATES 400 YEARS COLEGIO de San Juan de Letran, which will mark its 400th year of existence in 2020, begins the celebration this year with the recognition of Letranites who have done great things in the country on March 23 at the New World Hotel in Makati City. Colegio de San Juan de Letran is a private Roman Catholic Dominican institution of learning in Intramuros, Manila. The college was founded in 1620. Letran has the distinction of being the oldest college in the Philippines and the oldest secondary institution in Asia. Th e s c h o o l h a s p ro d u ce d Philippine presidents, revolutionary heroes, poets, legislators, members of the clergy, jurists and it is also one of the only Philippine schools that has produced several Catholic saints who lived and studied on its campus. The campus contains two statues, representing the two foremost alumni in the fields of secular and religious service: former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon and Vietnamese Saint Vicente Liem de la Paz. Starting this year, Letran Alumni Association is awarding 100 Letranites a year to complete the 400 Great Men and Women or “Grandes Figuras.” One of the first 100 of “Grandes Figuras” or Letran’s 400 Great Men and Women to be given a Most Outstanding award this year is Cavite 2nd District Rep. Strike Revilla who’s a Letranite from Batch ’93. Revilla had served as mayor of Bacoor, Cavite for nine years, before seating in the House of Representatives. “I am so proud to be part of Letran’s Grandes Figuras. This inspiration will make me work three times harder,” the lawmaker said. Letran has programs in Business, Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Information Te c h n o l o g y , D i g i t a l A r t s , Communication Arts, Accountancy and Engineering. The colleges are divided into six departments: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration and Accountancy, College of Education, Institute of Communication, Institute of I nformation Technology and College of Engineering.
MOBILE APP ALLOWS OFWS TO REMIT MONEY By Othel V. Campos
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eattle-based digital money transfer company Remitly Inc. is hiring more Filipinos to support its growing remittance business.
Remitly chief product manager Karim Meghji and human resources head Allie Hanegan—two of the company’s key officers—are leading the expansion in the Philipines. “First, we’d like the public to know that Remitly is a mobile app—a digital tool that helps people, families and foreign workers send money to their loved ones at home,” Meghji said. The company’s first market is in fact the US-Philippines, or overseas Filipino workers in the US sending money to the Philippines. “ We h a v e a v e r y s t r o n g connection to this market because this is where we started. The foreign Filipino workers in the US, the expats working there, we know we have a good chance of delivering the service they need. Five years ago was when it began. We’re sending money here. Now, we’re sending from three countries—the US, Canada and the UK. We send money to the Philippines, Mexico, India, Latin American countries like Panama, Nicaragua, Equador and few others,” he said. The company also operates from Manila, where it is hosting backend operations, customer service, risk and fraud analysis and suppor t ser vices for the US-Philippines and CanadaPhilippines markets. I t has recently opened its Nicaraguan operations center that serves the Latin American market. From a workforce of 120 people, Remitly aims to beef up manpower to over 200 people. “ We l o o k fo r p e o p l e w h o are hungry and want to make a difference. Like if they see a problem, they want to fix it. We have a lot of people seeking us out and they apply directly. Maybe because our rates are a little better than competition. We give competitive salaries and good benefits,” Hanegan said. The Manila office is also open to hiring fresh college graduates and people from different industries. “Something that works for us is open house. We get a lot of interest and we really want people to come to us and be hired by us,” said Hanegan. She said attrition rate in the company is very low, with most of the pioneers still working for Remitly. The Philippine operations center is currently hiring customer service representatives, risk investigators, leadership and support team and
technology experts. It does customer service, financial services that involve risk and fraud analysis and protection as well as technical support functions “With what has to do with risk and fraud, transactions are not always done legitimately. We have investigators here who look at those transactions. They can identify cases that are fraud here,” said Meghji. Remitly will soon open the UKIndian market which will be be served by the Manila Office. It also looks at China and Vietnam as potential expansion areas. Remitly has 40 to 45 people in the Philippines doing investigation on potential fraud cases. “They use our technology and a variety of tools to understand transactions that can be fraud or in violation of policies we have. We stay away from transactions that are illegal in nature. This group takes care of the safety of our customers,” Meghji said. Account capture is the most p re va l e nt c a s e o f f ra u d t h e remittance industry is most likely to deal with. “Account capture is almost like identity theft. We are very careful of understanding the cases customers are sending. There are cases when stolen credit cards are using Remitly to send money to themselves or to family. We are always careful to look for signals that can be fraud. There’s a number of techniques fraudsters attempt to use our platform,” said Meghji. Remitly grew its revenue multiple times over the last fives years and aims to sustain the trend. It is dependent on its partners— banks and cash pick-up centers—in bringing seamless money transfer to recipient countries. On an annual basis, Remitly is transferring transactions of over $2 billion globally. The Philippines has hundreds of millions of transactions, representing about a third of overall transactions. “Philippines is not the biggest transaction market but we find the Filipino worker in the ÙS and Canada sending more frequently in smaller amounts. In the next 12 months, we hope to capture bigger market share globally and in the Philippine market,’ said Meghji. Remitly aims to become the world’s most customer-focused payments company, enabling remittances across international borders.
Remitly Inc. chief product manager Karim Meghji
Remitly Inc. human resources head Allie Hanegan
BENGUET TAPS TURMERIC TO PRODUCE BEAUTY PRODUCTS IN AN effort to reinforce economic and social development in the local communities of Benguet province, the Business Development Service Foundation of Card Mutually Reinforcing Institution teamed up with Oryspa, the first and the finest maker of rice branbased spa products in the Philippines and came up with a lotion and beauty oil out of turmeric. “This is the first collaborative effort of Card that ventures on wellness products,” said Julius Adrian Alip, president and chief executive of Card-Business Development Service Foundation Inc. The effort, according to Alip, is a part of Card MRI’s commitment to build a professional and sustainable business development service that responds to the needs of Card micro-entrepreneur clients. Sherill Quintana, the founding president of Oryspa, also expressed her excitement with the collaboration.
“This effort will enable people to bridge the gap in adding value to their raw produce. We also look forward that this will pave the way to more economic gains and job creation,” Quintana said. The soil of Benguet, according to the Department of Trade and Industry’s provincial profile, can cater to cultivated annual crops, perennial tree and vine crops, pastures, and plantations, among others, which includes turmeric plant. Turmeric is a perennial plant, which belongs to the ginger family. It has been used for thousands of years in Asia. Turmeric is also the major component of Siddha medicine, a traditional treatment medicine originated in South India. Tu r m e r i c, w h e n t ra n s fo r m e d into a lotion and oil, “can be an antioxidant, anti-bacterial as well as antiinflammatory solution; hence, soothing the flare-ups in our skin,” said Quintana. “The lotion and oil products are for external use only.” Card MRI, where CARD-BDSFI is a
member-institution, has been operating nationwide for 30 years now with at least four million clients. As an Asean winner for excellence in healthcare, according to Quintana, Oryspa coalesced with institutions like
Card MRI to pay forward especially to local farmers in the country. “Card MRI is a huge organization and that is actually our dream…to reach more local communities,” Quintana said. According to Alip, some of Card
clients are engaged in farming and at least 1,000 of them are their current supplier for various raw materials for their food, apparel, and furniture products. “In Benguet, at least 14 Card members are our suppliers for turmeric. Through this partnership, we hope to increase more our suppliers,” Alip said. The collaboration will also open doors for direct sellers of the product.“It will not just help our local farmers but also those individuals who wanted to be re-sellers of the products,” said Quintana. For now, the direct selling of products will be open for Card MRI members. All the products will be available at all Oryspa branches nationwide and Mga Likha ni Inay stores of Card MRI. Mga Likha ni Inay is a member institution of Card MRI that links grassroots micro-entrepreneurs to the mainstream market. They promote locally sourced materials created by Card MRI clients who are mostly in rural communities.
Sports
TING SAYS FILIPINOS BRING OUT HIS BEST
A confident Ev Ting acknowledges the cheers of the fans as he walks down the ramp and into the cage for another ONE Championship fight. ONE Championship
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ALAYSIAN-KIWI sensation Ev “E.T.” Ting has beaten more Filipino fighters in ONE Championship competition than any other member of the promotion. Ting insists says this familiarity has given him a healthy respect for MMA fighters from the Philippines. “Filipino fighters have this distinct desire and passion to compete in this sport, which I find inspirational for me as a non-Filipino fighter,”he said.“It’s just so happened that my opponents are Filipinos, but I really have high respect for them.” Ting, a 27-year-old fullblooded Malaysian who grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, has crossed paths with seven Filipino stalwarts in his celebrated 16-fight career that started April 2011. “E.T.” has won six of his seven bouts against Filipino fighters, with the only loss coming at the hands of Filipino-American standout Mark Striegl via first-round technical submission in February 2011 under the banner of a regional MMA promotion. After making an impact in his ONE Championship debut against Indonesia’s Yohan Mulia Legowo in June 2014, Ting’s reputation as a serious threat to Filipinos was raised to a notch higher after he knocked out Edward Kelly with a first-round high kick in
October 2014. He then forced Cary Bullos to tap with a second-round guillotine choke in March 2015. Ting followed-up this victory by defeating former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario in just 56 seconds with a first-round guillotine choke in October 2015. In January 2016, Ting notched a huge victory over Eric Kelly, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Filipino fighters that the Philippine MMA scene has produced. Following several back-andforth sequences of takedowns and submission attempts, Ting was able to compel Kelly to wave the white flag for the first time in his illustrious professional MMA stint with a thirdround guillotine choke. Outside the confines of ONE Championship, Ting also holds impressive wins over the likes of Filipino-Kiwi combatant Mark Abelardo and homegrown talent Rolando Gabriel Dy. Ting admitted that his cage encounters with Filipino athletes in MMA had a big contribution to his success and to where he is presently.
Ev Ting (left) kicks Filipino Edward Kelly on the head during their bout. Kelly was knocked out by the single blow to the head. ONE Championship.
“Filipino fighters are tough as nails. Most of the Filipino fighters that I faced in the past brought out the best in me. Without the battles that I’ve gone through with them, I don’t know if I will be in this position right now. I am thankful for that,” he said. Ting will be facing another Filipino in his next outing as he is set to challenge Eduard “Landslide” Folayang for the ONE Lightweight World Championship title in the main event of ONE: Kings of Destiny on April 21. The scheduled five-round championship clash will
take place at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Ting secured the date with Folayang after he scored a split decision win over former lightweight title challenger Kamal Shalorus last February. “I have worked tirelessly to be where I am now. It has finally paid off because I will get an opportunity to vie for a world title. It’s every mixed martial artist’s dream to become a champion. This is my chance to fulfill that dream,”Ting said. Even if Folayang will have the whole crowd cheering for him in their highly-antic-
ipated confrontation, Ting is not bothered by it as his whole focus is on bringing home the gold-plated belt. “Eduard Folayang is a great champion and is admired by many Filipinos, but he has what I want. I’m coming to Manila to get it from him and bring the belt home to Malaysia,” he said. For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ ONEChampionship.
SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017
MAHINDRA FLOODBUSTER STUMBLES AT THE START JAMES White led Mahindra to an explosive four game winning streak to start the competition just two conferences ago. That seems almost a lifetime ago as the Mahindra Floodbuster stumbled against the Meralco Bolts during their first game of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. White was his usual productive self with 33 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks. But it simply wasn’t enough as the Floodbuster lost to the Bolts, 94-86. This was a far cry from last season’s 2016 Governor’s Cup where Mahindra roared off to a franchise best with 4–0 record. Mahindra went on to finish with a 6-5 record after the eliminations and made its first ever appearance in the PBA playoffs. The team did eventually lose to the Meralco Bolts in the quarterfinals but Mahindra will be hard-pressed to repeat that winning performance. For one the height limit of the other teams that conference was 6’5” while Mahindra’s import was 6’9” tall. White simply dominated the other imports and needed to be double- and triple-teamed by locals of opposing teams. That wasn’t the case against Meralco which paraded an even bigger import in Alex Stepheson. It was Stepheson who enjoyed the size advantage and it was Stepheson who needed to be double- and triple-teamed inside the paint by Mahindra. Another more compelling issue may be the Mahindra’s decimated lineup. They may not be all-stars but Niňo Canaleta, Aldrech Ramos, Paolo Taha and Keith Agovida—who were with Mahindra in the Governors’ Cup— were certainly more formidable than their replacements. The four, who were the best players of Mahindra last season, were called up to reinforce San Miguel Corporation teams. Canaleta and Ramos went to the Star Hotshots. Taha went to Ginebra and Agovida to San Miguel Beer. White is experienced enough to understand that change is the only constant in team competitions and that it will be up to him to adjust and make up for whatever lack the team has. They were right there though. Mahindra almost pulled out the victory. Trailing by four points, 8286, Mark Yee was at the front end of a fastbreak attempt but somehow lost the handle allowing Meralco to steal the ball. At the other end Chris Newsome drove down the middle and Mark Yee made a matador defense allowing him to score unmolested on a layup, 82-88, Mahindra couldn’t score at the other end. Yee again missed his defensive assignment giving Cliff Hodge space at the three-point distance. Hodge drilled the open threepointer to push Meralco to an insurmountable, 82-91, with less than a minute to play. White is back and the Floodbuster has got him. Whether that translates to another winning conference is another matter entirely. Reuel Vidal
LVPI CHOICES MEET FIRESTORM OF PUBLIC CRITICISM By Reuel Vidal THE Philippine volleyball scene is alive and kicking. But it’s not necessarily for the good. Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas officials recently named their pool of players for both the women’s and men’s national volleyball team to the coming Southeast Asia Games. Rather than being met with a wave of enthusiasm as people speculate as to who makes the final roster public criticism exploded chastising the officials for omissions. The biggest question was how University Athletic Association of the Philippines best setter Jia Morado and threetime UAAP Most Valuable Player Marck Espejo were not included in the training pool. This did not sit well with the public as a firestorm of criticism
Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas (LVP) president Joey Romasanta (right) speaks. Others with him are from left: men’s team head coach Sammy Acaylar, women’s team head coach Francis Vicente and LVP vice president Peter Cayco. The officials announced the composition of the Philippines volleyball teams during the PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City last Tuesday, March 14. Ey Acasio
exploded on social media questioning their exclusion. The reason put forward was that they did not attend tryouts. But how
could they attend tryouts if they were not invited? The most recent development is that LVP formally ad-
mitted that they did indeed fail to invite Morado and Espejo. LVP will now arrange special tryouts for the pair as well as two other Ateneo De Manila University volleyball stars in Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino. It may be unfair to cry favoritism this early. But men’s volleyball team coach Sammy Acaylar will likely take at least one player from among his University of Perpetual Help varsity players. Women’s coach Francis Vicente on the other hand is perceived to be making room for his setter from the University of the East Roselle Baliton in the women’s lineup. That’s their prerogative actually. They’re the national team coaches. It’s their responsibility to name the
players they will take to the competition. National team coaches getting their favorite players is not really a new thing in volleyball, or in other sports for that matter. Just a few years ago there was a howl of protest when Aiza Maizo, then the best player at her position, was not included in the national women’s volleyball team. The protest eventually died out. Consider though that the last medal the Philippines took home in women’s volleyball was the bronze in the 2005 SEA Games edition in Manila. The country’s last gold medal haul in women’s volleyball happened in 1993 in Singapore with Thailand dominating the sport in the last 10 editions.
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SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor / Reuel Vidal, Issue Editor / Randy Caluag, Issue Editor
sports_mstandard@yahoo.com
Angela Lee and his team in winning the Women’s Atomweight title in Bangkok
WOMEN’S TITLE ON THE LINE AT ‘DYNASTY’
Glean Aguilar showing he still has the daredevil moves
AGUILAR OUT TO SHOW DEADLY, VINTAGE FORM By Randy Caluag
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LEN Aguilar was not dubbed Daredevil of Philippine motocross for nothing.
He fears nothing on the race track. After hundreds of falls and stitches and now in his mid40s, he doesn’t see himself putting a stop to his daredevil moves. “Gusto ko pa ring ipakita sa mga bata ang mataas na kalidad na karera. I still want to give them an elite level of competition to make them better racers,” said Aguilar, who recently topped the first leg of the Diamond Motor Supercross at the Mx Messiah Fairgrounds, Taytay, Rizal. In the year’s opener, Aguilar found a stiff opposition in rising star from Davao Bornok Mangosong and still managed to pull through to top the PTT Pro open production class. “I had a good start and it was really a challenging fight. I had the pace and I was just focused,” added Aguilar. Mangosong, riding for Yamaha Motor Philippines, gave Aguilar a good fight but the latter still dominated from the GoPro holeshot up to the 15th lap. The division is also peppered by up-and-coming riders Jerick Mitra, JC Rellosa, Ralph Ramento and Ompong Gabriel. “I thank God for this success. I will keep on preparing for the next races,” said Aguilar of KTM Philippines. Yes, it’s turning out to be tight duel between Mangosong and Aguilar. The two will return to the same venue for the 2nd leg of the event supported by Wheeltek, Dunlop Tires, Coffee Grounds, Xtreme Adrenaline Sports Entertainment Co, PTT Philippines Corporation, Monster Energy and the Municipality of Taytay. The third leg will be held on April 2, fourth leg on April 29 and the concluding leg on May 21.
Glen Aguilar topped the first leg with (left to right) 4th placer JC Rellosa, 2nd placer Bornok Mangosong, Jerick Mitra (third), Ralph Ramento (5th) and Dennis Sibucao, SAVP for Sales Operation of Diamond Motor Corporation.
A grand prize of P20,000.00 will go to the winner, P14,000.00 to the second placer and P10,000.00 to the third placer.. It’s more than just motocross action as organizer Samuel Mark Tamayo of Generation Congregation, main backer John Blaylock of the Diamond Motor Corporation and Marketing chief Elgene Cruz also put up exciting side events for the fans. Raffles, giveaways and performances from Firefalldown, Light of Luna, Imbue No Kudos, Maryzark and Reborn delighted the audience in the audience and the fans also got to test-drive the new Montero Sports and Strada. They will also enjoy the same privilege in the succeeding legs. Also shining in the first leg were Tamayo’s son Joshua Tamayo, who dopped the Yamaha PW50 (4-6) and Christopher Mercado in the Yamaha PW50 (7-9).
Other winners were Raniel Resuello in the GoPro Amateur open production class, Pia Gabriel (DC ladies class), Roman Llorante (Dunlop executive class) and Jing Leongson (Coffee Grounds veterans class) Also topping their divisions were Nathaniel Morales won the Kids 50 class, Wenson Reyes (Kids 65 class and Kids 85 class) JR Tulawie (Open Underbone class) at Joolee Mendoza (Open local enduro class) Blaylock said the event is more than just winning honors and prizes. “As a company, we want to push that angle that we want to show the people that we’re not just about selling cars, we are about people. Investing in what people are passionate about,” said Blaylock, lead singer of the band Firefalldown and also the head of planning and marketing of main sponsor Diamond Motor Corporation.
FIL-AM BELLATOR FIGHTER TO JOIN TEST OF WILL WITH the recently concluded Under Armour ‘Test of Will’ national Heats in Malaysia last weekend, held at Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, The spotlight is now focused on the Philippines. Who will be the Philippine representatives to the much awaited regional competition of Under Armour’s ‘Test of Will’? This question will be answered when the Philippine heats take place on March 25 & 26 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City. The winners on said dates, will then face-off against representa-
tives from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei during the final round on May 6 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Participants can still sign up for UA ‘Test of Will’, which is on its second year, and designed as “the most advanced urban fitness challenge.” It offers athletes the chance to compete in a simple 4-minute circuit consisting of Burpees, One Arm Thruster, TRX Rows and Sandbag Throw. Each competitor will be scored based on the maximum number of repetitions they
can achieve within 60 seconds. The highest scoring man and woman of the national Heats from each respective country will win an all-expense paid trip to compete in the regional finals, happening in Kuala Lumpur. This year’s overall champion of the regional finals will walk away with S$2,500 cash prize, or around P88,000.00, winners will also get free head-to-toe gear and special discounts. Newly signed Under Armour athlete, Bellator fighter AJ “the Filipino Punisher” Williams, who has
an 8-5 record, is expected to join the UA ‘Test of Will’ on said dates. In preparation for this, he had an open work-out session held last March 18 at Edsa Shangrila Health Club, where he showed off his wares as an MMA fighter and his circuit training skills. AJ Williams also called out to other Philippine participants, who can still sign up for the event. “Go test your will and join Under Armour’s event, and see what your body is capable of achieving. I will see you there”, said the Filipino Punisher.
ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee, fresh off a successful first title defense in her last bout, will put her title on the line once again when she returns to Singapore:Dynasty of Heroes in May to take on Istela Nunes of Parana, Brazil. “Angela Lee is proving to be an awesome champion and a true competitor. On the heels of an absolutely magnificent performance over Jenny Huang in Bangkok, she just can’t wait to get back inside the ONE Championship cage to put on another show,” said ONE CEO Victor Cui. “Istela Nunes is a worthy challenger for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship and Singapore has a tremendous fight on their hands. Fans will not want to miss it.” The 20-year-old Angela Lee of Waipahu, Hawaii, is one of the promotion’s most outstanding athletes regardless of gender or weight class. She captured the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship with an awe-inspiring victory over Mei Yamaguchi in 2016, and has since then defended the title successfully. Lee’s beautiful combination of elite striking and grappling skills has proven to be a potent formula for success, as she has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage. In her last bout, Lee dominated top contender Jenny Huang with a masterful display of striking. She now returns to Singapore to defend her title against Istela Nunes. “I said at the beginning of the year that I will make 2017 one to remember. I will keep my promise of being as active as I possibly can and I can’t wait to get right back in there,” said Lee. “After my last fight, I showed everybody just how much I have improved over the last couple of months. I’m ready to do it again. Istela Nunes had better be ready to go to battle, because this time I’m defending the title on my turf.” The unbeaten Nunes is a twotime Muay Thai world champion with an unblemished 5-0 professional mixed martial arts record. Her exciting style and knack for delivering powerful strikes makes for exciting fights and is one of the biggest components of her game. In her last bout, Nunes took on top-rated female atomweight Mei Yamaguchi, winning a closelycontested split decision. At her best, Nunes is a well-rounded fighter with a solid striking and grappling skill set.
Bellator fighter AJ Matthews displays some MMA skills during his open workout with fitness instructress Elle Adda at Edsa Shangrila Health Club