Richard Corminal: An OFW Fulfilling a ​Longtime Dream to Compete in MMA

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Every year numerous Filipinos leave their homeland in search for greener pastures abroad, with the goal of getting a decent job so as to provide their families with comfortable lives.

With the idea of better opportunities in other countries, many take the risk. In exchange for money, they trade separation from their family and loved ones, and often, even their dreams.

Richard Corminal is no different from a regular overseas Filipino worker because he gave up his dream to become a mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete in order to give his household a better life.

Corminal had always wanted to be an MMA fighter, more so as he watched the exciting sport on television during its renaissance in the early 2000’s.

“When I saw an MMA bout for the first time, I got hooked. It was exciting, and it’s something different. There are a lot of options to win and weapons to utilize,” he recalled. “From that moment on, I knew I wanted​ to be an MMA fighter.”

His obsession with MMA led him to learn the martial art of Muay Thai, which served as his basic foundation.

Corminal was on his way to becoming an MMA fighter when he was forced to leave the Philippines to work abroad to be his family’s breadwinner.

“It was a tough decision to make, but I have a family to support. They are my top priority. I chose to work abroad and try to give them a good life,” Corminal shared.

Corminal took the job of a Muay Thai trainer at MuayFit, which is one of the premier MMA gyms in Malaysia.

Slowly, Corminal relinquished his dream of becoming a professional MMA competitor and became content in being a Muay Thai instructor at MuayFit.

However, the gym proprietor whom he worked for took notice of his exceptional talent and gave him a new lease to revive and fulfill his dream.

“MuayFit gave me the chance to fulfill my dream to become an MMA fighter. I’m so grateful for that opportunity,” Corminal said.

Starting his MMA journey

When Corminal got into intensive training, it was not a walk in the park for him because there were numerous martial arts disciplines that he needed to master due to the multi-faceted aspect of MMA.

Even though Corminal bit the bullet with every test, the people around him did not repress to lend their helping hands.

Corminal trained with ONE Championship athletes such as Eric and Edward Kelly, who once worked as trainers at MuayFit and represented the Malaysian MMA training facility in their respective bouts.

​Moreover, his growth as a cage combatant was developed with the assistance of other Philippine MMA household names and MuayFit teammates like Rolando Gabriel Dy and Carlo Laurel as well as the father-and-son duo of Raysaldo and Fritz Biagtan.

“It was difficult as expected, but I wanted​ to be an MMA fighter so bad. I chose to endure. I kept on telling myself that pain is temporary. I just pushed harder every single day,” Corminal said about the grueling phase of his formation.

Corminal made his first professional MMA stint in October 2012, winning against an experienced Malaysian fighter by way of second-round stoppage.

Ever since his maiden foray into the sport, Corminal never looked back and cemented his position as one of the top prospects in the Southeast Asian region.

The 35-year-old Filipino lightweight standout currently holds a win-loss slate of 4-1, with all of his career victories to date coming by way of knockout.

His success in minor MMA leagues served as his footstool to be noticed by ONE Championship, which is widely recognized as Asia’s largest MMA organization.

Corminal is set to make his ONE Championship debut against Thai mainstay Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai in the co-headliner of ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM, which takes place at the 12,000-capacity Impact Arena in Bangkok Thailand on 11 March.

According to Corminal, being part of ONE Championship’s burgeoning roster of world-class athletes is the culmination of the hard work and dedication that he invested to be an MMA fighter.

“I am so happy. The feeling is like winning an MMA title. ONE Championship is the biggest promotion in Asia, and to be part of it, it’s truly an honor. Everything that I did in training is all worth it because I’ve made it here,” he stated.

If he previously only imagined to be an MMA fighter, now Corminal will see how far he has gone in the sport as he shares the ONE Championship cage with Wiratchai.

“I was only dreaming of​ this moment before. Now, I am here. I see my upcoming fight as a test and an opportunity to know my level as a competitor in this constantly-evolving sport,” he asserted.

Although it took years before he saw his dream turn ​into reality, Corminal chose to hold on to it.

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work. Keeps your dreams alive because all things are possible,” he ended.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Hinugyaw: Engineering Week 2017

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In the spirit of instilling Engineering pride, Engineering Week (Eng’g Week) is the biggest and most awaited event of the College of Engineering. It has grown into a week-long celebration that students from within and even outside the college have always anticipated. Over five thousand Engineering students gather to participate in a variety of events ranging from simple games of chance to grand performances of talents and skills. This is also the time to unite the members of the Engineering community in this wonderful celebration.

This year, the theme of Engineering Week is Hinugyaw, which is inspired by Philippine Festivals. It aims to showcase Eng’g Week as a series of festivities like the vibrant and cultural celebrations all over the Philippines. The term Hinugyaw means “rejoicing” which is very apparent in every member of the Engineering community as everyone is invited in this grand event.

The Engineering Week will be launched on February 22, 2017 through an opening program in the Melchor Hall, College of Engineering 2nd Floor Lobby to recite the Pledge of Sportsmanship by the participating organizations. Different day and night events will be held throughout the whole Engineering Week (February 22 – March 4).


Here are the descriptions of Eng’g Week’s night events:

Feb 22:

Smoker Night (UP Film Institute, 7 PM – 12 MN)

Continuing its tradition of promoting creativity and critical thinking, SILAKBO: Smoker Night 2017 aims to attack, tackle, and criticize relevant social issues through a comedic play. This night event features Engineering-based organizations as they exhibit unique interpretations of their stands on the issues. This event also aims to showcase the holistic upbringing of UP Engineering students that are not only excellent in their fields but are also proactive members of the society. As the first student-participated night event of the Engineering Week, Smoker Night propels the fighting spirit of each engineering student.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/SmokerNight.UPEnggWeek.

Feb 24:

Tanghalan (Eng’g Theater, 5:30 – 8:30 PM)

Now on its second year, the Engineering Student Council brings SIDLAK: TANGHALAN 2017, an event where our faculty, administration, and staff can showcase their talents to the Engineering community. We, the students, can show our utmost appreciation outside of the classroom setup. With the theme of the Giant Lantern Festival, we shall watch our dear performers as they are the ones who truly light up our lives inside the college. This year, we aim to be even more inclusive by welcoming unaffiliated engineering students to perform as well.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/Tanghalan.UPEnggWeek.

Feb 25:

Jammeng’g (Cities Events Place, 6 PM – 12 MN)

Jammeng’g is a themed battle of the bands where different amateur bands hailing from various engineering organizations fight it out in a battle royal of musicality and artistic skills. Engineering students jam with them as they rock it out with all their hearts, eyeing the elusive prize. Bands are given the liberty to choose their songs of preference, as long as they comply with the theme of the year. On stage, they perform back-to-back with popular musicians of the day in front of a live audience in a raging party full of music and free-flowing drinks.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/upacesjammengg.

Feb 27:

Awitan (Henry Lee Irwin Theater, 6 PM – 12 MN)

Awitan is a prestigious university-wide choral competition open to all amateur choral groups of the different student organizations in UP Diliman. Since its conception in 1965, AWITAN has serenaded the engineering community with a wide variety of Christmas and Themed chorale pieces. This year’s pre- judging system is geared towards a bias-free evaluation of the participating groups via blind judging. Participating groups would have the opportunity to hear the comments and suggestions of the judges after their pre-judging performance.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/awitan.upkem.

Feb 28:

Indakan (UP Film Institute, 6 PM – 12 MN)

Indakan is a themed dance competition which aims to showcase the talents and creativity of amateur groups from various engineering organizations. Performances shall highlight the given theme through their dance choreography and music. This year, Indakan traces our native roots as it features the diversity and richness of Filipino culture and tradition. The performers from the group category will take us around the country as they embody Filipino cultural dance and celebration through their performances that shall bring different Philippine festivals from the streets to the stage.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/upaces.indakan.

Mar 1:

Maskipaps (Eng’g Steps, 7 PM – 12 MN)

MSK 2017 is a competition of performances among different Engineering organizations that addresses and tackles various socio-cultural issues through arts and fashion. It will be composed of two categories, pair and group category, which will have two different themes but will still be in line with the general theme.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/UpBetaEpsilon.

Mar 2:

Dulaang Engineering (UP Film Institute, 6 PM – 11 PM)

The event showcases the talent in theatre production of the Engineering students through play performances that promote responsiveness on current trends and issues in the college, the university, and the country.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/UPPRIMEDulaangEngineering

Mar 3:

Miss Engineering (University Theater, 6 PM – 10 PM)

Miss Engineering is the most awaited night event of Engineering Week. Male students from the College of Engineering, each representing their organizations, compete in a grand pageant composed of photoshoots, video shoots, charity event, seminars, workshops, rehearsals and the pageant night. Each candidate will also portray a specific Philippine goddess or deity, while carrying the theme for this year’s Miss Engineering: “Self-Empowerment”.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/UPMissEngg

Mar 4:

Engineering Week Afterparty (TBA, 7 PM onwards)

This will serve as the awards night for the whole of Engineering Week 2017, as well as the after-party of the week-long event with the theme “Sinulog” or street party. Everyone from the Engineering community is invited to attend a night full of enjoyment and celebration for everything that encompasses Engineering Week 2017. A short program will signify the start of the event to be followed by the awarding of the Top 10 and special awards by popular demand, and capped off with a party.

Nature of the event: All events are open to the public. Some may require tickets for attending the event. You may visit their facebook pages for details.

This event is co- presented to you by Maxx Gum and Payless Xtra Big Pancit Canton.

In cooperation with Kratos Strong Coffee.

Also brought to you by 100 Plus and Sound Brothers Inc.

Special thanks to Andy Cola, Cosé, King Sue, Rebisco, MicroCadd, Kalibrr and RedBull.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/UpEnggWeek.

DICT and PCTO to Hold First Philippine Telecommunications Summit on March 9 and 10

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“The consensus among all players is to work on concrete solutions. It will not be a blame game. This way, we will be able to move forward and fast track ICT,” shared Eric De Los Reyes, Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO), during the Press Briefing of the first ever Philippine Telecoms Summit. Held at Via Mare Restaurant, on February 22, 2017, the media briefing was attended by heads of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and PCTO, and representatives from Globe Telecom and Smart Communications.

PCTO, in partnership with DICT and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), brings together the Telecommunications Industry’s stakeholders, comprising of government agencies and regulators, industry players, experts, and consumers in one event to address the problems and issues surrounding the state of Telecommunications in the country today.

The PH Telecoms Summit will address three main concerns: Cost, Coverage, and Speed of telecommunication services in the country, and how these can be fixed with the cooperation of all stakeholders. Representatives from the different interest groups will be given the opportunity to deliver their concerns and establish dialogue with all the participants. DICT Secretary Rodolfo A. Salalima promises that the Summit will be a no-holds-barred discussion; “I want the problems and challenges all out during the Summit, because if not, we will not know how to find a solution,” he added during the Briefing.

“The problem of one is the problem of all,” reiterated the Secretary, emphasizing the shared responsibilities among the government, the private, and the public sectors. With the goal of using Telecommunications as a tool for Nation Building, the two-day summit serves as a vehicle towards better internet and telecoms services.

Secretary Salalima concluded his statement with a message: “You have the power to use ICT as an enabler for education, enterprise, governance, and social empowerment.”

The Philippine Telecoms Summit 2017 will be held on March 9 and 10, 2017 at The PICC Forum, Pasay City, Manila. Follow DICT on Facebook, Twitter, and http://dict.gov.ph/ for updates.