Defeating Adriano Moraes will be Ultimate Career Highlight for ‘King of Rematch’ Geje Eustaquio

Wazzup Pilipinas!

If based on the old idiom “Second time’s the charm,” it would be​ the perfect ​embodiment to depict Filipino superstar Geje Eustaquio’s professional mixed martial arts career as Lady Luck seems to be on his side in every rematch that he has had.

Out of 16 bouts in his seven-year prizefighting stint, Eustaquio has shared the stage with the same foe on two occasions, walking out in both instances with his arm raised in triumph.

After dropping a split decision to Anatpong Bunrad in April 2015, Eustaquio settled the score with his arch-nemesis two years later by edging out the Thai hard-hitter with his own split decision victory.

Meanwhile, Eustaquio clinched the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship, toppling Kazakh rival Kairat Akhmetov by way of five-round unanimous decision in a second encounter this past January.

“Winning the world title is a dream come true for me. Ever since I started my professional career, the goal was to be a world champion. Now, that goal is a reality,” Eustaquio stated.

Believing that it could be sweeter the second time around, the 29-year-old Baguio City native seeks to replicate the same magic as he is slated to lock horns once again with Brazilian flyweight kingpin Adriano Moraes.

Both men are scheduled to face each other in a world title unification clash at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER, which takes place at the Studio City Event Center in Macau, China on June 23.

“There were lots of trials and challenges. My path was not the easiest, but I always knew what I had to do to achieve it. Like I always say, it’s either you win or you learn. I learned from my past failures. And here I am today. That’s the secret to my success,” Eustaquio shared.

“On June 23, I have a tough task in front of me. However, it is still an opportunity for me, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. On that date, it’s my opportunity to become the undisputed champion of this division. And I am coming for it,” he added.

Eustaquio and Moraes stood opposite each other for the first time in September 2014 when the two collided for the inaugural ONE Flyweight World Championship.

Moraes derailed Eustaquio’s championship aspirations as he found a way to counteract his opponent’s striking prowess in the second round and then forced the 5-foot-5 Team Lakay representative to wave the white flag with a guillotine choke.

Eustaquio admitted that it was a tough defeat to digest, but he pointed out that he took a lot away from it by viewing it as a learning curve.

“That loss has taught me a lot. Ever since then, I have worked extensively in improving in all areas,” he said. “I have worked extremely hard to get to this point because deep inside, I knew we would meet again. Now I can finally give him a better fight.”

Since his initial meeting with Moraes almost four years ago, Eustaquio stressed that he has grown tremendously as he has matured and expanded his skillset.

“I have evolved as a martial artist since we first met inside the cage in 2014. I know that it will be different in the rematch against Adriano Moraes. The second bout against Kairat Akhmetov is a testament that I am no longer a one-dimensional fighter. I trusted my team, and in the bout against Akhmetov, one of the things we worked on was how to bring the bout back to the feet,” he explained.

In his upcoming rematch, Eustaquio expects that the Brazilian submission specialist may look to focus on using his other skills.

“This time around, I have a feeling we will be standing more. I think he will want to stand and trade with me to test his striking,” he reasoned. “If the going gets rough, then he can focus on taking it to the mat. The same principle applies to me. I want to test my Jiu-Jitsu skills too, and what better opponent than Adriano Moraes to do so against?”

According to Eustaquio, defeating Moraes to become the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion would be the proudest moment of his career.

“This rematch is very big. It is the biggest of my career, no doubt. I am treating this bout as the most significant of my time as a professional mixed martial artist, but because of my hard work and preparations, all that is left is to give the performance of a lifetime,” 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 athttps://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

DOTr, CAAP Inaugurate Rehabilitated Virac Airport

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) inaugurated today the newly-rehabilitated passenger terminal building (PTB) of the Virac Airport.

Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, DOTr Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Manuel Antonio Tamayo, CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, Philippine Airforce Commanding General Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar, Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua, and Virac Mayor Samuel Laynes, led the inauguration.

The construction for the terminal rehabilitation project began in January 2016, and involved turning the old design of the passenger terminal building into a modernized structure.

The PhP39 million project, whose initial completion date was on July 20, 2016, was suspended on May 23, 2016 after additional retrofitting works were considered necessary to provide stability for the old building originally built in 1963. It was suspended once again in December 2016 due to damages brought by Typhoon “Nina,” resulting in added PhP4.5 million in cost to repair the passenger terminal building.

The rehabilitation project was finally completed on May 24, 2018. 

“When President Duterte appointed us in his Cabinet, he gave us one important directive— ensure that we make the Filipino comfortable. That is why we continue to build, build, and build. We build to enhance mobility and connectivity, not just to improve movement of transportation of people and goods, nor just to improve travel. We do this to enhance the Filipino’s way of life,” Sec. Tugade said.

With the inauguration of the rehabilitated passenger terminal building, Virac Airport will increase its capacity from 100 passengers to 300 passengers. The ground floor and second floor pre-departure areas have been expanded, and the arrival area in the ground floor has also been rehabilitated.

Gigmoto Mayor Ding Guerrero, Baras Mayor Chito Chi, Bagamanoc Mayor Remigio Villaluna, Caramoran Mayor Agnes Popa, and San Andres Mayor Peter Cua, DOTr Asec for Maritime Andoy Perez, and PPA General Manager Jay Santiago were also present at the inauguration

Virac Airport is the only airport serving the island province of Catanduanes. It started its operations in 1946 as a feeder airport with its first commercial flight landing in 1947 and its first private aircraft flight landing in 1947. On October 27, 2013, Cebu Pacific launched the first Airbus flight to Virac and its Manila-Virac-Manila route every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. In December 2017, Philippine Airlines launched its Clark-Virac-Clark route every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Explore the World of Food Franchising at MAFBEX 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Back to serve up another exciting round of gastronomic excitement this June is the highly-anticipated 12th edition of the Manila Food and Beverage Expo (MAFBEX). Organized by MAFBEX Events Management, a subsidiary of Worldbex Services International, and presented in cooperation with the Young Hoteliers Exposition (YHE) and the Organization of Bar Professionals (OBP), this year’s MAFBEX aims to take show attendees on the “Ultimate Foodventure” by bringing together the finest food and beverage innovations from here and around the world.

Guaranteed to unleash the foodie out of every Filipino are over 500 booths by close to 300 exhibitors who will collectively showcase the widest array of F&B items across the massive 15,000sqm venue of the show. With representatives from countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam, this year’s MAFBEX is expected to offer a wealth of tastes and flavors that are bold and distinct as they are familiar and comforting.

But more than just a haven for those with an insatiable appetite for good food, MAFBEX 2018 is an advantageous event for investors and trade players alike who are in search of the latest ventures in the F&B trade. In particular, one highlight that has consistently drawn business minded foodies is the Franchising Zone, a designated area which hosts various food cart/stall businesses that are open for franchising.

Get to know more some of the franchise businesses that will be participating at MAFBEX 2018!

Iyah’s Ice Cream Milkshake
In a tropical county such as the Philippines, it comes as no surprise that people can’t get enough of Iyah’s Ice Cream Milkshake. Add to that the fact that its milkshake menu comes in a wide variety of flavors that were carefully developed and refined to suit the various tastes of customers.

Franchising rate: P345,000


Master Siomai
Over the years, this humble siomai food cart has garnered a loyal following for its tasty dimsum selections that perfectly cater to the Filipino taste bud. Apart from selling ready-to-eat dimsum fare, Master Siomai also specializes in the production and distribution of processed meat such as ham, siomai, and etc.

Franchising rate: Master Siomai (P280,000), Master Tempura (P150,000). Rates include all equipment and staff uniform.


     
Crazy Tako Food Cart
With takoyaki carts sprouting everywhere across the country, there’s no doubt that Filipinos simply can’t get enough of this savory Japanese street grub. However, not all takoyakis are created equal. Seeking to provide Filipinos with an authentic takoyaki experience without having to go to Japan, Crazy Tako Food Cart was born. In fact, the first batch of ingredients used by Crazy Tako were flown directly from Osaka! Today, Crazy Tako is proving that good food need not be expensive. All it takes is a genuine dedication to perfect and refine the food that you are serving your customers.

Franchising rate: P250,000


RNL Food Concepts (Snack-A-Ttack)
The reason why a lot of people love street food is because it satiates hunger conveniently, innovatively, and above all, without burning a hole in your pocket. But with all the street food trends that are on offer these days, this simple concept somehow gets lost along the way. Aiming to bring back the essence of what street food is really all about and turning it into something absolutely unique is Snack-A-Ttack. For only P29 pesos, you can already enjoy a snack and a drink that are conveniently combined in one handy snack pack – perfect for when you’re on-the-go!

Franchising rate: P399,000 (food cart), P999,000 (café type).


Lugaw ni Bossing
You can never go wrong with lugaw! But what makes Lugaw ni Bossing unique is that not only it serves its variants hot, clean, and fresh but also with various options for toppings such as Adobong Tito or Matres ng Baboy, Adobong Paa ng Manok as well as other lugaw varieties like Lugaw with tuyo and Gotuyo.

Franchising rate: P200,000-230,000


JC Worldwide Franchise Inc.
You might not have heard of JC Worldwide but you’d be surprised to know that it is the company behind some of the most popular food stalls/carts in the country such as Burger Factory, Siomai King, Sgt. Sisig, Siopao da King, and Noodle House – all of which owes its premium quality to the company’s commitment to use quality ingredients every day.

Franchising rate: P158,888


Bringing people more than just food finds, MAFBEX 2018 is the most ideal place to explore various food business opportunities. The 12th MAFBEX is happening on June 13 to 17 from 10:00am to 7:00pm at the World Trade Center Manila.

MAFBEX is for the benefit of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. For more information, follow @mafbex.ph on instagram and the Manila Food and Beverage Expo fan page on facebook or call (02) 6569239 or email info.worldbex@gmail.com.