Flyweight Title Picture Hangs in the Balance for Danny Kingad in Macau

Wazzup Pilipinas!

ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER in Macau, China on June 23 is one of the deepest cards from top to bottom offered by ONE Championship for its 24-event calendar this 2018.

From the preliminary portion to the main card of ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER, there are plenty of bouts with championship and ranking implications, including the three-round flyweight encounter between former title contender Danny Kingad and Chinese prospect Ma Hao Bin.

The winner of the aforementioned 61.2-kilogram tussle could earn a shot at the ONE Flyweight World Championship, which will be on the line in the main event of ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER as Adriano Moraes is slated to duke it out with Geje Eustaquio in a much-awaited rematch and title unification contest.

Kingad is now trying to build some momentum towards a second crack at the ONE Flyweight World Championship, while Ma has aced six of his assignments since joining the promotion in 2016.

However, the 22-year-old Baguio City native finds himself in a peculiar position if he and his teammate Eustaquio will walk out of the Studio City Event Center with respective victories.

Kingad knows that he has to be relegated to a gatekeeping role if Eustaquio will be successful in unifying both titles against Moraes at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER.

“I will be super happy for coach Geje if he wins the match in Macau. It’s an honor to be competing alongside him on June 23. I’ve learned a lot of things from him. For this training camp, I’ve spent more time with him. I want him to win the title,” he said.

Although he could be knocking on the door for a world title shot again with a decisive win over Ma, Kingad stressed that he will gladly play gatekeeper to Eustaquio.

“I don’t mind filling that role if ever he wins against Adriano Moraes. He is my senior, and we are teammates. He is like a brother to me,” he stated. “I am still young. I believe that my time will come.”

Kingad is not fond of the idea of squaring off with Eustaquio for the flyweight crown, pointing out that he would not trade his treasured friendship with his Team Lakay comrade for a shot at the world title.

“That's not going to happen. We always go at it in practice anyway. I'm happy that I get to spar with him all the time because he pushes me to the limit. We push each other, and we push each other to the next level,” he shared.

“I will support coach Geje all the way. For now, I'll just keep getting better as a competitor. I'll wait for my time,” Kingad added.

Following an unsuccessful challenge for the ONE Flyweight World Championship this past November against Moraes, which ended in his first professional defeat, Kingad rebounded with an impressive triumph over a battle-tested veteran in Sotir Kichukov four months later.

Kingad seeks to sustain his winning groove in ONE Championship as he is set to take on Ma, a Chinese national freestyle wrestling champion with a mixed martial arts record of 11-2.

Diligently preparing under the tutelage of head coach Mark Sangiao at Team Lakay in Baguio City, Kingad is fully aware of his opponent’s capabilities.

“Training is, as usual, very tough. We are drilling very hard each and every day. I am still working on all areas, be it my striking or my grappling,” he mentioned.

“Knowing my opponent is a good wrestler, however, I am particularly working on my takedown defense for this match. I want to keep this fight standing, so I have worked very hard on my takedown defense,” Kingad explained further.

Despite the threat that Ma poses in the grappling department, Kingad assured that he is comfortable wherever the bout goes on June 23.

“I want to test his stand-up game. I believe I am stronger, faster, and more explosive than he is,” he disclosed. “I am definitely going for a knockout in this match. However, if he does take me to the ground, I will be ready for anything.”

Kingad believes that his in-ring meeting with Ma at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER is a must-win clash as he embarks on a hazy road towards the organization’s flyweight championship.

“I must win this bout because honestly, I don’t know what the future holds. What if we don’t get the result that we want for coach Geje? I am ready to step up. I cannot wait to get right back in there and make another run at the title. I know things will be very different next time,” he ended.

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Five Filipino Films Featured in 21st Shanghai International Film Festival

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Five (5) Filipino films will be competing and screening at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) in China starting June 16, 2018. SIFF is one of the largest film festivals in Asia and has prominently featured Filipino films in the past, with last year’s top prize, Golden Goblet, awarded to Pauwi Na by Paolo Villaluna.

This year, two (2) films will be competing at the Asian New Talent – RESPETO and Nervous Translation. These films bagged nominations in the following categories: Best Cinematographer for Dennese Victoria, Jippy Pascua of Nervous Translation; Best Scriptwriter for Shireen Seno of Nervous Tranlation, Best Director for Treb Monteras II of RESPETO; Best Actor for Abra of RESPETO; and Best Actress for Jana Agoncillo of Nervous Translation.

At the Panorama Section, Smaller and Smaller Circles by Raya Martin and I’m Drunk, I Love You by JP Habac will be screened. Raya Martin is also this year’s member of the Jury for Asian New Talent.

Finally, the Belt and Road Film Week will screen Neomanila by Mikhail Red.

“It's always thrilling to learn that these films continue to go around the world as proudly showcased in international film festivals. We wish our Filipino films the best of luck in SIFF,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

Chairperson Diño herself is participating in SIFF as a speaker at the High Level Forum on the Cultural and Economic Importance of Film and the Role Of Copyright hosted by the World IP Organization on June 19-20. Meanwhile, QCinema Festival Director Ed Lejano will be a part of The Belt and Road Summit to discuss enhancing cooperation through festival programming.

The 21st Shanghai International Film Festival in China runs from June 16 to June 25, 2018.

Four Korean Firms View USD 4.4B Investment in PH Energy Sector

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Four Korean firms have expressed their intention to invest a total of USD4.4 billion in various energy projects in the Philippines, Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi today said.

The four firms: SK Engineering & Construction, Sy Enc Co., Ltd., BKS Energy Industry Ltd., and SK E&S, formally submitted their letters of intent during the Philippines-Korea Business Forum and Luncheon, which is part of the activities included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s official visit to the Republic of Korea.

“We welcome these investments, especially as we anticipate the growth of our economy and expected demand due to the government’s Build Build Build Program,” Cusi said, after receiving the letters of intent from the companies in South Korea.

SK Engineering & Construction, an EPC contractor in the Philippines, submitted its proposal for a coal-fired power plant and plans to expand its operations amounting to more than USD 2 billion in Quezon province. An EPC contractor normally handles all activities from design, procurement, construction, commissioning up to the handover of the project to the end-user or owner.

The power project in Quezon is expected to create at least 3,000 jobs per year during the construction period, and a total of 600 jobs per year during its operations.

On the other hand, Sy Enc Co., a renewable energy firm, submitted a proposal for a wind power generation project. The company plans to expand its operations amounting to over USD 255 million in the Philippines, which is projected to generate 10,000 jobs.

For its part, BKS Energy Industry Ltd. submitted a proposal for solar power generation and is looking at investing USD 500 million in the Philippines, which is projected to generate more or less 1,000 jobs per year.

SK E&S, which engages in the business of power generation, district energy, and city gas in both Korea and overseas, submitted its proposal for an LNG terminal hub. The company is planning to invest USD 1.6 billion, which they projected to generate 2,200 jobs during the construction period.

“We are expecting more Korean firms to express their interest in investing in Philippine energy projects. We are hoping that this will result in a more robust energy sector for the country, help our job generation efforts and boost our economy,” Cusi added.