Kevin Belingon Domonates Martin Nguyen to Win One Interim Bantamweight World Championship

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), electrified the packed Mall of Asia Arena with another evening of authentic world-class martial arts action. The state-of-the-art showground played host to ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent. In the main event, hometown hero Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of Baguio City, Philippines overcame a stiff challenge from two-division ONE World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, winning by unanimous decision to claim the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

In the main event of ONE: REIGN OF KINGS, Filipino dynamo Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon derailed Martin Nguyen’s goal to become a three-division world champion by outclassing the ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion with his striking superiority. With his hometown crowd cheering behind him, Belingon effortlessly picked Nguyen apart in the stand-up, jolting the two-division titleholder with stunning left hooks and perfectly-executed spinning back kicks. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Belingon to win by unanimous decision after an intense five-round affair, bringing home the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

Kevin Belingon, ONE Interim Bantamweight World Champion, stated: “I can’t explain this feeling, I’m the happiest athlete tonight. Thank you to all the people who came out to support me, and of course to ONE Championship, my team, my coaches and trainers, and my teammates. To Martin [Nguyen], it was an honor fighting you. You’re such a great athlete and champion. I trained very hard for this fight, just to get this belt. I’m proud to be a champion representing the Philippines. My friend Bibiano [Fernandes], I respect him as a champion, but we’re in the same weight class and I’m the top contender. So there is no escape in facing me. I hope you recover fast and we can make the fight this year.”

In the co-main event of the evening, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan smoothly steered to a first-round stoppage victory over Thai martial arts superstar Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai. It quickly became the beginning of the end for Wiratchai just minutes into the first round, as he was effortlessly taken down by Aoki. On the mat, Aoki barely gave Wiratchai room to breathe, raining down a torrent of punishing elbows that compelled the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest. The victory earned Aoki GoDaddy Knockout of the Night honors.

Brazilian legend Renzo Gracie made a triumphant return to mixed martial arts competition after eight long years, having his hand raised in victory at the expense of Japanese martial arts pioneer Yuki Kondo. Following a lengthy feeling-out process between the two grizzled veterans in the first round, Gracie shifted gears in the second frame and immediately drove his foe to the mat. Taking Kondo’s back, Gracie fastened a wrenching rear naked choke with no hesitation, which left his opponent no choice but to tap.

Hometown hero Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines turned in another complete performance, earning a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Aziz Pahrudinov of Russia. Folayang operated behind a relentless stream of leg kicks that left Pahrudinov hampered throughout the three-round contest. Connecting on his combinations with laser-like precision, Folayang dominated the bout as the three judges sitting cageside awarded him the victory.

International grappling superstar Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States was successful in his second appearance in the ONE Championship cage, defeating Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju of India via submission in round three. After testing his striking abilities for the majority of the first two rounds, Tonon went back to his strengths in the third, taking the action to the canvas where he fastened a deep rear naked choke to seal the deal.

After falling short in his ONE Super Series debut two months ago, two-time Muay Thai World Champion Chris Ngimbi sought the redemption that he desired, edging out Armen Petrosyan via split decision in their three-round catch weight kickboxing showdown. Although Petrosyan kept himself aggressive all throughout the contest, Ngimbi landed the more telling blows from bell to bell, which was enough to persuade two of three cageside judges to score in his favor.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, former ONE Warrior Series entrant Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus earned a unanimous decision victory over Han Zi Hao of China after a gruelling three-round affair. Operating behind a sound game plan and well-placed strikes, Yusuf countered Han consistently with a myriad of combinations off the back foot. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Yusuf.

Former ONE World Title challenger Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines notched his third-straight victory, authoring a spectacular submission victory over rising Thai superstar Pongsiri Mitsatit in the first round. After an emphatic slam to the canvas, Pacio finished the job with a straining armlock, leaving Mitsatit with no other choice but to tap.

Former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai of Thailand showcased his world-class striking skills, defeating challenger Brown Pinas of the Netherlands via unanimous decision. Making his ONE Super Series debut, Chamuaktong dazzled, putting his treacherous Muay Thai clinch game on full display, while connecting on a plethora of elbows and knees from close quarters. All three judges scored the bout in favor of Chamuaktong after three rounds.

Filipino martial arts veteran Rene Catalan emerged as an early crowd favorite, bringing the Mall of Asia Arena crowd to their feet with a rousing performance. Over the course of three rounds, Catalan exhibited dynamic striking, feints, sweeping low leg kicks, and a powerful left hook that had highly-regarded opponent Stefer Rahardian of Indonesia in trouble on multiple occasions. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Catalan to win by unanimous decision.

Kicking off ONE: REIGN OF KINGS was Chinese featherweight sensation “The Stalker” Xie Bin. After a brief grappling exchange on the mat, Xie made quick work of Cambodia’s Sor Sey, finishing with a deep guillotine choke that put his opponent to sleep early in the first round.

Official results for ONE: REIGN OF KINGS

ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship bout: Kevin Belingon defeats Martin Nguyen by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki defeats Shannon Wiratchai by TKO (Strikes) at 2:16 minutes of round 1

Welterweight bout: Renzo Gracie defeats Yuki Kondo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:40 minutes of round 2

Lightweight bout: Eduard Folayang defeats Aziz Pahrudinov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Lightweight bout: Garry Tonon defeats Rahul Raju by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:27 minutes of round 3

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Catch Weight (72.5kg) bout: Chris Ngimbi defeats Armen Petrosyan by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Bantamweight bout: Panicos Yusuf defeats Han Zi Hao by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Joshua Pacio defeats Pongsiri Mitstatit by Submission (Armlock) at 3:37 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series (Muay Thai) Catch Weight (68.0kg) bout: Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai defeats Brown Pinas by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Stefer Rahardian by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Featherweight bout: Xie Bin defeats Sor Sey by Submission (Guillotine) at 1:55 minutes of round 1

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.

Visit the official ONE: REIGN OF KINGS photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

Benilde Film Tops IUF, Next Competes at Gawad Alternatibo

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A short film about a 25-year-old lesbian, who is having a hard time coming to terms with her traditional Filipino father, won Best Feature and five other awards in the Indie Un-Film Festival 2018 last July 21 at the Br. Andrew Gonzales Hall, De La Salle University.

Sa Pag-agos ng Panahon, a capstone project of Annika Yañez and Janna Lejano under the Digital Filmmaking program of the DLS-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, also won Best Direction for Yañez, Best Cinematography and Best Editing for Lejano, Best Actor for Chase Salazar and Best Soundtrack for song composer M Laciste, song arranger Nick Lazaro and sound mixer and designer Veronica Valdez. 

Yañez, who graced the awards night with Lejano, thanked the organizers “for giving young filmmakers the opportunity to share our art to a bigger crowd, and for inspiring all of us to keep creating films – no matter how bizarre, vulnerable, charged they may be.” 

Meanwhile, Sa Gabing Tanging Liwanag ay Paniniwala, an entry from Far Eastern University, bagged Best Pamana Film, Best Cinematography for Rommel Ruiz, Best Production Design for Ron Alos and Best Sound Design for James Manalili. The inaugural Pamana category aims to bring forth stories of Filipino heritage and culture. 

Directed by Francis Guillermo, the film revolves around the continuous disappearances of townsfolk, prompting the local chieftain to find out who is behind it and where they are being brought. Upon conducting a search, he and his son came across a mysterious answer.

Another FEU short film, Dama directed by Trish Ruedas Antonio, bagged Best Production Design for Reopaolo Nuñez and Best Actor for Rolando Inocencio in the Feature category. Inocencio plays a father who adopts a stray child to cope with his son’s death in a crisis-ridden world.

The three films will next vie for awards in the 30th Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, also known as Gawad Alternatibo, from August 4 to 6 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Tanghalang Manuel Conde or CCP Dream Theater.
Also in the Feature category, James Allen Fajardo's Ang Lalaking May Regla sa Gitna ng Dagat won Special Jury Prize and Best Screenplay. In the film, a fishing community faces an impending demolition when the landowner plans to turn the place into a beach resort. One of the fisherfolks is a teenage boy who had a menstruation in the middle of fishing. Fellow UP Diliman films Bago and Kasama Ng Paglisan ang Pag-alala at Paglimot won Best Sound Design for Alejo Barbaza and Best Actor for Ruby Ruiz, respectively.

Al Basir from the Lyceum of the Philippines University won for Best Direction for Raymond Cultura and Best Editing for Ralph Quijano in the Pamana category.

Mapua University's entry Dory, which is about a 101-year-old transwoman who walks around the streets of Tondo, topped the Documentary category and bagged Best Direction for Beverly Ramos, Best Editing for Kristian Palma, and IUF People's Choice award.
Si Baste, a documentary on the 127-year old all-steel Basilica of San Sebastian, brought home Best Sound Design for Xamantha Asdisen from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Deane Marie Yase of UP Cebu won Best Cinematography in the same category for Unscathed, which tells the story of resilience of the victims of the recent Pasil Fire.

Vince Entuna from UP Diliman won Best Experimental Film, Best Direction, Best Production Design and Best Sound Design for Ang Lisyang Edukasyon ng Pilipinas while John Peter Chua of Ateneo de Manila University won Best Cinematography and Best Editing for Liyag.
In the Music Video category, Ghost won Best Direction for Aaliyah Ybañez, Best Editing for Miggy Arnonobal, and Best Production Design for the UPD entry while Riel Louise Castalone of DLS Lipa took home Best Cinematography for A Place Somewhere.
Organized by the DLSU Green Media Group, the 15th annual intercollegiate digital film festival celebrates film by showcasing the competition’s finalists and a plenary talk involving the country’s renowned filmmakers. The IUF talks, held last July 14 at Warehouse Eight in Chino Roces Avenue, had award-winning scriptwriter Clodualdo "Doy" del Mundo Jr. and filmmakers Antoinette Jadaone, Pepe Diokno, Ice Idanan and Kaj Palanca as speakers. 

The award-winning entries will again be screened on August 3, Friday, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Waldo Perfecto Seminar Room, Ground Floor, Br. Connon Hall, DLSU. For tickets, visit the DLSU GMG booth at 5F Artist Commons of the same hall. Interested parties may also visit www.indieunfilmfestival.com or contact Jenni at 0915-1291021. 

BDO Bares Ways to Thwart Phishing

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

BDO Unibank said there are scams now circulating through email which attempt to lure bank clients into giving out their internet banking ID, password, bank account number, credit card account number, and other confidential information.

Known as "phishing", these email scams are designed to obtain sensitive banking information and other personal data from unsuspecting clients, with the objective of committing fraud or theft.

The email messages usually contain links that, when clicked, may lead clients to what appears to be their bank’s Internet banking login page/website. Some links may generate a pop-up window requesting clients to enter confidential personal and financial information.

BDO is taking extra measures to thwart if not minimize the impact of the said fraudulent activity such as monitoring the Internet for the phony messages and sites, and implementing additional authentication procedures.

Tomas Victor Mendoza, senior vice president of BDO transaction banking group, said the bank has already taken actions but would like to remind the clients to exercise caution in providing personal and financial information on suspicious sites and to check for signs of fraud.

"We urge our clients and the public to be vigilant when banking online to prevent their critical information or their funds from being compromised,” Mendoza said.

He added, "To protect the clients against these email scams, we advise them to be alert to any type of communication that solicits information about their account."

Following these reminders would be useful:

•        BDO will never contact clients by phone or emails to ask for confidential and sensitive information such as Internet banking Username, Password or One-Time Password.

•        Likewise, the Bank will never ask clients to change their password through an email request. The change of Internet banking passwords should be done only after they have successfully logged on to the secure BDO online banking sites. Please do not respond to emails requesting for the above information.

•        Watch out for URL redirects where the objective is to divert clients to a different website with identical design.

•        Do not click on any link provided by such emails. Make sure to personally type the website address (or URL) in the address bar of the browser to get the desired website.

•        If clients suspect that an email they have received is an attempt to phishing, please report immediately by forwarding the said email toReportPhishing@bdo.com.ph and if clients think they may have responded to a suspicious e-mail, change their password as soon as possible by logging in to BDO Personal Online Banking.

Mendoza underscored that the clients' best defense against fraud is to keep their personal and financial information confidential at all times.