Signing of Taguig City of Paris Declaration to Fast-Track Cities: Ending the AIDS Epidemic

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Paris Declaration aims for cities to achieve the 90-90-90 target by 2020. 90% of people living with HIV know their HIV status; 90% of people living with HIV avail of treatment; and 90% of people on treatment are able to suppressed viral loads. This is anchored further on a vision to end AIDS by 2030, globally.

This declaration intends to stop all new HIV infections and avert AIDS-related deaths, including deaths caused by tuberculosis. It also envisions to end stigma and discrimination. It aims that every person in each city must have access to life-saving HIV and tuberculosis prevention, treatment, care and support services.

In July, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) composed of 145 member-cities pledged to fast-track the AIDS response in the cities, by signing a partnership agreement with UNAIDS to take actions and make investments which would contribute to reducing the number of new HIV infections in the country. The City of Taguig will formalize its commitment by signing the Paris Declaration.

Moreover, the event will also officially launch the Call for Nomination of the 2018 Ripple Awards under the Love Gala, a union of HIV and AIDS advocacy groups, government agencies, businesses, media agencies and socio-civic partners united in stopping the spread of HIV and ending the AIDS epidemic. This also includes the launching of new ambassador of Love Gala and Ripple Awards alongside with Miss Universe 2015 and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. 

Resource Speakers:

1) Maria Laarni "Lani" Lopez Cayetano - Mayor of Taguig City

2) Dr. Louie Ocampo, Country Director, UNAIDS Philippines

3) Dr. Corazon Flores, NCR Regional Health Office Director

4) Catriona Elisa Gray - Miss Universe-Philippines 2018, and Love Gala and Ripple Awards

5) JC Santos - Actor and HIV Advocacy Celebrity Ambassador

6) Ronivin Pagtakhan - Executive Director of LoveYourself Inc., a member of the Love Gala Secretariat.

No More Detours: Kevin Belingon's Sights Firmly Set on Bibiano Fernandes and the ONE Bantamweight World Championship

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Six years since his ONE Championship debut, Team Lakay’s Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon is finally a World Champion in the martial arts promotion.

At ONE: REIGN OF KINGS last 27 July, in front of a partisan pro-Philippines crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, Belingon defeated reigning ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen to capture the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship.

For Belingon, it was a childhood dream come true.

“I can’t explain this feeling. I’m the happiest athlete tonight,” Belingon said during the post-match interview. “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,”

With the win, Belingon becomes the fifth Filipino to capture ONE World Championship gold, as he joins reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera, as well as Team Lakay stablemates in reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje ‘Gravity’ Eustaquio, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard ‘Landslide’ Folayang, and former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio ‘The Rock’ Banario.

And while making history as a world champion is indeed a prestigious feat, even more important for Belingon is that he’s finally secured his spot as the next person to challenge reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes.

Fernandes is currently recovering from an injury, and when the most dominant champion in ONE Championship history finally returns, Belingon will be right there, waiting for his rematch.

“I respect [Bibiano] as a champion, but we are in the same weight class, and I am the top contender, so there is no escape in facing me. I hope you recover fast, and that we can make the fight this year.” Belingon said.

Belingon and Fernandes first shared the cage back in January of 2016 at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS, in Changsha, China, with Fernandes retaining the title via a first-round submission win.

The loss did nothing but fuel Belingon’s world championship dreams even more, and the road back to the championship picture was a long one for the 30-year old, who had to run through a gauntlet of former world title contenders and a two-division champion in a just under two years.

Currently riding six straight victories dating back to October of 2016, Belingon has taken out the likes of Toni Tauru, Reece ‘Lightning’ McLaren, Andrew Leone, and Nguyen, pretty much a who’s-who in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division.

“I have faced many tough opponents leading up to this interim title, and I believe I have earned my spot to face Bibiano again,” Belingon said in an interview with ONE Championship’s official website (ONEFC.com).

Now, the Baguio City native has his sights firmly set on Fernandes and the ONE Bantamweight World Championship. Nothing else, no one else.

“I am looking forward to our rematch. No more detours. Bibiano should be next, and I fully expect to be facing him soon.”

Surely, ‘soon’ can’t fast enough for Belingon, but the reality is that he’ll have to wait for Fernandes to be cleared to compete.

In the meantime however, the newly-crowned interim champion could use some time off as well, to heal up before getting back to business.

He is, after all, coming off a tough five-round main event.

“Right now, I am just focused on resting and healing my body. I am pretty banged up. My ankle and shin are bruised, and they need time to recover,” Belingon said.

“Once everything is good to go, then I will be back in training. But for now, I am going to enjoy the rest. It still has not sunk in that I am a World Champion.” He continued.

While indeed, the record books will show that Belingon has already held world championship gold, the Filipino star knows in himself that there’s still one more bit of work to be done, and that’s to avenge his loss to Fernandes and become the undisputed ONE Bantamweight World Champion.

“Until I beat Bibiano, [however], I will always feel like there is unfinished business to take care of.”

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.

I-de-defund na ‘yan!: #ZeroBudgetPCOO Trends on Twitter

Wazzup Pilipinas!

#ZeroBudgetPCOO hit the number two spot on Twitter trends with netizens calling to defund the Presidential Communications Operations Office after another mishap. 

The reaction came after Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson posted a live video of a game show which aimed to raise awareness on federalism. Asec. Uson posted on her Facebook page an episode of “Good News Game Show” with Drew Olivar, a fellow blogger, who danced at the start of the show to the chant of “Ipepe, ipepe, idede, idede, ipederalismo!” 

“#ZeroBudgetPCOO becoming the top trending topics in Twitter last night only proves the fact that the PCOO has already lost its credibility in the eyes of the public.” Akbayan Youth leader Nathan Austria said.

https://twitter.com/NathanAust/status/1026396867548987395

Akbayan Youth filed a petition to remove Asec. Uson from her post last April 2, 2018 at the Office of the Ombudsman. The group filed their position paper last June after the Ombudsman found “sufficient cause for further proceedings.”

https://twitter.com/raymondnaguit/status/1026397876115537920

“Ang kakapal ng mukha! Nanghihingi pa ng mas mataas na budget na 1.41 billion samantalang yung ibang ahensya na may pakinabang ay pababa ng pababa” Austria added.

https://twitter.com/justinebalaneee/status/1026294653602082816

https://twitter.com/MrFrankBaraan/status/1026440527951093760

“People are sick and tired of their continuous errors and mishaps so it’s time to make them accountable at the PCOO budget hearing that will happen on August 16, 2018 in Congress” Austria ended