MARINA, PCG Reinforce Partnership, Toughen Enforcement Over Domestic Ships

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reinforce its partnership to toughen the enforcement of maritime rules and regulations over domestic ships plying the Philippine seas.

The strengthening of MARINA-PCG partnership occurred at the two-day calibration workshop held in Manila, from 08 to 09 August 2018. The workshop aimed to synchronize the MARINA’s regulatory functions and PCG’s enforcement functions relative to the rules and regulations in promoting maritime safety and security.

At the calibration workshop, PCG personnel were briefed on various MARINA-issued certifications and/or documents. It also served as an avenue to raise common problems they encountered during inspections, such as the proliferation of fake documents.

MARINA and PCG work hand-in-hand in identifying possible improvements in domestic shipping regulations and in formulating solutions to advance their systems and processes. The calibration workshop was one of the moves in realizing these objectives.

“Ultimately, knowledge-sharing activities like this calibration workshop strengthen the collaboration between MARINA and PCG, as agents of the Philippine maritime industry”, MARINA Deputy Administrator for Operations Nanette Villamor-Dinopol said.

The calibration workshop focused on discussions about ship acquisition and accreditation of domestic shipping entities, ship registration and licensing, ship safety survey and safe manning requirement, implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM), and tonnage measurement, stability and load line survey, assignment, marking and certification.

Other issues including franchising, crew certification and documentation on-board domestic ships, and special permit for Philippine flag ships were also tackled. The PCG, for its part, conducted an actual presentation of its domestic vessels inspection procedure, for MARINA’s guidance.

Dreamscapes of Artist Perfecto Mercado Celebrated in Book, Exhibit

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The 151-page coffee table book on the late Kapampangan artist Perfecto Sablan Mercado, edited by Armando B. Burgos, former professor at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts (UPCFA), will be launched on August 25 at the Gateway Gallery, the art museum of Araneta Center.
QUEZON CITY—“It is time,” says art historian and museum curator Gari R. Apolonio on the publication of his book Dreamscapes: The Art of Perfecto Mercado.

The landmark book celebrates the “artistic achievements of a relatively unknown but relentless artist whose talent and body of work deserves exposure and recognition.”

The 151-page coffee table book on the late Kapampangan artist Perfecto Sablan Mercado, edited by Armando B. Burgos, former professor at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts (UPCFA), will be launched on August 25 at the Gateway Gallery, the art museum of Araneta Center.

The book launch coincides with the opening of a retrospective exhibit of Mercado’s “dream-making” that spanned 40 years.

Apolonio, a UPCFA alumnus, began working on the book in 2008 when Arnold Mercado, the eldest son of the Tarlac-born Perfecto Mercado, commissioned him “to provide a truthful and accurate documentation” of the life of Mercado and his “intriguing and breathtaking collection of work” that the public hardly saw when his father was still alive.

The growing admiration for Mercado in the art circle came to a halt due to a fatal stroke on March 30, 2011.

It was in the first decade of the twenty-first century that Mercado, born on August 4, 1950, produced his masterpieces, which Apolonio labeled as “Dreamscapes” or works depicting “new representations of landscapes, mindscapes or otherworldly vistas that are strangely familiar and deeply spiritual.”

This series of artworks is rich in colors, camouflages human figures, and connects the viewers to the “experience of the spiritual, the dream-like, and the magical.”

“Borne out of Mercado’s vivid spiritual dreams, the series that exhibits a mature style, deep intent, and technical mastery had a short run due to his passing,” said Apolonio.

He said many people have wondered how impressive his succeeding works could have been if Mercado were alive today.

Mercado did not see to fruition a landmark achievement in his career—his first solo exhibit at a major Philippine museum.

His son Arnold opened the Dreamscapes of Perfecto Mercado exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in September 2011 with prolific art historian Professor Santiago Albano Pilar as guest of honor.

Pilar then lauded Apolonio for his effort to bring to the public consciousness “underrated and under the radar artists who have immense talent” as it was also his advocacy.

“Art history should serve the needs of unknown yet talented artists like Mercado, who did not finish high school and had no formal studies in art,” said Pilar.

Sustained only by his passion for his art, Mercado was already 25 years old when he switched from painting movie billboards to fine art painting in 1975.

He was on his way to reaching his artistic summit when he passed on, but “his loved ones have made sure his art will be forever remembered through this book,” artist and art critic Cid Reyes wrote in the book’s foreword.

“As the reader turns each page, Apolonio serves as a curator and exhibition guide, enlightening, imparting analysis and drawing conclusions,” Reyes wrote.

“Upon reaching the end of the book, one realizes that, in fact, Apolonio has been a dutiful and sympathetic steward of the artistic legacy of Perfecto Mercado.”

While the book aims to inspire artists to strive for excellence and have unwavering commitment to art, Dreamscapes is also a testament to the struggles and triumphs of Mercado whose artistry was nurtured by a deep faith in God and devotion to family.

The book is published by Arnold Mercado through AT Mercado Publishing with photographs taken by book designer Denes Dasco and additional images by award-winning photographer Ruston P. Banal, both UPCFA alumni.

Dream-inspired works
Apolonio says that Mercado is a dream-inspired artist who painted what he dreamt, much like the weavers of the T'boli community who made weaving patterns out of their dreams.

He says that Mercado’s “innovative and fresh idiom” in his works is valuable for its “distinct style, technical excellence and value-laden intent.”

Lyrical and enigmatic, Mercado’s Dreamscapes represent the apogee of his art, says Apolonio.

“His large-scale Dreamscapes such as The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and Third Heaven are “breathtaking and hypnotic with their fine renderings of visual and actual textures, cleverly camouflaged faces and human forms, vividly soft colors and panoramic vistas.”

It is not surprising that Mercado caught the attention of other artists at the group shows he joined, including leading portrait artist Caloy Gabuco who admired the intensity of his brilliant colors and the minimal compositions of his landscapes.

For noted artist and art educator Buds Convocar, past president of the Art Association of the Philippines and the Saturday Group of Artists, Mercado is “a reflection of what a true Artist should be: passionate in his art, persistent in his vocation; an Artist who aims for perfection.”

Grandier Bella, UPCFA professor and a leading portraitist whose SiningSaysay painting is on permanent exhibit at the Gateway Gallery, is drawn to Mercado’s “strong, forceful focus on vibrant colors.”

“His use of the primary colors speaks of his passion for nature and life,” says Bella. “Some of his works, where he juxtaposes facial features with the surrounding composition, symbolizes his concern for the environment and our responsibility as stewards of nature.”

Support for regional artists
Apolonio says that Mercado’s works are some of the best accomplishments of a Filipino regional artist.

Mercado represents the unknown and unrecognized regional artists, many of whom are still struggling but who have much to offer.

“They reflect the authenticity of non-Manila art as they give color, flavor and richness to the creative landscape of the country,” says Apolonio.

“Like the book and exhibit on Mercado, the life and works of regional artists who are not as widely known as their Manila-based contemporaries must serve as impetus for documentation by art historians,” says Apolonio.

The retrospective exhibit, which presents a concisely comprehensive chronicle of Mercado’s artistic journey, also serves as the “actual equivalent” of the book, allowing the viewer to have a first-hand experience of his artworks, his major styles and its “colors, textures, and nuances.”

The exhibit will also feature Mercado’s old photographs, art paraphernalia, and a video material for a holistic perspective of his life and his art.

Professor Lucilo Sagayno of the University of San Carlos Department of Fine Arts says Mercado’s art is worth-seeing for they “could bring in certain realization on the part of the viewer who wants to probe the social values and messages of his unique paintings.”

Apolonio says that Mercado’s dream-making may have abruptly ended, but through the book and his body of work, extensions of his dreams and vision, his memory will be kept alive by their “sheer power and magic” and the support of his family, followers, and friends.

Gateway Gallery, located at the 5F, Gateway Tower, Araneta Center, is open from Monday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call 588-4000 local 8300, email gatewaygallery@aranetagroup.com or visit its social media sites GatewayGalleryPH on Facebook, gateway_gallery on Twitter and gateway.gallery on Instagram. Gateway Gallery is managed by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation.

For Inquiries, contact: Edwin P. Galvez, 09178302596|09998833946 | edwin.galvez@gmail.com or Gari R. Apolonio, 09167660753, gari.apolonio@yahoo.com

Captions:

Perfecto Mercado: Mercado at his studio in Capas, Tarlac in April 2010

Binhi: Binhi, oil on canvas, 122 x 152.4 cm, 2007, representing the peak of Mercado’s religious art, was featured in the book Philippine Art Now (2008) as depictive of realism “pertaining to the Kingdom of God as the tangible elements of nature”

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, oil on canvas, 102 x 229 cm, 2011, is among Mercado’s “breathtaking and mesmerizing” large-scale Dreamscapes

Jesus of Nazareth: Jesus of Nazareth, oil on canvas, 76 x 101 cm, 2007, part of Mercado’s stained glass series, is an “ingenious and modern representation of the timeless subject of a bruised but triumphant Christ.”

The Golfer: The Golfer, oil on canvas, 44.5 x 59 cm, 2003

Martial Arts: Celebrating Asia's Greatest Cultural Treasure

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In just seven short years, ONE Championship has evolved from a small mixed martial arts promotion in Singapore trying to make a dent, to what it is now: the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the undisputed premier martial arts organization in Asia.

From a combined ten events held in their first three years of existence, ONE has exploded into one of, if not the most active martial arts promotions in Asia, with a planned 24 events in 2018, and significantly more on tap in 2019.

Not bad for a company that began as an idea on a piece of paper, and ONE Championship founder Chatri Sityodtong says that they haven’t even scratched the surface.

“On day one, when it was just a piece of paper, and I wrote it on a Powerpoint presentation, this was my vision,” Sityodtong said. “Actually, we’re not even close to my vision yet.”

The promotion’s expansion and growth, dominating television viewership and social media metrics since their inception in 2011, has been nothing short of astounding.

Currently, ONE Championship can be seen on television sets across 138 countries and is followed by a potential 1.7 billion viewers on any given night.

On social media, ONE Championship is garnering a staggering 19 billion impressions across different social media platforms, a massive jump from what used to be an already-impressive 352 million impressions back in 2014.

All these considered, Sityodtong maintains that this is all just the the tip of the iceberg.

“My vision is for us to be a 20 billion dollar property on TV, on laptop, on mobile device, literally four billion people watching it, there’s a “Manny Pacquiao” in every single country, everyone is crazy about it, we have TV, movies, software, games, that was my vision. We’re still only a part-way of the vision.” Sitdyodtong continued.

And while a lot of ONE Championship’s success has to do with the people behind the company, equally, or even more responsible is the massive Asian fanbase that ONE has managed to capture.

From Singapore, to Manila, Bangkok to Myanmar, and all across the continent, ONE Championship has become a highly-anticipated attraction.

But what is it that has made ONE Championship such a massive success in Asia?

Proudly calling themselves ‘The Home of Martial Arts’, ONE Championship has done a masterful job of promoting the beauty and essence of martial arts in its purest form.

ONE Championship has put “Asia’s greatest cultural treasure’’ front and center.

“Am I surprised that ONE Championship has taken off? No, because Asia is the home of martial arts, and we are showcasing the true beauty of martial arts. We’re not showcasing fighting and violence, yes, it’s an element of the game, competition is an element of the game, but we’re showcasing their life stories, their values.” Sityodtong said.

Veering away from the negative stereotypes commonly seen on Western counterparts, ONE Championship instead proudly celebrates the deep-rooted Asian values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion.

These values are present in each and every ONE Championship athlete on the roster.

Stemming from what was already a strong mixed martial arts-based product, ONE Championship began to showcase more traditional and regional martial arts, such as Myanmar’s Lethwei, Thailand’s Muay Thai, and Indonesia’s Pencak Silat.

ONE Championship also showcased one of the most important pillars of mixed martial arts in submission grappling and with dream matches between some of the world’s top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.

In early-2018, ONE Championship went all-in in their promotion of striking-based martial arts, introducing the ONE Super Series which featured kickboxing and Muay Thai world champions from all over the world, including Giorgio Petrosyan, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao, and Yodsanklai Fairtex to name a few.

"ONE Championship is now the world’s largest martial arts organization, in that if you think about the umbrella of martial arts and all the verticals of Muay Thai, Kickboxing, submission grappling, boxing, mixed martial arts, these are all the verticals, and I decided we really wanna do all and celebrate all of Asia’s greatest martial arts, full stop." Sityodtong said back in April, days before the launch of the ONE Super Series in Manila.

In addition, ONE Championship also introduced a five-rope ring for the first time, reminiscent of the stage that the uber-popular PRIDE FC used to employ back during their heyday in Japan -- a throwback to one of Asia’s pioneer mixed martial arts promotions.

“ONE Championship being the home of martial arts, Asia being the home of martial arts, it’s a way for us to celebrate across the entire continent. We want to showcase Lethwei, which we have, showcase Silat, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Wushu, Sanda, Kung Fu, all the beautiful arts of Asia, this is what I want to showcase." Sityodtong added.

Following the success of the ONE Super Series, ONE Championship took another step towards total martial arts domination with the announcement of WBC Super Flyweight Champion and Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai’s promotional debut, happening at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES on 6 October in Bangkok, Thailand.

In partnership with Nakornluong Promotions, Rungvisai, among boxing’s the top-ten pound-for-pound talents will be defending his title against Mexican challenger Iran Diaz in what will be ONE Championship’s first venture into boxing.

Sityodtong also issued an open invitation to arguably the most-well known Asian boxer in history, eight-division world champion and current reigning WBA (regular) Welterweight World Champion Manny Pacquiao.

"What we want to do is showcase all the combat sports, all the flavors, and hopefully we'll get multi-division champions across the different platforms to really celebrate Asia's greatest cultural treasure, martial arts." Sityodtong said.

And while ONE Championship has started bringing in big names in martial arts, the promotion has no shortage of their own homegrown heroes and champions.

Sityodtong has put a premium in building Asian heroes, and the promotion has done just that with Asian household names such as Eduard Folayang from the Philippines, Angela Lee from Singapore, and Aung La N Sang from Myanmar.

For Sityodtong, athletes like Folayang, Lee, and N Sang are the types of heroes that the Asian culture celebrates for being the embodiment of true Asian values.

“If you look at the history, who’re the biggest celebrities in Asia? Any industry, across all walks, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Donnie Yen all happened to be martial artists, all happened to be amazing in their respective arts but as human beings they’re kind, gentle, humble, strong, courageous, respectful, compassionate.

“This is something Asians care about, it’s not an accident that Manny Pacquiao or Yao Ming reflect and exemplify those values, and I don’t think that would change. This is something very deep rooted in Asian history, Asian culture, and Asian values. This is something that we’re very focused in celebrating.” Sityodtong added.

Because of the hard work put in by the people behind it, ONE Championship has evolved to what it is now: the number one martial arts organization in the world.

From building heroes inside the cage to dominating the metrics outside of it, ONE Championship will continue to grow, and so will the fanbase that continues to support it.

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.