Niharika Singh will be ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong’s Advisor on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition

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VP and Head of Product at ONE Championship, Niharika Singh, has spent countless hours inside the boardroom with Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, observing the billionaire entrepreneur make tough business decisions daily, while also making decisions alongside him.

The 31-year-old IIT Delhi and IIM Bangalore Engineering and MBA graduate has a unique vantage point to observe Sityodtong run ONE Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organization.

She thus makes the perfect candidate to play an advisory role to Sityodtong on the upcoming ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ where she will assist Sityodtong judge the 16 contestants cast for the show.

“As Chatri's advisor, I will be his eyes and ears, even behind the scenes,” says Singh. “So you can expect me to be constantly observing and assessing the candidates. I will be present when Chatri delivers the tasks, will acutely observe candidates during the tasks and will play a part in the final decisions made in the boardroom.”

“I have worked extensively with Chatri so I know how he works, how his mind works and what he looks for when he is hiring,” says Singh.

Singh started her professional career as consultant at McKinsey & Company then moved to Treebo Hotels, an early stage startup in India, before eventually relocating to Singapore.

Since joining ONE Championship as Vice President and Head of Product in mid-2019, Singh has been in constant close proximity with Sityodtong, and has been able to get a good read on how the mind of a seasoned entrepreneur operates. It’s a skill Singh believes will help her advise Sityodtong in selecting ‘The Apprentice.’

“I will be following and observing the candidates throughout the tasks and will be relaying my feedback to Chatri. As an advisor to him, I will be candid in my feedback and will strongly and publicly air my opinions. In short, if any candidate wants to get to Chatri, he or she will need to get through me first.”

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition is slated for release and distribution in Q4 of 2020. Produced by ONE Championship’s production arm, ONE Studios, and under license from MGM Television, the popular reality television show will run on both streaming and linear platforms across the Pan Asian region. It will also air on major television networks and digital channels in over 150 countries worldwide.

Since the original American version was launched over 16 years ago, The Apprentice has become one of the world’s most successful reality television franchises in history.

Thousands of auditions from all across the globe have already poured in since the announcement of the show in late February. Although ONE has yet to reveal the initial contestants who made the cut, Singh believes Sityodtong is looking for candidates who exhibit certain qualities as both executives, and as human beings.

“‘The Apprentice’ needs to have all the traits that we already look for when we hire - the right values, the PHD factor (poor, hungry and determined - in spirit) and the will to win,” says Singh. “We look for dreamers who also have fire in their bellies to make their dreams come true.”

Singh believes that to be successful on the show, contestants have to possess three important characteristics.

“The first is resilience. It's not easy to work for Chatri, I assure you. So you better have had a lot of endurance training in the past,” says Singh.

“The second is fearlessness. Chatri doesn't like yes men or women around him. You need to be able to speak up for what is right. The third is the near impossible trait of possessing a high functioning left brain and right brain, and a good proportion of IQ and EQ.

“When it comes to choosing the winner, Chatri and I will definitely look for someone who lives and breathes the ONE Championship values. And those values do include the values of teamwork, integrity, and loyalty.”

Contestants on The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition will participate in what ONE describes as a “high-stakes game of business competitions and physical challenges.” At the end of the season, the winner will receive a US$250,000 job offer to work for a year directly under Sityodtong as his protege at the ONE Championship Global Headquarters in Singapore.

The original American version of The Apprentice was intense, and often portrayed the unforgiving and cutthroat nature of business. Singh believes that ONE Championship’s version should be able to toe the line of the original, while still have a fresh new concept that caters to the heartbeat of its Asian audience.

“I think the Asian fans will absolutely love the show,” says Singh.

“Our fans love ONE Championship not only because of the events we put together for them or for how we entertain them. They also love us for what we stand for. Above all, they love Chatri. A reality show anchored on the hunt for the person who can be Chatri's protege will find immediate connection with our fans.”

"Also, bear in mind that 12 of Asia's top CEOs will be guest judges on the show alongside Chatri. And 12 of our World Champions are going to compete in the physical challenges alongside the contestants - so this is bound to further intensify the competition,” Singh adds.

According to both Singh and Sityodtong, The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition is shaping up to be one of the most intense and toughest reality shows ever, and only the truly worthy will emerge the winner and the right to be called ‘The Apprentice.’

“We are looking for the person with the strongest mind, the toughest body, and the most unbreakable spirit - which is essentially the rite of passage to ONE Championship. So prepare to see nail-biting excitement, high stakes drama, and explosive emotions as these 16 contestants compete for the opportunity of a lifetime," Singh concluded.

PHLPost launched Salamat po (thank you) frontliners letter writing via online

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Children's letters of thanks expressing appreciation to frontliners who are saving lives amid the danger of being infected with Covid-19 virus has flooded the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) Salamat Po nationwide letter writing advocacy program facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SalamatPoLetterWriting/.

On their public Facebook page, a letter from a student, Allen Jon Lusabia of Governor Luis Ferrer Jr. East National High School thank the frontliners for their dedication and sacrifices in the battle against Covid-19.

He said, “you guys are doing commendable job to help in the recovery at a great risk to safeguard the whole world from this deadly disease”.

A Letter from Ms. Daniela Katrina Pauline D. Purisima, a 3rd place winner of the recently concluded National On the Spot Letter Writing Competition said, “Perhaps you were made for this moment, to walk through blazing fire and come forth as gold.” As a kid, it is a common misconception that people are only considered as heroes if they have superpowers”.

PHLPost has thought of bringing back the passion of letter writing among the students in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) hoping to reach wider cluster of public and private schools to effectively promote and develop young students’ skills in composition.

“While staying at home, through a simple letter of thanks can warm the hearts, uplift the morale of our frontliners, appreciate their good deeds and develop their writing skills continuously”, Postmaster General Joel Otarra said.

.“Basically, we (PHLPost) feel that the theme “Salamat Po” (Thank you) is appropriate in today’s generation especially among the Filipino youth to inculcate the virtue of gratitude through the art of letter writing”, he added.

“When our frontliners and modern day heroes are not busy and when things have slowed down, we hope they will find these letters and know that their kindness and sacrifices have been appreciated,” said Ms. Bea Gervacio, national coordinator for Salamat Po (Thank you) national letter writing advocacy program.

Save the Children seeks child protection measures as parents, guardians end up positive for COVID-19

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As mass testing for COVID-19 began in key cities this week, Save the Children Philippines is calling on local officials to put in place protective measures for children who may face discrimination and stigma when parents or guardians test positive.

Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines, said a person’s health status, whether real or perceived, should not be a basis for discrimination and mistreatment.

Cases of stigmatization of COVID-19 positive patients, their families, and health workers have been reported prior to mass testing for COVID-19. These include a health worker who was splashed with bleach on his face by five people on his way home in Sultan Kudarat, South of Manila; nurses in IloIlo City in the Visayas who were being evicted from their rented homes, and a health worker was prevented from leaving his house has been barricaded by the subdivision and barangay officials after a first COVID-19 patient was reported in the city.

Atty. Muyot urged local governments to implement concrete and targeted measures to make sure individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 have access to proper health care support, and their children do not suffer from neglect and abandonment.

Local governments should also ensure that children who might be separated from parents or caregivers who are isolated or hospitalized because of COVID-19 or those who might be orphaned will continue to be cared for by trusted adults. It is preferable for these children to be placed in the care of their closest relatives, but in case this may not be immediately possible, alternative care must be provided.

“The COVID-19 pandemic poses major risks to children and their families such as disruption of routine immunization, antenatal care services, therapy sessions for children with disabilities, and other necessary health interventions,” said Atty. Muyot, adding that “the health crisis may also lead children to risks of neglect, abandonment, violence, and exploitation through a loss of or separation from primary caregivers.”

He said that the discrimination and stigma within the communities against people who are tested COVID-19 positive need to be addressed by the government through a sustained public information campaign to provide accurate information on COVID-19 and practical steps to protect themselves from getting infected. This can also be addressed by ensuring that there are safe and confidential mechanisms for people to seek support if they suspect that they might be infected.

“Stigma drives people to hide their illness to avoid discrimination, and prevent them from seeking prompt health care,” said Atty. Muyot.

He said community guidelines must also integrate the specific needs of children with disabilities when their parents, guardians are tested positive for COVID-19.

“We call on local leaders to provide child-friendly, gender, and disability sensitive information to help children know how they can protect themselves from getting infected by COVID-19, be protected from abuse and exploitation, and where to report and seek help,” said Atty. Muyot.