Statement from WWF-Philippines on the recently-submitted Philippine NDC

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The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines welcomes the submission of the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) last 15 April 2021, but reminds the government to ‘act swiftly, with higher ambition and with a great sense of urgency.’

Atty. Angela Ibay, head of Climate Change and Energy Programme for WWF-Philippines, said:

“The country’s official commitment to reduce emissions by 75% by the year 2030 from the agriculture, waste, industry, transport, and energy sectors highlights the importance being given toward climate action. Achieving the 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is anchored on enhanced access to climate finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity building. The value of ensuring ecosystem integrity, of using traditional knowledge, education, and public awareness, and of meaningful inclusive collaborative participation in climate action are specifically recognised therein.

Moreover, the Philippine NDC expresses the challenges and adaptation needs of the country to address climate change while pursuing a low carbon, sustainable, and climate, and disaster-resilient development.

“While we appreciate the commitments made by the Philippine government, we also note with disappointment that only 2.71% of the 75% emission reduction target remains unconditional, while the remaining 72.29% is conditional. This gives much space for the possibility that the NDC targets will not be met in full. Climate action must be among our top priorities, as the lives of millions of Filipinos will continue to be affected otherwise.

“What is being asked of all countries during the Decade of Action is higher ambition in the fight against climate change. This ambition is not entirely reflected in the way the Philippine NDC has been structured, with more details and clarity needed to articulate how targets can be achieved. Ultimately, the Philippine NDC has to deliver against the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement.

“We see that plans and policies are in place that allow for higher ambition in the NDC, and that can lead to a significant cut in our emissions by 2030. We can hardcode emissions reduction into our national plans, so long as we have the political will to meet our commitments. With the NDC submitted, the government must set in motion the actions, policies and measures needed to attain the commitments made therein.

“Even as we remind the government of the importance of prioritizing climate action, we call on all stakeholders to work together to take our commitments even further and to act upon them. We look forward to continued constructive engagement with the government, the various agencies and other stakeholders on the key aspects of the Philippine NDC and look towards its enhancement and the attainment of goals set therein. We are running out of time in the fight against climate change, and our islands will be among the worst affected should we fail to change course now. We ask that the government act swiftly, with strong ambition, and strive to meet the 75% emission reduction in full, for the sake of all our shared futures.”

Danny Kingad Weighs-in on Reece McLaren Versus Yuya Wakamatsu

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Second-ranked ONE Championship flyweight contender Danny “The King” Kingad is patiently awaiting the next time he can step into the Circle. But before he can don the 4oz. gloves once again, the Team Lakay stalwart and former World Title challenger will be keeping a close eye on two former foes.


#5-ranked contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren will face #4-ranked contender Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in the co-main event of “ONE on TNT III,” a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore which airs this Wed., April 21 (Thu., April 22 in Asia).

Kingad recently weighed in on his thoughts on the matchup, having faced and defeated both men in the past.

“I think the Reece McLaren versus Yuya Wakamatsu fight is going to steal the show at ‘ONE on TNT III.’ It’s an interesting fight between a very dangerous grappler and a powerful striker. I think fans are excited to see this one,” said Kingad.

“Having fought both guys in the Circle, I know how talented each one is, and kind of have an idea how this fight is going to play out.”



Kingad took care of business against Wakamatsu in 2018, dominating the Japanese fighter to win by three-round unanimous decision. He faced McLaren almost a year later, scraping by via split decision in a more competitive bout.


“The King” has a good feel for both guys and has an idea who will emerge victorious in this highly rated flyweight affair.


“Reece is such a talented grappler and I know how tricky he is in certain situations. Once he gets you on the ground, it’s his world, and if you don’t have the experience, he’s going to put you in a rough spot,” said Kingad.

“Yuya, on the other hand, is a very different fighter. He has the advantage in striking, obviously. He has that one punch knockout power and is very fast. I think this fight will really just come down to who executes on their strengths more.”

“ONE on TNT III” is the third of a four-part event series broadcast from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, #1-ranked bantamweight contender John “Hands of Stone” Lineker faces Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen.

The “ONE on TNT” series airs every Wednesday in the United States for four weeks.

Each week will include a lead card digitally streamed exclusively on Bleacher Report, B/R App, B/R MMA Twitter, B/R Live YouTube, and B/R Live, followed by main card fights televised exclusively on Bleacher Report and the B/R app. More information on how to watch can be found at https://www.onefc.com/news/how-to-watch-one-on-tnt-iii/

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: Louie Sangalang survives Episode 5 despite passive team role

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Louie Sangalang's voice was hardly heard in Episode 5 of The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition

But his supposed passiveness for Team Valor in the business challenge shouldn't be looked at as a shortcoming on his part.

After all, Sangalang did his best in the role given to him -- one which kept him in the thick of the fight in this high-stakes game of business competitions and physical challenges -- all for the prize of a US$250,000 job offer to work as ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong's protégé at the ONE Championship Global Headquarters in Singapore for a year.

Because you're not seen, you're at the backend, there's a tendency for people to disregard your contributions," Sangalang testified inside the Boardroom.

It may not be that evident right from the start, but Sangalang's presence was truly underrated for Team Valor's success.

From the dragon boat challenge, the 43-year-old procurement consultant gave it his all despite the apparent fatigue that led teammate Eugene Chung to stop paddling, leaving it to Sangalang, Monica Millington, and Irina Chadsey to compete with the heftier Team Conquest.

Given those circumstances, it's understandable that Team Valor, which had ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon "The Truth" Vera on its side, lost the challenge and was pressured to redeem themselves in the business task.

Like any good follower, Sangalang was a handy tool for Team Valor in the ensuing task while also allowing the leaders to excel in their jobs.

He and Chung did a good job gathering crucial information and inspirations for their pitch and conveyed those ideas to the tea leaders.

The collaborative work allowed Team Valor to shine as they tried to create a fusion product out of The Shirt Bar and Bengawan Solo, retailer brands from Changi Airport.

The result was Esensi, a line of scented candles inspired by the five distinct flavors from Begawan Solo restaurant and customer-made designs from The Shirt Bar. Sityodtong called the product "outstanding" and lauded Team Valor for "an outstanding job." The packaging, Sityodtong added, was a “complete disaster” though.

Valor project manager Millington took responsibility for the oversight, and when asked by Chatri who she would take with her to the Boardroom if, theoretically, they lost the challenge, she mentioned Chung and Sangalang.

Lucky for Team Valor, they won the product challenge task and avoided the chopping block.

"I will no longer tolerate mediocrity. I will no longer tolerate floaters. I will no longer tolerate anything less than excellence," Sityodtong declared ahead of the business challenge. "This competition has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with you and your commitment, your passion, your desire to unleash your greatness in life. I'm willing to invest all my knowledge, all my ideas, all my experiences, my failures, my successes, into you so that you can become great. I want to see how badly you want it."

It’s now up to Sangalang to prove how hungry he is to win it all and get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to become Sityodtong’s chief of staff.

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition is showing across Asia on AXN, the show’s official Asian broadcast partner, with markets to include Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The first season of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” consists of 13 episodes and will be seen in the Philippines on Thursdays, 8:50 pm on AXN cable network and on Mondays at 9 p.m. on One Sport.