By Jose Bayani Baylon
August 04, 2017
I READ somewhere that the DPWH is allocating mega billions for infrastructure projects designed to ease the traffic problem besetting much of urban Philippines. I can imagine how a big chunk of that moolah will be devoted to infra projects within Metro Manila - more street widenings, more flyovers, maybe more pedestrian overpasses and underpasses as well as flood control.
By: Jose Bayani Baylon
As I flew out of Manila yesterday morning I noticed that it happened to be a clear day over most of the NCR, and what big clouds there were weren’t big enough to cover everything. So our PAL Airbus A330 flew around the giant clouds and in between them you could catch a glimpse of considerable sections of Metro Manila. My younger brother seated behind me pointed out UP Diliman - and I marveled at the way the campus was green as seen from the air and at how it was laid out.
By Jose Bayani Baylon
June 14, 2017
SO says the text on an Independence Day special edition mug issued by Bo’s Coffee for June 12. I smiled upon reading the text because I had some friends in mind who have chosen to remain free (and, they claim, happy) all their lives. (These are the ones who divide their friends by saying half are married and half are happy!) And then I started thinking about the country - and whether indeed Filipinos are happy and free.
By Jose Bayani Baylon
June 05, 2017
THE attack of a “lone wolf” at a concert in the British city of Manchester was still fresh in our consciousness when we in Manila were rocked by news of a gunman burning up Resorts World Manila a few midnights ago. And before we could even find
By Jose Bayani Baylon
THE other day I received an email from Makati Dog and Cat hospital. It was an alert actually, reminding me of the scheduled deworming for my nearly 9 year old Shih Tiu, Hayden.
By Jose Bayani Baylon
May 19, 2017
AS mentioned in my previous column, today’s generation of Filipinos who are in their 15s-to early 20s are no longer newspaper readers and instead, almost to a man, users of digital media which has become their main (if not sole) source of information.
A good intentioned President decides to appoint as Heath Secretary a staunch advocate for herbal medicine. Oh.... and the appointee isn't an MD - she just holds a certificate in heath care given by a prestigious academic institution that previously required enrollees to have an undergraduate degree.
Of course the academic institution was funded in part by the family of the appointee.
A PHRASE very often heard from anti-mining advocates is “Common Good”. You need more than your fingers on one hand to count how many times someone like the DENR secretary-designate mentions this term while making a one-hour PowerPoint presentation, and more than your fingers on your two hands if the presentation is even longer.
Two-time MVP of the PBA Willie Miller has Athlete’s Foot fever, that is, he is very fond of buying his footwear at the newly-rebranded lifestyle store.
“I always have a hard time finding shoes my size. Good thing Athlete’s Foot always has available sizes. It’s very convenient,” says Miller.
Another Golden Year in the books for our Golden Boy
The transformation of the Golden State Warriors really started with Steph Curry. He was the initial force that propelled the franchise into greatness. And the arch keeps getting higher every year. Three-time all-NBA team, a pair of consecutive NBA MVP awards, and two championship rings in the last three years – and he’s likely to crest even higher still. There’s just no knowing how long the flight can be sustained, but he just turned in another season that proved once again that he’s still getting better.
Filipino Jelvis Arandela Calvelo settled for 3rd overall in the 2017 Canadian Open Chess Championship (Under 2200 section) at the Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
The Dasmarinas, Cavite native Calvelo tallied 7.0 points on six wins, 2 draws and a loss in 9 outings. The said event was held last July 6 to 16, 2017.
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Running Olympian sets new Philippine record for 21K race
Ottawa, Canada – Logging another record-breaking feat, MILO Marathon Queen Mary Joy Tabal has clinched first place in the women’s division of the half marathon category of the Ottawa Race. The elite runner from Cebu not only bested her personal record, she also marked a significant milestone for breaking the Philippine record time for the 21K race. The Ottawa Race slot was Tabal’s grand prize for winning the 40th National MILO Marathon National Finals in Iloilo last 2016.
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VANCOUVER, CANADA - The new year always brings new hope, opportunities, and changes. “Move” looks like the theme of 2017.
In Vancouver, British Columbia, Filipinos and Canadians make their new year’s resolutions and express their hopes for the year of the fire rooster.
OPM star Joey Albert who is now based in Canada prays for more concerts in Manila and more quality time for her two daughters who are both athletes.
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Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is interested in moving several of his top fighters – Terence Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko and Tim Bradley – to Showtime Boxing in order to get them fight dates. According to Arum, HBO doesn’t have the available budget to get fight dates for all of these guys.
THIS is a match-up of the highest calibre. After winning a world title at lightweight against Ricky Burns, and subsequently defending in style against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Ray Beltran, Terence Crawford stepped up to super-lightweight to win the WBO title there.
SISMUNDO READY FOR THE BIGGEST FIGHT OF HIS LIFE ON JULY 30
AT SMART ARANETA COLISEUM
ONE LUCKY TICKET HOLDER ON JULY 30 WILL WIN ONE MILLION PESOS
TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT TICKETNET.COM.PH
19 July 2016 - MANILA: Mario Sismundo, who will fight on July 30 for the World Series of Fighting Global Championship 3: Philippines vs. the World card at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, says that he is more than just Manny Pacquiao’s doppelgänger.
Mario, who once doubled for Manny Pacquiao for a TV commercial, and also hails from General Santos City, also has plans of his own to be a world-renowned fighter.
The resemblance is striking, in fact, when he trains at Fitbox Gym in Makati, he is often mistaken as Manny Pacquiao.
Sismundo says, “Sobrang na inspire ako na kamukha ko si Manny Pacquiao kasi yung kamukha ko o kahawig ko ay di ordinaryong tao, kungdi, sikat sa buong mundo dahil sa kanyang galing sa boxing, at isa pa siyang Senador ngayon. Baka sa pagtiyatiyaga at sipag sa mga laban ko, isang araw, masundan ko rin ang yapak ng idolo ko.”
Sismundo continues, “Malaking bagay na nakasali ako sa ganitong kalaking organization, na galing pating Amerika. Tulad sa akin, na galing sa General Santos City na matagal nang naghintay ng pagkakataon makalaban sa malaking audience, malaking bagay po talaga. Matagal ko po itong pinangarap at dinasal.”
This will be Mario Sismundo’s biggest fight in his entire boxing and MMA career, fighting for the first time in a 15,000-seater stadium in Quezon City, alongside fighters from all over the world.
Sismundo says that his family, specially his father, has been supportive of his career all this time.
It is bittersweet though that at the biggest fight of his life, wherein his fight will be the co-main event on July 30, that his father won’t be able to watch it since he passed away just weeks ago.
“Sa pinakamalaking laban ng buhay ko, na matagal niyang hinintay, wala na siya…pero hindi iyon hadlang para ako manghina o mawalan ng gana lumaban, bagkos, lalo ko pang pag-iigihan ang training ko para manalo sa laban na ito, dahil inaalay ko sa kanya ang laban na ito”, Sismundo says.
“At alam ko kahit wala na ang aking ama, manonood siya kahit nasa ibang mundo na siya”, adds Sismundo.
WSOF-GC will host WSOF-GC 3 Philippines at Smart Araneta Coliseum on July 30, 2016. Tickets start at PHP300 with ringside seats available for PHP4000. Tickets are now on sale at http://www.etix.com/ticket/p/2988982/wsof-global-championship-3philippines-quezon-city-smart-araneta-coliseum. Smart Araneta Coliseum has been host to many great events over the years, but is most notably known for Ali vs Frazier III ‘The Thrilla in Manila’.
Top Rank Boxing CEO Bob Arum recently took a handful of swipes at the UFC, claiming not only that the promotion is paying off lobbyists to avoid added government regulation but also that drug use in the sport far outweighed that of boxing.
The Philippines' Blu Girls Softball Team beat strong opponent Czech Republic to remain in the top 16.
The team is in Surrey, BC to compete against 30 other counties.
Ni Daniel Quindao Guden
Maple Grove City, Minnesota - DUHA ka mga NBA players ang gipili-an si Jimmy Butler o si D'Angelo Russell, kini ang gitutokan karon pag-ayo ni Tom "Thibs" Thibodeau ang bag-ong head coach ug president sa Basketball Operations sa Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sa ni-aging semana nagbansiwag sa mga Mantalaan sa Minnesota State ug Online news ang taho nga si Chicago Bulls guard/forward Butler ang gitinguha sa Timberwolves management nga mahitapo sa Land of Ten Thousand Lakes Minnesota team bugti sa no. 5 overall pick sa rookie drafting sunod semana.
By Robbie Pangilinan
Robert Gerard Nazal II, president of YSA Skin Care Corporation, is the new President of Rotary Club of Sta. Mesa, Quezon City. He will assume leadership following the awards night at the One Shangri-la Place, Ortigas on July 27.
The month-long festivities capped off with the inauguration and oathtaking of Mayor-elect Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez and the members of the local city government on June 30.
