4 Cordilleran MMA Fighters Set To Compete In One Championship This August

Four mixed martial artists from the Cordillera region are set to enter the One Championship cage this August in two separate events. Joshua Pacio and Eric Kelly will be part of the One Championship: Kings and Conquerors card on August 5 at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China. On the other hand, Kevin Belingon and Edward Kelly will be part of the undercard of One Championship: Quest for Greatness on August 18 at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Joshua Pacio, Edward Kelly, and Kevin Belingon all fight under the Team Lakay banner. Eric Kelly (the older brother of Edward Kelly) prefers to train and fight as an independent MMA artist so he isn't associated with a stable gym. Kelly divides his time training in various gyms located in Baguio City and Manila.

At only 21 years old, Joshua Pacio holds an enviable position as one of the contenders in One Championship's straw-weight division. With a record of nine wins and only one loss, he will always be in consideration for a shot at the title. Interestingly enough, his only loss came in the hands of Yoshitaka Naito, the current champion. For Pacio to get another go at him, he needs to first dispose of Hayato Suzuki on August 5. Suzuki is going to be a tough test for the young Pacio. Not only is Suzuki the more experienced fighter, he's also undefeated in 16 professional fights. Five of his victories were via knockouts and six were via submissions. So he's dangerous both on the ground and standing up.

After a disastrous 2016, Eric Kelly returns to the One Championship cage hoping for a win against Kotetsu Boku. Kelly had back-to-back losses to Ev Ting and Jadamba Narantungalag last year. A win over Boku would propel him back to the featherweight division's top contenders. Boku will be a difficult hurdle though given the fact that he's a scary knockout artist. Of his 25 wins, 12 came via knockouts. But he's also susceptible to submissions which is Kelly's bread and butter.

Edward Kelly had a rough start when he signed up with One Championship back in 2013. From 2013 to 2015, he lost three of his four fights under the organization. But when 2016 rolled in, he came back with a vengeance, winning all of his three fights in dominant fashion. He looks to extend this winning streak when he faces Emilio Urrutia on August 18 at Kuala Lumpur. The younger Urrutia will be making his debut in the One Championship.

And last but not the least, Kevin Belingon is set to lock horns with Reece Mclaren. Belingon and Mclaren share one thing in common and that is they both challenged the current bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes for the title. They both failed. Whoever wins in August 18 sets himself up for another possible shot at the Brazilian specialist. That is of course if Fernandez manages to retain his belt against Andrew Leone in August 5.

See the full card listing for Kings and Conquerors here and the full card listing for Quest for Greatness here.

Kevin Belingon. Image by One Championship.

Watch Free Movies At SM Baguio As Part Of Japanese Film Festival (August 10 To 13)

Twelve award-winning films from Japan will be shown for free at SM City Baguio from August 10 to 13 as part of the annual Japanese Film Festival. Eleven of the films have English subtitles while one is dubbed in Tagalog. Organized and presented by the Manila office of the Japan Foundation, the festival (popularly referred to as Eiga Sai) is part of the events celebrating Philippines-Japan Friendship month.

The films will be screened for free but seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Below is a quick overview of the films to be shown during the festival. [Source: Eiga Sai pamphlet.] You can find the screening schedule at the end of this article. The festival is also being held in Manila, Davao. Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo. [Note: the film lineup differs from city to city.]

1) Bakuman – High school student Moritaka (Satoh Takeru), whose manga artist uncle died from overwork, is talented but spends his days aimlessly. One day, he gets invited by his classmate Akito (Kamiki Ryunosuke), a wannabe manga writer, to team up and become manga creators together. From one Hitoshi, the same director of live action “Love Strikes!”, this movie graphically portrays the struggles of two friends to become successful in the world of manga.

2) The Long Excuse – Romance starring Motoki Masahiro from Departures with original story, script and direction from Nishikawa Miwa of SWAY. A bestselling author discovers the joys of living for others after his wife dies and he spends time with children who have lost their mother. Bestselling author Kinugasa Sachio’s (Motoki) wife dies in a freak accident. He was cheating on his wife at the time of the accident and has to put on a fake performance as bereaved husband. Sachio meets Omiya (Takehara Pistol), whose wife died in the same accident, and offers to help take care of his children.

3) The Magnificent Nine - A film adaptation of Isoda Michifumi's original novel which is based on a true story from the middle Edo Period. It comically depicts the efforts of Yoshiokajuku, an inn town in Sendai fief, to save themselves from impoverishment by running a money-lending enterprise against the fiefdom. At the helm is The Inerasable director Nakamura Yoshihiro. On the verge of financial crisis, the Sendai fiefdom levies a heavy tax upon its inhabitants resulting in bankruptcies and people fleeing town in succession. A merchant of Yoshiokajuku, Kokudaya Juzaburo (Abe Sadawo), devises a relief plan to loan money to the fief with a partner and distribute the interest among the people.

4) Chihayafuru Part 1 - Chihaya, Taichi and Arata are childhood friends, bound by their passion for "competitive karuta" (karuta: traditional Japanese playing cards). They part ways after graduating from elementary school, but Chihaya continues to play the game that Arata taught her, in the hopes of one day showing him how strong a player she has become.

5) What A Wonderful Family – A heartwarming comedy from director Yamada Yoji, known for his “It’s Tough Being A Man” (Otoko was Tsuraiyo) series, which reassembles the cast of his Tokyo Family. Hashizume Isao, Yoshiyuki Kazuko, and Tsumabuki Satoshi portray an entirely different family in a story about elderly parents considering divorce which send their whole family into a panic. In his fiftieth year of marriage to Tomiko (Yoshiyuki), Shuzo (Hashizume) decides to buy her a birthday present for a change. However, she tells him she wants his seal on an application for divorce. Their children swiftly convene a family meeting.

6) Creepy – Film adaptation of Maekawa Yutaka’s novel detailing the intertwining double enigmas of an unsolved missing family case and an odd, neighboring family. Directed by world-renowned director Kurosawa Kiyoshi, of the horro film Pulse among others, it screened at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. Criminal psychologist Takakura (Nishijima Hidetoshi) is asked by detective Nogami (Higashide Masahiro) to analyse a missing family case from six years ago. He questions the only living person who remembers the case, but cannot untangle the mystery. Meanwhile, having just moved, Takakura and his wife (Takeuchi Yuko) can’t seem to figure out their neighbour.

7) Sweet Bean (An) – The film adaptation of the identically titled Dorian Sukegawa novel by previous Cannes Film Festival award recipient, Kawase Naomi. Kiki Kirin exudes a compelling presence as a coarse sweet red bean paste artisan, while his first co-starring role with her real-life grandchild, Uchida Kyara is also worthy of attention. Sentaro (Nagase Masatoshi), the manager of a shop selling dorayaki (a sandwich of two small pancakes with a filling of sweetened bean paste) has entrusted the making of the coarse red bean paste to Tokue (Kiki Kirin), who answered a help wanted advertisement. The incredibly delicious flavour boosts the store’s business, but an unkind rumor causes Tokue to go away.

8) Tsukiji Wonderland – A documentary filmed over 16 months closely chronicling, including areas never before filmed, the Tsukiji Market which is due to be moved to Toyosu. Endo Naotaro, who has been involved in wide ranging works from advertisements to music videos, makes his theatrical film directing debut. The Tsukiji Market has continually sustained Japanese food culture for 80 years. There, intermediate wholesalers and chefs play out a duel among professionals, and each season’s fish mesmerize even tourists from around the world.

9) Her Love Boils Bathwater - A family drama about the intense feelings of a dying mother with a bombshell ending that breaks heart. It is written and directed by up-and-comer Nakano Ryota, who garnered attention with Capturing Dad. Futaba (Miyazawa Rie), whose husband suddenly left her one year ago, lives with her shy daughter, Azumi (Sugisaki Hana). When Futaba abruptly receives a diagnosis of a terminal illness, she aims to use the brief amount of time she has left to bring back her husband, restart the family's shut-down bathhouse business, and set Azumi on the path to independence.

10) The Anthem of the Heart - Nagai Tatsuyuki, Okada Mari, and Tanaka Masayoshi (respectively, the director, writer, and character designer of the popular anime series "Anohana") reunite for this original theatrical anime which delicately weaves a story about the rejuvenation of high school students bearing emotional scars. Second year high school student, Jun (voice: Minase Inori), uttered a remark that hurt her family and hasn't been able to converse with anyone ever since. In spite of this, Jun is assigned to the action committee for the community relations society at school and made the star of a musical.

11) Chihayafuru Part 2 - Chihaya and Taichi are reunited in high school, and together, they try to form a "competitive karuta club" to compete in the national championship. Chihaya believes that if they make it to the Nationals, they may see Arata again. Despite knowing how Chihaya feels about Arata, Taichi joins the club for her.

12) The Mohican Comes Home – A bittersweet family drama set on an island in the Seto Inland Sea. A Mohawk-sporting young man’s homecoming after seven years is rocked by the pronouncement of his father’s remaining time to live. The film is written and directed by Okita Shuichi who has created a unique worldview in films such as The Chef of South Polar and A Story of Yonosuke among others. Eikichi (Matsuda Ryuhei), the vocalist for a little-known death metal band, has decided to marry his pregnant girlfriend, Yuka (Maeda Atsuko). He returns to his family home on Tobi Island after several years. However, his headstrong father, Osamu (Emoto Akira), collapses and is diagnosed with cancer.

Domingo, Balderas represent CAR in 44th SSEAYP

By the Batch Bulawan Secretariat - The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is represented by Ephraim V. Domingo and Stephanie Balderas in this year’s Philippine Contingent to the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP), a cultural and youth exchange program sponsored by the Government of Japan and implemented by the National Youth Commission (NYC) in the Philippines.

Both Ephraim and Stephanie were confirmed on July 12 after a 9-day pre-departure training at the Development Academy of the Philippines in Tagaytay City by Usec. Cariza “Aiza” Seguerra, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of NYC. During the ceremonies, both presented a Bontoc courtship dance as a part of the contingent’s National Day Presentation.

Ephraim, a native of Ifugao and currently residing in Baguio City, is an English and literature instructor at Saint Louis University. He is also an active member of the OSCAR Alumni Community, Inc. and the founder of the Ibangngad Project that currently supports a public elementary school in Ifugao. An advocate of quality rural education, he believes that they key to development in the rural communities is a kind of education that is anchored on quality instruction, dedication, and innovation.

On the other hand, Stephanie is a researcher for a government agency. She has a degree in Social Science from the University of the Philippines Baguio and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in ASEAN Studies from the UP Open University. She is also an advocate of peace and stability, and ASEAN identity, and an active member of her church.

Both Ephraim and Stephanie are joining 25 other youth delegates from the other regions of the country. Together, they will be embarking on a 52-day journey from Japan to Cambodia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and Indonesia on board MS Nippon Maru from October 23 to December 15. They will experience institutional visits, homestay program, and dialogues, and participate in discussions on youth-related issues with the other contingents from Japan and the 10 ASEAN-member countries.

SSEAYP is a cultural and youth exchange program sponsored by the Government of Japan and implemented by NYC in the Philippines. It brings together more than 300 participants from the region to this annual program that aims to foster goodwill and cooperation among the participants by enabling them to learn about one another’s societies through various cultural and exchange activities.

Ephraim and Stephanie. Photo by the National Youth Commission.

In preparation for the program, the contingent will have a month-long pre-departure activity in September, where they will rehearse for the National Presentation to be presented on the ship, among others. They are currently looking for sponsors for their expenses during the training and program itself in exchange for an advertising opportunity. If you are interested in supporting our region’s representatives, please contact Ephraim at if.ppysseayp44@gmail.com, stef.ppysseayp44@gmail.com or +63 917 310 0326. You may also check their Facebook page, 44th SSEAYP PPY 2017 – Batch Bulawan.

Bayokbok Falls In Tuel, Tublay, Benguet

Bayokbok Falls is a waterfall located near the village of Tuel in Tublay, Benguet. If you are familiar with the Asin Hotspring in aforementioned village, Bayokbok Falls is just a few minutes away from it. Just cross the hanging bridge to the other side of the river then ask the locals for the direction of the trail that leads to the falls.

Or you can simply follow the river to the north until you reach the falls. However, before you decide to make your way through the river instead of following the trail, make sure that everyone in your group can swim. There are deep pockets and pools in the river that can be dangerous to non-swimmers. The rocks can also be very slippery (especially the moss-covered ones). If it's raining or it's about to rain, never follow the river because the current can suddenly swell to very strong levels.

How To Get To Bayokbok Falls In Tuel, Tublay
There are no jeeps that go directly to Tuel from either Baguio City or La Trinidad. At least that's what I know and what other people told me. However, there are these passenger cars commonly referred to as "garage" that ply the La Trinidad-Alapang-Alno-Tuel route. I'm not sure where they are parked or how their fare systems work. It's best that you get in touch with someone from Tublay to tell you exactly where and how you can hire a "garage" car to bring you to Tuel.

How Far Is Bayokbok Falls
When I went to the falls, I jogged and ran all the way from the Alapang Road - Halsema Highway intersection in Cruz, La Trinidad. It took me less than two hours to reach Tuel. I think the distance is about 12 to 18 kilometers. That said, by my estimate, I think you can reach Tuel in under an hour if you have a ride. The road is paved and in good condition. The road is all downhill from Cruz to Alapang, to Alno, then to Tuel.

If you are not a regular jogger or runner, I wouldn't recommend running your way to the falls. The run to the place is fine and I think most people can manage it. But the ascent from Tuel back to Cruz can be very difficult. I run regularly so I'm in a pretty decent condition but I found the ascent arduous and often difficult.

Photos of Bayokbok Falls:

Other places worth visiting in Tublay, Benguet are Paterno and Bengaongao Caves.

Job Openings At DepEd Benguet (37 Positions Available)

The Schools Division of Benguet is in need of new administrative assistants. There are 37 vacancies for the aforementioned position. Interested applicants are encouraged to complete their documents and submit them on or before August 11, 2017. All interested individuals are also required to file their applications at the DepEd CAR, SDA Benguet through the Records Section. Their offices can be found in Wangal, La Trinidad.

Applicants must bring with them two sets of the original copies of the following documents:
1. Personal Data Sheet (PDS)
2. Service Records
3. Transcript of Records
4. Performance Ratings for the last three (3) rating periods
5. Certificates of Trainings and Seminars attended
6. Certificate of Eligibility
7. Other important documents

For additional information about the vacancies, visit DepEd Benguet's website here or contact them on Facebook here.

Missing Tour Guide In Sagada Found Dead By Rescuers Inside Victoria Cave In Ankileng

The lifeless body of a 23-year-old local tourist guide in Sagada was finally found by rescuers nearly two days after he was swept away by rushing waters inside a still-being-explored cave in said town. The young man has been identified as Roderick Malecdan. According to the Mountain Province Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Malecdan was spotted sandwiched between rocks in a submerged portion of the cave.

Members of the Philippine Navy sent by the Office of Civil Defense Cordillera were tasked in extracting the body from inside the cave.

Based on reports coming from the town, Malecdan, five other guides, and a lady friend entered Victoria Cave to explore it since it's being eyed as an additional tourist attraction. They entered the cave between 9:30 and 10:00 am on Sunday. An early downpour caused the water levels inside the cave to rise quickly. Except for Malecdan, everyone either made it out alive or were rescued by responders.

Rescuers heading towards the entrance of Victoria Cave. Image credit: DRRMO - Mt. Province

All caves in the town were immediately closed by the local government unit on Monday so that search and rescue teams can more efficiently scour the area for the missing guide.

According to the authorities, the Sagada Tourism Office wasn't aware of the group's expedition inside Victoria Cave.

Organic Sagada Coffee Receives Gourmet Award From International Coffee Contest In Paris, France

Here's another good reason to pack your bags and head over to Sagada in Mt. Province. Coffee grown and roasted in the tourist town bagged one of the most coveted prizes in an international coffee competition held last month in Paris, France. Bana's Coffee which comes from Arabica coffee trees raised in the town earned a Medaille Gourmet (Gourmet Award) at the third edition of the International Contest of Coffees Roasted in their Countries of Origin. This is a contest organized by the Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA).

AVPA is a Paris-based non-government and non-profit association whose main objective is to contribute to the enhancement of the value of agricultural products by recognizing not only the excellence of the products but the hard work of the producers as well. Since its establishment in 2005, the organization grew its reputation by running various contests on the production of coffee, bee honey, dried fruit, and vegetable oil. The organization first introduced their coffee roasters contest on November of 2014.

At the forefront of Bana's Coffee is Gowad Sibayan, a local coffee farmer and roaster who grows his coffee trees in a sizable plot of land in Sagada. His coffee roasts were entered into the AVPA competition through a collaboration with Butch Acop, Rich Watanabe, and the Coffee Heritage Project (CHP). The CHP is "a simple movement that promotes a fruitful collaboration amongst partner farmers, scientists, soil specialists, etymologists and to any person who has the heart for uplifting the value of Philippines coffee." [Source: Coffee Heritage House]

Screen-cap of a news report on the award by CNN Philippines.

The award for Bana's Coffee was received by Consul Rapunzel Acop of the Philippine Embassy in Paris on behalf of Sibayan, Acop, and Watanabe. The awarding ceremony was held at the Embassy of Peru in Paris on June 28. This was the first time that the Philippines joined the competition. Other countries who sent entries to the competition include Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Thailand, Togo, Tanzania, and Vietnam.

If you want to have a taste of Bana's Coffee, you can go at the Bana's Cafe and Restaurant in Sagada. You can also buy packets of the roasted coffee in said restaurant.

Also read:
1) Formulated Organic Fertilizers For Safe Arabica Coffee Production And Soil Moisture Conservation
2) Formulated Organic Fertilizers For Safe Arabica Coffee Production And Soil Moisture Conservation

Danny Kingad Of Team Lakay To Face Chinese Foe In One Championship

At only 21 years old, Danny Kingad of Team Lakay is on the cusp of fighting for the One Championship's flyweight strap. The young prospect is scheduled to see action at the GOR Kertajaya Arena in Indonesia on July 29 in an event dubbed One Championship: Conquest of Kings.

Kingad will be sharing the cage with Hexi Getu, a 32-year-old sanda practitioner from Inner Mongolia, China. Given the fact that One Championship's flyweight division is rather thin, a win over Hexi Getu will likely propel Kingad closer to a title shot.

Kingad is expected to be the favorite to win on fight night. Although he has less fights compared to Hexi Getu, he has faced much tougher opponents. Kingad has a record of 5 wins and 0 losses. Three of these wins were in the One Championship.

Hexi Getu, on the other hand, has 4 wins and 2 losses. This is his record as seen on the Tapology website. Sherdog, a more reputable website, lists 2 losses and 0 wins for the fighter. Sherdog didn't include Hexi Getu's victories, all of which occurred in the Dacheng Wuyi promotion.

Danny Kingad (right) lands a kick on Muhammad Aiman (left) during their encounter at One Championship: Kings of Destiny last April. Image credit: One Championship.

Conquest of Kings will be headlined by a rematch between Kairat Akhmetov (the reigning One Championship flyweight champion) and Adriano Moraes (the interim champion). The two fought in November of 2015. Akhmetov emerged as the winner via split decision.

Due to Akhmetov's inactivity after his win, One Championship proclaimed Moraes as the interim titleholder after victories over Eugene Toquero and Tilek Batyrov. Whoever wins this match could be a future opponent for Kingad.

Benguet State University Bags 2017 Tanglaw Award

By: Juman Kevin B. Tindo

Its significant contribution to the progress of agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources R&D in the country earned Benguet State University (BSU) the 2017 Tanglaw Award for Most Outstanding Research Institution given by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

Led by BSU president Dr. Feliciano G. Calora Jr., the Tanglaw Award was conferred to the University during the awarding ceremonies on June 28, 2017 at the E.O Tan, PCAARRD, Los Banos, Laguna.

The award carries a PhP 2,000,000.00 grant for station development, capability building, and upgrading of facilities, as well as a trophy. According to Dr. Carlito P. Laurean, Vice President for Research and Extension, the Tanglaw Award is given to outstanding research institutions in the country. “This award was a dream for many years…this is a collective output of the current and previous administrations.”

Further, Dr. Calora said that this “prestigious award” has magnified the interest of BSU to conduct researchers.

“We can use this (the Tanglaw Award) to convince young researchers in Benguet State University to join a centennial research team that will participate in research initiatives and advocacies to ensure the sustainability of quality research that will eventually convert BSU to a full-fledged research university in the next five years,” added Dr. Calora during the awarding ceremonies.

Criteria for the selection of the 2017 Tanglaw Award include technologies developed/utilized, significant information gathered and applied; financial resources generated for the past five years (2011 to present); capability building; and other accomplishments such as institutional publications, awards received for the past five years, linkages forged, and projects implemented.