Buno sa Angono 2: Combat Wrestling & Takedown Challenge Participants

Takedown Challenge

Women

40 kg Girls U14

1. Marieco R. Riozal – 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

2. Keide Kerzen G. Trigueros - Los Baños Laguna Wrestling Team

44 kg Girls U14

1. Jenawen Senosin - Batangas City Wrestling Team / Bear's Cave MMA Team

44 kg. Girls U16

1. Mikael Edpan Aro – Botong Sports

56 kg Girls U14

1. Glen Miley Ramos – The Alpha One

50 kg Girls U16

1. Glen Miley Ramos – The Alpha One

2. Abegail R. Campos – Botong Sports

3. Princess Ericka Mae I. Jorgio – Botong Sports

56 kg Girls U16

1. Andrea Castillo - Batangas City Wrestling Team/Bear's Cave MMA Team

Men

44 kg Boys U14

1. Andrew James M. Revilla – Batangas City Wrestling / Bear's Cave MMA Team

44 kg. Boys U16

1. Justin Perez – Batangas City Wrestling/Bear's Cave MMA Team

50 kg Boys U14

1. Ethan Bunal - Los Baños Laguna Wrestling Team

50 kg Boys U16

1. Kenver Lebrilla – 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

56 kg Boys U16

1. Louise Franz Valentino – The Alpha One

2. Jhay-R B. Ardid – Batangas Wrestling

3. Michael Angelo T. Lagaras – The Alpha One

60 kg Boys U16

1. Peralta, Kazuki Nathan R. – Botong Sport

62 kg Men U18

1. Felix A. Narido – Botong Sports

2. Andrew James Rivero – Batangas City Wrestling

3. Jan Noriega – Batangas City Wrestling

4. Julian Ezekiel Plata - Batangas City Wrestling Team/Bear's Cave MMA Team

62 kg Men Adult

1. Joe Donasco Voloso – Batangas City Wrestling

2. Jan Vincent Cortez - Origins Athletics Wrestling

62 kg. Men’s Veteran

1. Karlo Kagahastian – SPRAWL MMA OGs

66 kg Boys U14

1. Jacob Christian C. Frivaldo - 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

68 kg Men U18

1. Mark Joseph Kakilala – Batangas City Wrestling

68 kg Men Adult

1. Johann Matthew Godio San Miguel – Valiant MMA

2. Juan Agapito Dakila I Tria – Wildcat Jiujitsu

3. Jan Paul Fadriquela - 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

68 kg Men Veteran

1. Darwin Quintos – SPRAWL MMA

74 kg Men Adult 

1. John Andrei C. Samadio – Laguna Wrestling

2. Clint Mateo – Samadio MMA

3. MJ Magistrado – Botong Sports

4.  Ehlrej Pacantara - Wildcat Jiujitsu

82 kg Men U18

DJ Virtudazo – SPRAWL MMA OGs

82 kg Men Adult

1. John Alvin Dayondon Tilar – One Fitness MMA Academy

100 kg Men Adult

1. Pong Meimban – Origins Wrestling Club

 

Combat Wrestling

Women

40 kg Girls U14

1. Marieco R. Riozal – 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

44 kg Girls U14

1. Jeremie M. Amandoron – One Fitness MMA Academy

56 kg Girls U14

1. Glen Miley Ramos – The Alpha One

50 kg Girls U16

1. Glen Miley Ramos – The Alpha One

2. Jerlen Amandoron - One Fitness MMA Academy

70kg Women Adult

1. Micah Matahom – Wildcat Jiujitsu

Men

36 Boys U14

1. Joseph Ken Lawas - Los Baños Laguna Wrestling Team

50 kg Boys U16

1. Kenver Lebrilla – 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

2. Joshua R. Balancar – Botong Sports

56 kg Boys U12

1. Joshua Politano - Artelier de JiuJitsu

56 kg Boys U16

1. Louise Franz Valentino – The Alpha One

62 Men U18

1. Andrew James Rivero – Batangas City Wrestling/Bear's Cave MMA Team

2. Jan Noriega – Batangas City Wrestling

3. Julian Ezekiel Plata - Batangas City Wrestling Team/Bear's Cave MMA Team

4. James O. Oliveros – One Fitness MMA

5. Ray Allen C Lumancas – One Fitness MMA

6. Ace Ryiel I. Flores – Samadio MMA

62 kg Men Adult

1, Jev Aron M. Nogot – One Fitness MMA

2. Rexor Gonzales Albarico – One Fitness MMA

3. Jev Aron M. Nogot - One Fitness MMA

4. Mathew Gellera Gesto – Botong Sports

62 kg Men Veteran

1. Mark Raymundo - Tom DeBlass PH

2. Karlo Kagahastian – SPRAWL MMA OGs

66 kg Boys U14

1. Jacob Christian C. Frivaldo – 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

68 kg Men Adult

1. Ehlrej Pacantara - Wildcat Jiujitsu

2. Johann Matthew Godio San Miguel – Valiant MMA

3. Gerard Richard A Yangao – Samadio MMA

4. Juan Agapito Dakila I Tria – Wildcat Jiujitsu

5. RJ De Chavez - One Fitness MMA/Asintado

6. Roger Angelo Gagarin - Botong Sports

7.  Jan Paul Fadriquela - 90 Degrees Jiu-Jitsu & Martial Arts

68 kg Men Veteran

1. Darwin Quintos – SPRAWL MMA

2. Jack Basay – One Fitness MMA/Asintado

3. Alexander Gabriele Sta. Ana Javier – One Fitness MMA/Asintado

74 kg Men U18

1. Erwin Yabut – Isaiah MMA

74 kg Men Adult

1. John Andrei C. Samadio – Laguna Wrestling

2. Clint Mateo – Samadio MMA

 3. Ehlrej Pacantara - Wildcat Jiujitsu

74 kg Men Veteran

1. Dino Bautista – Fabricio/Isaiah MMA

82 kg Men U18

1. DJ Virtudazo – SPRAWL MMA OGs

82 kg Men Adult

1. John Alvin Dayondon Tilar – One Fitness MMA/Asintado

2. Yuki Suzuki – Manila Boat Club Luta Livre

3. Jun Morales - G.M.A Wrestling Club

90 kg Men Adult

1. Arvin Chan – One Fitness MMA/Asintado

100 kg Men Adult

1. Pong Meimban – Origins Wrestling Club

 

 

 

 

Cubao Expo: A Tale of Survival and Evolution of a Favorite Hub for Metro Manila Creatives

A journey within the soul of the district known as the ‘heart of Quezon City’

As a lifelong patron of Cubao for five decades, I bear witness to what I convince myself is the redemption arc of this renowned business/residential district of Quezon City. One of my earliest photos was taken at the former Fiesta Carnival in the late 1970s, a preschooler mounted on a carousel horse with my father standing beside me. And I remember one night after school when I was in second grade in the early 80s, when with my parents I watched the mecha anime  “Voltes V” as a feature at a movie theater in Ali Mall, and the sumptuous hamburger I had for dinner at Tropical Hut afterwards. We used to buy shoes and other stuff at SM Cubao. We also visited Rustan’s, but I can’t remember what exactly we bought there, if any, considering it was a luxury department store. And I wouldn’t miss out on sharing the time my father took me to the main branch of National Bookstore one afternoon and made me choose which superhero comic book I wanted. I was reluctant and told him it was too expensive, but he insisted, as it was my birthday anyway.

Then Cubao fell on the wayside, if it hadn’t fallen there much earlier already. The area became notorious in the 1980s and 90s for pickpocketing, drug-related crimes, and worse. Famed wrestling coach Ariel Samadio, who was a juvenile bruiser of the district’s Ramon Magsaysay High School in the late 1980s, told of a cheap funeral parlor in the area that, whenever business slowed down, hired killers to randomly pick on unsuspecting pedestrians at night to “artificially normalize” the number of their clientele. It’s a morbid story that is as fantastic as it is gruesome, but with Cubao’s reputation during that era, I’m inclined to believe it.

The Cubao of the late 20^th century, with its grit and scattering of grime, has captured the imagination of creative writers. The late Tony Perez wrote a series of books with Cubao as the common theme, with “Tularan sa pagbuo ng isang handknitted chaleco Cubao Thanatos (para kay Ferdinand Aquino)” as most likely the first installment.

Conchitina Cruz has the following lines in her poem, Here: In Singapore, I think of Cubao in June, and, In Cubao, I call into question the sparseness of my wardrobe. (Notably, Cubao is the only place among many that is mentioned more than once in the verse.)

Also, I have no doubt that this particular urban area likewise plays with and plagues the creative imagination of the poet’s partner, the prolific creative and outspoken activist Adam David, who is a longtime denizen of Cubao.

In 2002, a tidal wave of commercialism began to rise and wash over the public’s perception of criminality that stained Cubao. Whether the high crime rate was washed away or whitewashed is a matter of discussion, but it is undeniable that the central part of the district has been aglow—literally and more pronouncedly—with the new or renewed commercial establishments, hotels, buildings rented by BPO businesses, and various other developments courtesy of the real estate enterprise, Araneta City.

But while Araneta City provided the newfound sheen at this century’s dawning, it is Cubao Expo that is the soul of the place. Formerly the Marikina Shoe Expo, the compound has become a favorite gathering place and cultural event venue for creatives. Upon entering the horseshoe drive along General Romulo Avenue, one will be greeted by establishments that readily give the impression that it is for a special niche: John’s Antique Shop, Wooden Canvas-Photo Printing on Wood, Dudeparetoys, Cubao X Brewery, and further down at the curve, Fred's Revolución bar.

Silingan Coffee

In 2021, Silingan Coffee debuted with staff composed mostly of the women relatives, the wives and mothers, of the victims of extrajudicial killings during the previous administration’s so-called war on drugs. It’s a charming well-lit cafe, but the injustices perpetrated under former president Duterte cry for redress on its walls with posters that read, “Stop the Killing” and “Suporta, Hindi Parusa” (Support, Not Punishment).

Favorite Edition

Four years later, artists Paul Bularan and Keeshia Felipe opened shop with Favorite Edition, offering “zines, clothing, home goods, art prints, (and) records.” Paul shared that aside from locally made zines, they also ply copies from other Southeast Asian countries.

The arrival of these new and progressive Cubao Expo tenants is a cause for celebration. But let us not forget some of the dearly departed: The Warrior Poet Art Cafe, Studio Soup Library (but fortunately reopened as Favorite Edition), and Cubao Expo’s past life itself, the Marikina Shoe Expo, whose shops closed down because they moved to the malls and the shoe industry of neighboring Marikina City was eventually decimated by the influx of cheaper shoes from China due to trade liberalization that started in the 1990s.

 

 

FMA: Weapon vs. bare hands? A middle-aged grappler's rude awakening

According to the linked article's last two paragraphs, in a loosely controlled experiment involving a curious middle-aged grappler, who didn't know any better, and a kid with fast reflexes and a kamagong stick in hand ...

One morning, nearly a decade ago, I challenged my fifth-grade son, Mikael Fedor, to test the arnis skills he learned in PE class. With his dark brown kamagong stick in hand, I’ll try to subdue him with my bare hands. By then, I had been practicing and teaching grappling for almost two decades, but mainly as a sport and so much less as a form of self-defense outside the mat. Unlike some of my friends who belong to the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) community, I was neither into self-defense against weapons nor disarming.

To read how it ended in the second and last paragraph, check out the short article from February issue of The Archipelago Press here: This Arnis Hub in UP Diliman Keeps the Precolonial Sport Alive.

The Tetanic Tercet

Why wound if not mortal?

Mortal the wound,

Wounded the mortal.

(Also on my Instagram,)

Bago Matapos Ang Buwan ng Panitikan 2026 ...

 ... isang pahabol na maiksing tula:

Sa iyo'y labas-masok ang aking dila,

Habang mga pisngi'y ipit ng iyong mga hita.

Alex Eala is still a YOUNG professional tennis player, FYI!

Photo from @wta on Instgram

Facts:

1. Born May 23, 2005 and still about to turn 21 at the time of this writing, she is still years younger than the average age range of the top 10 women tennis players today, which is from 25 to 27 years old.

2. Her world ranking peaked at No. 29 last March 2026.

3.  She won the US Open girls' single title in 2022.

4. In 2018, at age 12, she won the Las Petit As tournament, the world's premier indoor tennis under 14 competition.

5. She already won two WTA 125 singles titles: The Guadalajara 125 Open (September 2025) and the Birmingham Open (June 2026).

6. A reiteration of fact No. 1: She has four to six years to go to reach what is currently the average age range (ages 25 to 27) of peak athletic performance in women's tennis.

Faith:

Nowhere else to go but up! So let's enjoy supporting our kababayan Alex Eala's athletic journey—through ups and downs. And, just like her, be A GOOD SPORT! 👍 

 

The Final Note

When I do it, know that I didn’t mean to leave.

It’s just that the chemicals within

work in mysterious and dangerous ways.