OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE 2014 PHILIPPINE-GUAM INTERNATIONAL TAKEDOWN WRESTLING CHALLENGE!

From GMA News Online's Luzon clubs bag 7 out of 12 gold in PHL-Guam wrestling challenge (August 13, 2014, 10:43pm):

"Luzon-based wrestling clubs bagged seven out of 12 gold medals in the 2014 Philippine-Guam International Takedown Wrestling Challenge held on Aug. 9 in Pasig City.'
"The Wresting Association of the Philippines (WAP) organized the friendly matches between the Guam wrestling team and wrestling clubs of Quezon City, Parañaque, Apayao, Safehouse-Submission Sports Philippines, YawYan-Kampilan, Taytay, FIST, and Iranian Wrestlers in the PHL.' [...]

"'The Guam wrestling team which decided to train and compete with our group -- just like our international federation and the rest of our counterparts in the Southeast Asian and Oceania regions -- continually supports us,' said WAP secretary general Karlo Sevilla."

From the post on the Wrestling Association of the Philippines official Facebook page:

Held on August 9, 2014 at the National Youth Wrestling Gym in Pasig City, the 2014 Philippine-Guam International Takedown Wrestling Challenge featured our guest, the Guam Wrestling Team, facing off against seven Luzon-based Philippine clubs in 50 exciting matches. The winners are:

Senior Men:

55 kilograms
Gold – Aguon Chandler (Guam)
Silver – Danilo Dilag (Safehouse-Submission Sports PHL)
Bronze – Jerome Eusebio (YawYan-Kampilan)

57 kg
Gold – Nico Allego (YawYan-K)
Silver – Aguon Chandler (Guam)
Bronze – Jerson Ross – (YawYan-K)
Bronze – Ryan Quenga (Guam)

65 kg
Gold – Michael Vergel (Safehouse-SSP)
Silver – Rex Tanduyan (YawYan-K)
Bronze – Don Halili (YawYan-K)

70 kg
Gold – Miguel Plana (Safehouse-SSP)
Silver – France Valentino (YawYan-K)
Bronze – Patrick Estacio (YawYan-K)

74 kg
Gold – Joseph Mercado (Safehouse-SSP)
Silver – Ehsan Mousarei (Iranian Wrestlers in the PHL)
Bronze – Mark Sumalag (Apayao)

86 kg
Gold – Isaiah Ignacio (Guam)
Silver – Rio Manley (Guam)
Bronze – Donovan Fernandez (Guam)

Junior Men

40 kg
Gold – Juner Abreu (Taytay)
Silver – Jericho Carloman (YawYan-K)

50 kg
Gold – Anthony Arcilla (Safehouse-SSP)
Silver – Angelo Rance (Quezon City)
Bronze – John Kenneth Gumilan (Quezon City)

55 kg
Gold – Michael Elardo (QC)
Silver – Jonathan Carloman (YawYan-K)
Bronze – Alfonso Pabillar (QC)

Senior Women

53 kg
Gold - Jenifer Blas (Guam)
Silver – Lovely Martinez (QC)
Bronze – Davy Pates (Parañaque)

60 kg
Gold – Brenisha Reyes (Guam)
Silver – Dalen Orquia (YawYan-K)

75 kg
Gold – Chantay Fejeran (Guam)
Silver – Leon Guererro Thomia (Guam)
Bronze – Lyndell Pacala (QC)

The top three teams:

1. Team Champion – Guam Wrestling Team
2. 1st Runner-up – YawYan-Kampilan
3. 2nd Runner-up – Safehouse-Submission Sports Philippines

And very special thanks to the following:

1. Guam Wrestling Team for their giveaway wrestling t-shirts and donation of six wrestling singlets;
2. Guam coach and team manager Luis Ting for the Php500.00 cash prize for each gold medalist;
3. Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) chairman Aries Supremo for the training and competition venue;
4. Parañaque Wrestling Team coach Richard Abaño Loyola for providing lunch for our technical officials and indigent athletes; and
5. Very competent technical officials and coaches, led by FILA international referee Roel Pacional, who always ensure successfully-run wrestling competitions. 

We wrestle ‘n roll again next time! Kitakits!

* **

In the Philippines, the Olympic sport of wrestling (largely due to the leadership of the FILA-recognized WAP officers) is now part of the Palarong Pambansa; the Philippine Sports Commission's Batang Pinoy, Philippine National Games, and Women Martial Arts Festival; INC Unity Games; and Ultimate Challenge multi-combat sport and fitness event. The Wrestling Association of the Philippines also holds its own national championships and other events. Follow us on Twitter!: https://twitter.com/WrestlingPHL. 

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Traveling through Mountain Province

My thoughts morning of August 4, 2014:

Mountain Province is captivating. On the way home along the (long and winding) road, enthralled by her majestic mountains. I am torn between reading a book and just gazing outside the ordinary bus' open window, which makes for a breezy ride with a constant whiff of cool mountain air.

Being surrounded by these mountains makes me feel comforted, secure. It's as if nature encloses you with its powerful and protective earthen walls, sheltering you from harm's way.

And, at times when you feel like you should've never been born, it's like being back in your mother's womb. (Or, when you feel you're better off dead, entombed.)

I was in Bontoc, Mountain Province -- along with my co-wrestling coaches Erwin Gamao of Marikina City and Mark Sumalag of Baguio City -- upon the invitation of the Cordillera Administrative Region Department of Education Division of Mountain Province. We conducted a three-day (August 1-3, 2014) training workshop for prospective wrestling coaches at the Dap-ayan Hall, DepEd Division Office.

(Middle initial should be "L," not "I," for "Lagman," but it's okay. ;) )

And, I rewrote this anecdote into a poem, same title, published here in the literary journal, NatureWriting (CA, USA), on June 27, 2017. Please check it out. :-) 

This blog is sponsored by Limitado

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Dear Miss or Mister Toby Born Tomorrow, a letter to yet-to-be-born Filipinos

"MANILA, Philippines–By the reckoning of a population expert, the Philippine population will hit 100 million at 12:06 a.m. or thereabouts on Sunday." - 100 millionth Filipino due early Sunday, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 25, 2014

Dear Miss or Mister Toby Born Tomorrow: 

Sorry. But, be rest assured that things are going to get better in this cunt'ry you'll be born into (and please don't consider your coming-out event tomorrow as your first parental or divine punishment, as it is still coming on Monday in the form of an "address"). I guarantee you that there are still leaders in this cunt'ry, not necessarily residing in Malacañang, who will succeed -- along with the rest of the Filipino people -- in making this cunt'ry a much better place (before or when you end up migrating somewhere else). And right now, or when you start feeling certain noble sentiments, be proud to be Filipino -- as you have no other choice yet, legally. And may you be born a "normal" person, whatever that means. Especially as someone out there is currently giving "abnoy" a bad name -- the emphasis on so-called political correctness during these times notwithstanding. And most likely "it" will get worse on Monday.

So, cheer up after your instinctive and initial "WAAAAAAAAAH!!!" immediately upon extraction from the comfort womb. Who knows, you might end up in Malacañang as the first president of the Philippine Revolutionary Workers Government! And if and when that time arrives, please remember me as (most probably) the very first to write you a letter. And yes, please consider all of this as my decades-early application as your press secretary. (And please don't consider I'd work on a voluntary basis. Otherwise, F!@# you!)

May you have a blessed life ahead, Toby.

Sincerely yours,

Always Proud to be Pinoy

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Contact Number:             0910-440-8035      ;             0907-302-0384      ;            0927-703-6912