BOOK ON THE INSPIRING RISE OF THE UP FIGHTING MAROONS LAUNCHED

After just one season, the much-awaited book that narrates the amazing rise of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons -- from cellar dwellers of the collegiate league to finals contenders in Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) -- was launched December 9 at the UP Executive House in Diliman.

Entitled Nowhere to Go But UP: How a Basketball Team Inspired a Nation, the book’s author is Naveen K. Ganglani, a young sportswriter and host from Rappler.com.

The launch was attended by all those who formed part of the narrative — past and current players, coaches, team managers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, prominent alumni, UP officials and fans.

Ganglani wrote the story through the eyes of the founders of the nowheretogobutUP Foundation, the group of alumni who banded together and began the UPrising during UP’s darkest days when it went through several winless seasons.

Renan B. Dalisay, who spearheaded the movement that breathed new life to the UP Maroons and awakened the entire UP community, shared how the foundation got through its birthing pains and led the entire UP community to where it is now. He chronicled how each year, new recruits, more partners, new supporters, a beefed up coaching staff and quality training built the Fighting Maroons into true contenders. Dalisay, a newbie in the sports scene because of decades spent rendering service to the country through political and government work, described the amazing ride that the team, the community and sponsors took to bring the team to where it is now.

“It was purely because of my desire to give back to the University of the Philippines that made me commit into fulfilling this dream—a dream that we share with every Isko and Iska out there— to watch our basketball team play in an arena with a sea of maroon. But it doesn’t stop there. The best is yet to come,” Dalisay said.

For his part, Ganglani said, “It has always been my dream to write a book. As a sports writer and reporter, writing the incredible story of the UP Fighting Maroons is not just an honor but also a dream come true. I can not thank the Nowhere to Go But UP foundation enough for giving me the chance to write one of the most inspiring stories I have ever encountered in the world of sports.

The book will soon be available online through the nowheretogobutUP Facebook page and in bookstores nationwide for only P800.

UP Alumnus Cited for Helping Poultry Farmers

The top executive of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) has been cited by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association for helping farmers join the local poultry industry through a broilers grower program.

BAVI president and general manager Ronald Mascariñas received the 2019 UP Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award in Entrepreneurship and Employment Creation from UP President Danilo Concepcion, during ceremonies at Ang Bahay ng Alumni at UP Diliman in Quezon City.

Joining Mascariñas as Distinguished Alumni awardees were Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (Enterprise Development in Renewable Energy) and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen (Law and Judiciary). The Most Distinguished Alumnus Award was given to former Finance Secretary and Ambassador Edgardo Espiritu.

Also cited "for being a successful 'rags-to-riches' businessman in the country's highly competitive food sector”, Mascariñas graduated with a degree in agriculture from UP Los Baños in Laguna in 1982. He started BAVI’s operations in 2002 and led it to become the country’s top chicken rotisserie chain with retail brands Chooks-to-Go, Uling Roasters, and Reyal.

In 2004, UP Los Baños also named Mascariñas as Most Outstanding Alumnus in Entrepreneurship.

Robinsons Retail Group and Robina Farms continue to back the UP Fighting Maroons

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons will continue to get valuable support from their most loyal and staunchest supporters, the Robinsons Retail Group and Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro Industrial Group (URC-AIG), as they continue their build-up for the upcoming UAAP season and beyond. They officially renewed their partnership recently with Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. President and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, and URC-AIG Group Business Unit General Manager Vincent Henry Go, and UP Fighting Maroons Team Manager Agaton Uvero and Head Coach Bo Perasol signing the Memorandum of Agreement at the UP Executive House in Diliman, Quezon City.

Robina Gokongwei-Pe, a UP alumna and avid backer of the Fighting Maroons involved Robinsons Supermarket and Handyman as Fighting Maroons supporters in 2010. Even as UP went winless and won only a total of three games in four seasons (2010-2013), Robina and her group stuck it out with the country’s premier state university in its quest back to relevancy in the field of sports.

More recently, Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro- Industrial Group, through its premium farm products unit Robina Farms, was added to the companies that threw its support behind the Fighting Maroons.

“We firmly believe that the UP Fighting Maroons shares the same values as us, such as passion for excellence and loyalty to our stakeholders. As we renew our official support for the men’s basketball team, we want them to continue to imbibe the same things that our company lives by as they seek to surpass last year’s achievement. This upcoming UAAP Season 82, it would be another great privilege to stand by this team together with the whole UP community. Hoping to exemplify ISKOs values of honor and excellence in every endeavor” said Vincent Henry Go of AIG’s Robina Farms.

“UP’s run last year is proof that everything is possible,” said Universal Robina Corporation – Agro Industrial Group’s Marketing Director Jonathan Diño. “Hopefully, this year’s team will build on what Batch 81 started and bring home the UAAP Championship for the first time since ’86. It’s UP’s time! They should take it. They deserve it.”

“We’re always grateful for all the support we have received from our alumni, especially from Ms. Gokongwei and her group of companies, who have been with us through our ups and downs. This team knows what it’s like to be at the bottom, to lack basic necessities like food and allowances. We are thankful for the faith and loyalty of the Robinsons Retail Group,” said UP head coach Bo Perasol.

Also present at the signing besides Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Vincent Henry Go were Willy Co (Handyman Vice Chairman), Jody Gadia (Robinsons Supermarket Managing Director), Stanley Co (Handyman Group General Manager), Katherine Yu (Daiso General Manager), Agnes Rafinan (TGP General Manager), Abet Liuson (TGP AVP – Supply Chain), Dr. Florante Palabrica (Robina Farms Farm Operations Director), and Jonathan Dino (Robina Farms Marketing Manager).

The Fighting Maroons fresh from their Championship run in Taiwan’s Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Cup coupled with offseason trainings in Las Vegas and Japan, look to give back to their supporters in Season 82.

Citi Philippines Supports the Philippine Paralympic Committee and Filipino Para-athletes in LAKAD PARA ATLETA

The spirit of diversity and inclusion brings together Citi Philippines and the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) for the inaugural “LAKAD PARA ATLETA”, a walk to support the country’s Paralympic movement, held at the University of the Philippines College of Science Oval at UP Diliman, Quezon City.

This event aims to raise awareness and funds to benefit the country’s Para athletes, especially as they prepare to compete in the upcoming 10th ASEAN Para Games, to be held at the New Clark City Sports Complex in January 2020.  Citi formalized a partnership with the Philippine Paralympic Committee in December of last year, as part of a global agreement between Citi and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The international agreement supports 18 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) in the lead up to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Through the partnership, Citi will help generate excitement and national pride around the extraordinary accomplishments of the country’s para-athletes. In the Philippines, Citi is proudly sponsoring two of the country’s top Para athletes: Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta (power lifting) and Jerrold Mangliwan (wheelchair racing.)

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) is also supporting the PPC by holding a series of sports activities for an “Olympic Day” together with the country’s top athletes from the Philippine Olympians Association (POA).

PPC President Michael Barredo and Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed walked together during the last leg of an Olympic torch relay, which marked the opening of the Lakad Para Atleta walk. In a show of unity, both Para athletes from the PPC and athletes from the POA participated in both the relay and the walk together. More than 2,000 participants joined the walk, including over 800 employees from Citi Philippines.

“Citi Philippines is excited about the opportunity to partner with the PPC and to jointly work on the common goal of greater inclusion in sports. We are thrilled to sponsor the inaugural ‘Lakad Para Atleta’. Our 800 Citi volunteers present today feel honored to be participating side-by-side with the nation’s incredible para-athletes and their supporters,” declared Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed.
“We are overwhelmed by the support of our partners, especially Citi Philippines. ‘Lakad Para Atleta’ and our partnership with Citi will help increase awareness of Para sports in the country as we prepare for the upcoming ASEAN Para Games in January 2020, as well as the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics later on the same year. We hope to make our fellow Filipinos proud of our achievements both in the sporting arena as well as in our quest to promote equality for all,” said Philippine Paralympic Committee President Michael Barredo.

“LAKAD PARA ATLETA” is co-sponsored by the Philippine Paralympic Committee and Citi Philippines with support of the University of the Philippines, the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippine Olympians Association and other organizations.

The event is also the culminating activity of Citi’s annual Global Community Day tradition, which gives employees the opportunity to make a positive impact in their communities through volunteerism. In May and June 2019, over 7,000 Citi Philippines employees participated in 23 volunteer activities to help communities in need and raise awareness of important issues, such as inclusion and equality.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

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About IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. It co-ordinates the organization of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for 10 sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC’s vision is to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world.