RCEP Trade Ministers Set to Conclude World’s Mega Trade Deal

MANILA—Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez reported that the recent meeting of the trade ministers of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) participating countries resolved almost all remaining outstanding issues of the trade deal.

During the virtual 8th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting (8th RCEP MM) held on 27 August 2020, the trade ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its five partners—namely, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea—, advanced significantly the negotiation, which paves the way to its signing in November 2020.

“While there were many challenges along the way, we kept our focus on the value and importance of RCEP and the merit of fostering regional cooperation,” Sec. Lopez said.

He added: “The conclusion of RCEP negotiation is a good symbol that notwithstanding the current pandemic, many great things can be accomplished, such as the affirmation of an international rules-based system for trade and investment in the region.”

Launched in November 2012, RCEP is an initiative by ASEAN to encourage trade among its member states and its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners. Without India, RCEP accounts for 30% of the world’s global population at 2.2 billion and 28.2% of the global GDP at a combined USD23.9 trillion, much larger than other regional trading blocs.

The bloc would also account for 27.8% of the total trade at USD10.5 trillion, with USD5.5 trillion in exports and USD4.9 trillion in imports, and contribute to 23.6% of global inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and 33.5% of global outward (FDI).

“With RCEP, enhanced market access for trade and investment will be established. This means that the Philippines can improve its export competitiveness in key products—such as garments, automotive parts, and agricultural products like canned food and preserved fruits—while encouraging more investments in the country in vital sectors such as research and development, financial services, game development, and IT-BPO,” said lead negotiator Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty.

Sec. Lopez added: “RCEP is a major milestone for the region and its partners, and is definitely more comprehensive than any FTA of ASEAN.”

Notwithstanding the significant progress of the negotiations, the trade ministers remained open to the participation of India in RCEP.

Meanwhile, the Trade Secretary also cited that the momentous trade deal, poised to be signed by November this year, will have major impact on jobs for the Filipino people and the enhanced participation of MSMEs in the global value chain.

“We are optimistic for the future of the country as we are set to conclude a historic milestone, especially in this time of crisis and the region’s post-pandemic recovery,” Sec. Lopez said.

ONE Championship Thailand Exclusive Media Zoom Session With Denice and Drex Zamboanga

27 August 2020 – Bangkok, Thailand: ONE Championship recently held an exclusive Zoom conference call with Philippine media late Wednesday, 26 August, 2020. In attendance were sibling martial arts duo, top women’s atomweight contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga and her older brother Drex “T-Rex” Zamboanga. 

The two ONE Championship athletes participated in a short Q&A session with the media ahead of their respective bouts at ONE: A NEW BREED -- a live, closed-door, audience-free event scheduled for this Friday, 28 August in Bangkok.

Denice is scheduled to face Thai national judo champion Watsapinya “Dream Girl” Kaewkhong in a three-round mixed martial arts contest.

“My preparations for this fight have gone very well. I’m on weight, in fact, even a little under. I’m very excited for my next fight. This card is also special because I get to perform on the same night as my older brother Drex. I’m excited for his ONE Championship debut. Hopefully, we will both be successful in both of our fights. The goal has always been to become brother and sister world champions,” said Denice Zamboanga.

“I took this fight because I want to stay active, especially now that national borders are still closed. I grabbed the opportunity to fight in Thailand, since I’m already here. I’m not underestimating my opponent (Watsapinya Kaewkhong) at all. At this level, every opponent is top notch. Once everything goes back to normal, I know I will meet Angela Lee at some point. We’ve trained very hard. Our conditioning is great. We have a great game plan heading into this matchup.”

On the other side of the spectrum, 27-year-old Drex Zamboanga is ready to make his first appearance in the ONE Championship ring. Drex will take on Thai amateur mixed martial arts champion Detchadin “Detchpool” Sornsirisuphathin also in a three-round mixed martial arts contest.

“Everything has gone good so far here in Thailand. Even if we went on lockdown, we still got some good quality training in. We’re blessed to have the support of the Filipino people, and our Thai friends here. I’m glad to be in ONE Championship, making my debut. I’m happy and this is the first time me and Denice will be on a huge card together,” said Drex Zamboanga.

“This is also the first time I will perform in such a huge event with no audience. I’m inspired by the thought of my family back home watching me fight. This gives me extra motivation to put together my best performance. In fact, millions of fans around the world will be watching, so I have to showcase my skills and give it my all. I’m very excited for this Friday night. This is the biggest stage for mixed martial arts in Asia. It’s a completely different level. The ONE flyweight division is stacked with amazing talent, including my idol Demetrious Johnson, so I’m inspired by the possibilities. I welcome whatever challenges may come.”

Catch ONE Championship's Zamboanga Siblings at ONE: A New Breed on Friday, August 28, on One Sports and One Sports+.

*A copy of the audio file of the Zoom media availability with Denice and Drex Zamboanga is attached in this email

**Quotes in this media alert have been translated from the Filipino language

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit https://www.onefc.com/about-us/, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global esports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. With a focus on both martial arts and esports, ONE Championship is currently the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.7 billion potential viewers across 150+ countries with some of the largest global free-to-air and digital broadcasters, including Star Sports, Tencent, TV5, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Fox Sports, Thairath TV, Turner Sports, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, and more.

Holcim Partners with Digital Platform for Construction Sector to Reach Industry Professionals

Leading cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, Inc. has partnered with an emerging digital platform for the construction sector to better reach industry professionals on how the company’s various solutions and offerings can support them in their projects.

Holcim Philippines has tied up with Pinoy Builders, a website focused on providing relevant and helpful content for construction professionals in the Philippines including industry trends, project management tips and building material use updates. Specialists and experts from Holcim Philippines serve as resource persons on topics such as cement, concrete and health and safety.

Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President for Marketing and Innovation Ram Maganti said the partnership is helpful in the company’s efforts to reach the country’s construction professionals who are steadily using online platforms for industry news and professional development.

"The Philippines is a very digitally savvy country and majority of professionals in the Philippines' construction industry are millennials who are 'digital natives'. With its steadily growing number of subscribers and followers, Pinoy Builders is helpful in our efforts in engaging and positively influencing the construction industry. We are excited in continuing to contribute to this platform to let Filipino building professionals know how our offerings and solutions can help them in their projects,” he said.

Pinoy Builders has also recently branched out to provide webinars in collaboration with building industry groups such as the United Architects of the Philippines and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. The first webinar on cement basic and cement types featured members of Holcim Philippines’ technical services team.

Launched in April 2019, Pinoy Builders attracts about 150,000 visitors per month making it a powerful platform to communicate and engage with members of the building industry.

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Holcim Philippines, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange: HLCM) is one of the leading building solution companies in the country. The Company has a deep portfolio of innovative solutions fostered by a full range of products from structuring to finishing applications that can help local builders execute with high performance and efficiency a wide range of projects from massive infrastructure to simple home repairs.

With cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions, Holcim Philippines is a reliable partner of builders in the country.

Holcim Philippines is also committed to the highest standards of sustainable operations and manufacturing excellence with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).

Holcim Philippines is a member of the LafargeHolcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry present in 80 countries with over 75,000 employees.