Benguet-native Jujeath Nagaowa who has a 2-0 record for MMA, having fought for another international MMA organization, is back in action in Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting Global (WSOF Global). Her much anticipated comeback is slated on July 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for WSOF GC 3’s Philippines vs. The World Fight.
Her MMA fans would remember her exciting bouts in her previous fights, where she competed in the undercard. Most fans recall that they had to make sure that they arrive at the stadium on time to catch her fight, which was usually the first one in a card of 10 matches. Fans from up North would also trek down to Manila just to watch her fight.
The Philippines has yet to see its best Filipina MMA fighter. Nagaowa is its best bet. A trained boxer and a former titleholder for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) light flyweight division, she was also a former WBC Asian Boxing Council Female Atomweight titleholder. She was once interviewed for a story, “Female Boxer Fights to Open Mixed Martial Arts Doors for Filipino Women,” published in Wall Street Journal.
Nagaowa says, “I’m more than ready, I’ve been waiting to stage a comeback. Buong puso ko at buong isip ko ibibigay ko sa laban na ito. Gusto ko ipakita sa kababayan natin na kaya ng Pilipina lumaban sa mga taga ibang bansa.”
Jujeath is set to go against Japanese MMA fighter Yuko Kiryu, in WSOF GC 3’s fight card, which highlights Philippines vs. the World.
With the MMA organization, Nagaowa is given the opportunity to have a possible exposure in more international fights. Previous fights of WSOF GC in Asia were held in China and Japan, and they are slated to do more fights within the Asian region. WSOF GC has affiliates around the world including partners in Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, Australia and Italy, among others. More partnerships will be announced as well in the next few months.
WSOF GC’s owner also happens to be a Filipina, Dunessa Hesser, who is based in Las Vegas, but was born in Escalante in Negros Occidental.
Dunesa says, “The Philippines is known very well for combat sports and Filipino fans are very passionate. Despite that, very few Philippine MMA fighters have gained global recognition. We hope to change that by promoting them not only on events in the Philippines, but international events as well.”
A lucky member of the audience at Smart Araneta Coliseum on July 30 will also win P1,000,000.
Tickets at P300 with ringside seats available at P4000 now on sale at ticketnet.com.
★★★★★
Coro San Benildo competes in International Choir Competition in UK
Coro San Benildo, the resident choral group of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), competes at the prestigious Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod 2016 in Wales, United Kingdom.
The choir participates in four different categories – the Adult Folk Song Choirs and Youth Choirs (yesterday), and today in the Mixed Choirs and Open Category.
The Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod is one of the most prestigious choral festivals in the world. First staged in 1947, the singing tournaments are at the heart of Llangolen’s six-day music event, which was started as a way of healing global wounds following the end of World War II.
Choral groups from different continents see this as a great opportunity for exchange, as well as to bring pride to the participants and their respective nations.
They will also perform in several venues, such as St. Mary’s Church in Chester City, St. Collen’s Church in Llangolen, North Wales and the All Saints Church in London.
Coro San Benildo is led by its choirmaster Lorenzo C. Gealogo, under the management of the DLS-CSB Office of Culture and Arts.
Having participated in numerous festivals and competitions, it has transformed into an internationally respected group. Its strong sense of showmanship and innovation has garnered numerous awards and recognitions.
★★★★★
Investing in a SMART Start and a SMART Future
The future, according to Multiple Intelligence International School founding directress Mary Joy Abaquin, will be about good communicators, critical thinkers, creators, innovators, and good leaders.
This is exactly what MIIS set out to do. As a progressive international school, MIIS recognizes the importance of giving students a smart start for a smart future. Preschool is the most formative period of child’s life when 80 percent of a child’s brain develops. “The best investment of a parent is preschool education. It gives a child the foundation to discover their strengths, love learning, and have good empathy towards others. This sets them up for success throughout their life,” says Abaquin.
International preschool education that advocates for multiple intelligences ensures that children gain the right skills and mindset to be globally competitive. The world is rapidly changing and as future citizens they need to be able to use their passion and strong intelligences to create and innovate solutions. This leadership mind is honed by MIIS in their preschool called Child’s Place, established in 1996.
MIIS uses the multiple intelligences as entry points to teach skills and concepts to children. “We use the different smarts of the children to help them learn a concept in many ways,” say MIIS Preschool Head Ella Inventor. “For example, our children are early readers because they learn how to read through song, movement and tactile activities, dramatization and interactive learning instead of drills in a work book. But more than learning through their different smarts, the best gift we give our students is the understanding that they are smart in different ways.”
Young preschoolers at MIIS are given the unique advantage of learning real-world skills through the leadership and entrepreneurship programs. The foundation for the entrepreneurial mindset starts in preschool. MIIS founding directress, Mary Joy Canon-Abaquin, shares the pioneering program of MIIS in her best-selling Go Negosyo book, 8 Simple Secrets of Raising Entrepreneurs.
One of these activities is the Kindergarten International Café for a Cause by five-year-olds. In line with global citizenship, food from different parts of the world were prepared and served by the kindergarten classes. Students excitedly took on different real-world roles as chefs, maître-de, cashiers, and servers in line with their strong smarts. Number smart kids were cashiers while People smart kids were servers. The Café was for a cause and the students used the proceeds to make a difference for typhoon stricken communities.
Preschoolers in MIIS are developed as leaders who use their smarts to make a difference. Another interesting real-world initiative is the Art Exhibit and Auction of the four year-olds. Through the international curriculum for art appreciation, they learned about art masters including Michelangelo, Kandinsky, Pollock, Amorsolo, and many others. They recreated versions of the artists and auctioned the work for the benefit of Child Haus, a halfway house for children with cancer. Preschool children learn true empathy and that they are never too young to make a difference in the lives of others.
“We take the trust of parents seriously. Our preschool programs help students develop their minds with the right skills, their hearts to be caring and kind, and their hands to be helpful and innovative,” shares Abaquin. In this fast changing globally competitive world, it is important to give students the right start in life. What better way than to ensure a bright future than helping students discover their smarts, giving them relevant 21st century education and meaningful learning to make them happy lifelong learners.
“Children learn through meaningful experiences,” adds Abaquin. “At the end of every school year, it is always a joy to see how children who started with us awkward and shy, grow to be confident, more curious, filled with questions and not afraid to ask them. This is a good start for any learner.”