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Curry’s bomb

As expected, the Warriors jumped on the Cavaliers early and made the final outcome a formality yesterday. After having evaded embarrassment in Game One with a combination of skill and luck, they knew well enough to hit the ground running and impose their will on the match from the get-go. The result was a wire-to-wire laugher that exposed the glaring disparity in talent between the protagonists. The O was rocking in part because of poor coverage from the visitors, and in larger measure because the hosts were playing with such sharpness that no defense could have stopped them with consistency.
To be sure, the Cavaliers tried to keep the score close as best they could. It didn’t help their cause that they began Game Two without any sense of urgency, perhaps still reeling from the heartbreak of the championship series opener. Still, they proved able to keep pace once they got their bearings, even managing to claim the third quarter, during which time the Warriors usually pull away. As things turned out, however, the inevitable was simply delayed. By the middle of the final period, only the final margin was in doubt.
Under the circumstances, it was but fitting to find two-time Most Valuable Player Steph Curry at the forefront of the Warriors’ attack. For all the scoring prowess of Klay Thompson, the all-around brilliance of Draymond Green, and the end-to-end ascendancy of Kevin Durant, his is the engine that drives the defending titleholders. Much has been said of his ridiculously long range, but it merely highlights one facet of his competitiveness; for his size, he’s likewise crafty with drives, finishing with accuracy or passing with flourish. Which is to say he’s unstoppable in his own right.
Certainly, the bombs Curry unleashed did not just keep the Warriors ahead; more importantly, they deflated the otherwise-resilient Cavaliers. Whenever the latter seemed to get close, he was ready with a spectacular three. And so on point was he that he wound up with a Finals-record nine treys by the end of his assault. He wasn’t joking when he ranked the MVP award last in his list of priorities heading into the series. All the same, he’s making a convincing case that he deserves to win it.
Looking ahead, the series moves to the Q, where the Cavaliers find themselves mimicking their plight in the East Finals; they need to win Game Three and, subsequently, three of the next four matches. Unlike the Celtics, though, the Warriors are much more seasoned and built to protect homecourt advantage, the 2016 collapse aside. The shock of Game One has dissipated. The regularity of Game Two has prevailed. The remainder of the best-of-seven affair should prove familiar and predictable.
 
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.

She was called 'hija' in the boardroom. Now she handles 40 people

Rebecca Plaza, the 27-year-old founder and managing director of architectural firm Plaza + Partners, Inc., was about to move to Hong Kong from U.K. to apprentice under her “idol,” starchitect Rem Koolhas in 2014.
Plaza, then 24, just resigned from her first job as a junior architect at U.K.-based architectural firm John McAslan and Partners, where she worked on projects such as the development of British Columbia Museum in Canada, The National History Museum in London, and other high end residential buildings.
But Plaza had to forego this opportunity to accept a business proposal from a Filipino businessman who happens to be her father’s friend.
“He kept calling me and I thought that if a big time businessman keeps calling a then-24 year-old to move home and set up a company, it must mean something,” she told SparkUp. “So I took a leap of faith though I didn’t even know what I would be working on exactly.”
For a young talent like Plaza, jumping into a new venture may be easy. After all, she finished her degree in architecture on top of her class at University of Bath, which is considered to be among the foremost schools for architecture and engineering in the U.K. There, she received awards like the Sir Basil Spence Prize by Prince Edward.
At a time where “girl boss” has turned into a buzzword, sensationalized by the rise of celebrity entrepreneurs in the likes of Sophia Amoruso, it might be tempting to believe that the proverbial glass ceiling no longer exists.
But Plaza struggled just the same. Her accolades and experience did not guarantee her an easy journey when she accepted the proposal and began running her own architectural firm Plaza + Partners upon her return to the Philippines in 2015.
“I didn’t know how to run a business,” she said. “I didn’t know what I was doing. There were so many times that I cried because I was just 25 years old then and I just moved home, how would I convince people to believe in me, how they will work with a 25-year-old?”
Her struggle in building her credibility also reflected when she began employing people to work at her company.
“It was really hard convincing people to work with me because I had a startup, so people were like, ‘why would I leave my job at a big firm to work for you?” she said.
She recalled that some would even call her “hija” during meetings.
But Plaza let her company’s accomplishments do all the talking.
Plaza + Partners’ maiden project were supermarkets, town centers, and community malls for Philippine Primark Properties. She was also introduced to Herbert Sy, whom she recalled meeting abruptly after landing back home.
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Satisfied with the company’s output, Sy, who hails from the family that owns and operates SM Investments Corporation, contracted Plaza + Partners to do more projects, including his house and hotels for SM Hotel Group. Her company was also behind the redevelopment of SM’s supermarket chain Savemore.
“We did really well. In the first year we were profitable right away,” she said.
Today, Plaza + Partners has grown into a team of over 40 architects, engineers, and designers who all holds wide experiences from leading designs firms in Manila.
Plaza is also promoting sustainable projects through Plaza + Partners.
Among her advocacies is the use of bamboo to replace common materials like steels and concrete. The company is currently re-developing local markets across the province of Cavite using sustainable materials. It is also in the completion stage of a resort in El Nido, where buildings are made mostly from bamboos.
“It’s hard to make people to switch their mindset on building with materials you would not usually use like bamboo, so not a lot people realize that bamboo is such a great material and that it has the properties of steel and compressive property of concrete,” she said. “Everywhere else in the world bamboos are celebrated, but here sometime people think you’re poor to build something with bamboo because it’s associated with the bahay kubo.”
Plaza attributes a chunk of the company’s early success to the trust of their initial clients and to the fresh and creative ideas of her team.
“I asked some of our clients, ‘what made you decide to work with us?’ And they said, ’to be honest we had few architects before and all the designs that they were showing us were really old—nothing new, nothing special. When we saw your works we were so refreshed with your youth and your ideas to do things differently.’”

The beautiful game | The Younghusband brothers

The Younghusband brothers and their unfaltering foray into placing the Philippines on the map of international football scene.

WORDS MICHAEL ANGELO MURILLO | PHOTOGRAPHY RXANDY CAPINPIN

In local football, the brothers Phil and James Younghusband marked a sea change in fan appreciation and interest in the sport. Members of the national team since 2005, the Younghusband brothers, born to English father Philip Younghusband, Sr. and Filipino mother Susan Placer, have seen Philippine football grow exponentially since they first arrived.

It is something that brings a lot of pride and honor on their part, they shared, seeing how their sacrifices and hard work as part of a group of football stakeholders have translated to great strides for the sport in the country.

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From the Philippines finding its way back in the overall football scheme in the region, to the “Miracle of Hanoi” in 2010 that had the football community noticing, to the recent victory of the Philippine Azkals over Tajikistan in the qualifiers that booked for the country a first-ever AFC Asian Cup spot, the Younghusbands were part and parcel of moving Philippine football forward.

“Me and my brother are very proud to be part of this development of Philippine football. A lot has progressed. When we first came here, we had a 50-year plan. It’s gone faster than what we expected,” said James, 31, the elder of the Younghusband brothers.

Phil, 30, pointed out that in the decade or so since they joined the national team, the Azkals have climbed in the rankings from around 191-192 to 111. “We have come a long way… to be among the best 24 teams in the biggest continent in the world, in the biggest sport, shows how far we have come,” said the younger Younghusband, referring to the Asian Cup happening in 2019.

Their success is accompanied by other positive developments, among them the growth of the football community and the establishment of a professional league.

While the brothers are excited about booking a spot in the Asian Cup and helping the Azkals show off their skills on a bigger stage, they recognize that they are up against stiff competition as they are grouped with South Korea, China and Kyrgyzstan in the initial phase of the quadrennial Asian Cup happening from January to February 2019 in the United Arab Emirates.

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“It’s a tough draw but it could have been worse. If we want to progress and be a better team, we need to play in this sort of tournament against the best teams. We are looking forward to the challenge. South Korea will be a tough game because they have been a staple in the World Cup. China and Kyrgyzstan—we have played them before and we have an idea how they play. We are aiming to be second in the group or one of the four third-place teams with the best record,” said Phil, who is the lone Filipino football player in history who has scored 50 international goals.

For James, doing well in the Asian Cup could potentially be “massive” in relation to their larger football goals: “I think it will be massive. With these milestones we hope more people get to pick up the sport and see the benefits of playing it. And more sponsors to come in and help the growth of the sport by building facilities and supporting teams locally,” he said.

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The Younghusbands would also like to see the gains that Philippine football has made to be sustained by, among other things, having more football games shown on television. Media coverage, they explained, goes a long way in promoting the sport, as does local leadership focusing on grassroots development. On a personal level, the brothers shared that while they still have a lot left in their tanks, they hope their contributions to the sport won’t be forgotten when their playing days are over.

“We just want to be remembered for ourselves. Me and Phil, we have done things together both on and off the field. We work together and we are family. We want our legacy to be one of providing opportunities and inspiration for others as well to live their dreams,” said James.

Phil, on the other hand, said: “First off, we want to be remembered as good people. We want them to say that we were nice people, polite and well-mannered—that’s what our mom and dad want us to be. In football, we want to be remembered as passionate about the sport and passionate about wanting the sport in the country to improve more than anything else. We laid some of the foundation and hopefully others can build on it. It’s not only me and James but the entire team.”

Favorite Things | Karate as second nature

A CEO took up karate as a form of revenge then learned that karate was a way of life.

INTERVIEW MICHELLE ANN P. SOLIMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN D. BALDONADO

Antonio “Jumbing” G. de Rosas says that his lifestyle has not changed since becoming Pru Life UK president and CEO. He rises between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. and begins the day by running, swimming, or practicing karate.

Inside his office hangs a candid photo of his late sensei training with a fellow protégé, and a certificate of achievement he earned in 2006 at the age of 41, indicating his promotion to 4th dan—mementos of years of dedication to martial arts since he began training in 1977.

As a child based in Hong Kong where his father was assigned, Mr. De Rosas was introduced to karate at the age of 12 when his father enrolled at the Hong Kong branch of the Japan Karate Organization, the only karate school approved by the Ministry of Education in Japan.

“I went to British School for my primary education, and I was bullied by classmates twice my size, which is why my father enrolled me in martial arts. My motive then was revenge. But after several months, I learned that there was more to karate, and that it was a way life.  The more you advance in karate, the more you will find yourself not needing to use it, and if a time will come you would have to, it would be to protect others rather than yourself,” he said.

Outside his responsibilities as CEO, he continues the legacy of his late sensei, who trained him in the Philippines, by being an active member of the organization.

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Which type of martial art do you specialize in?
JKA Shotokan Karate.

What makes it unique?
We have longer stances. It’s a matter of emphasis on the movement, blocks and kicks and strikes.

How often do you practice it?
At least twice a week.

What was the most difficult part in earning a black belt?
First dan black belt because the final part of the exam would be to spar with nine senior black belters.  It’s more of an initiation rather than a test of skill, although your skill level after a minimum of three years training would be sufficient.  The purpose is to break you down and make you humble so you can grow again into a better person and martial artist. However, this part of the exam has not been practiced since 2000 due to potential legal liability issues of the karate school.

How do you get to 4th dan?
It takes three years of training to get to 1st dan, six years thereafter for 2nd, another 12 years for 3rd dan.  You don’t apply to take dan examinations above 3rd dan and you wait for your sensei to tell you that you are ready.

What is your favorite move?
All the basics must be mastered, and a true martial artist does not have a favorite move because different situations require different “moves.”

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Why martial arts?
It builds and endeavors you to seek perfection in character maintaining your principles, values, and integrity.    

What values and goals are parallel in the practice of martial arts and being the CEO?
Seek perfection of character. No one is perfect, and no one will ever be, but that does not preclude us from trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of our lives. When we develop a product, we always have the interest of the customer in mind.

Be faithful. We can have the best intentions for all our stakeholders (employees, distributors, customers, shareholders, our community) only if we remain faithful to them and have their interests at heart.

Endeavor. Martial arts training takes years—even decades—and you have to be persistent and diligent to progress through difficulties.

Respect others/refrain from violent behavior. The company must promote respect in the workplace and that is a given.  We respect each other as colleagues and professionals, and we encourage openness and value everyone’s ideas and opinions.               

Why do you continue to make time for karate?
Karate is my way of life.

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‘Don’t ride faster than your angel can fly’

Meet the Cruiserheads, a group of guys who ride their bikes in search of good food and good coffee.

WORDS SUSAN CLAIRE AGBAYANI | PHOTOGRAPHY G-NIE ARAMBULO

On Sundays—or whenever someone gets the itch—a diverse and interesting mix of 23 professionals called the Cruiserheads get on their motorcycles and expose themselves to the sun, the heat, the wind, and, depending on Mother Nature, the rain. They also contend with undisciplined drivers, incorrigible pedestrians, stray dogs, slippery roads, and sudden curves—sometimes all at once. To an outsider, riding is having one foot in the grave.

For what?

In an interview with High Life at his Parañaque residence, musician Ely Buendia answered the question with a memory of his high school self seeing a motorcycle parked outside the family’s house in Las Piñas. “I tried it, and I loved it. I loved the feeling of being able to literally fly on a bike, and being able to control such a powerful machine you’re sitting on. I guess the danger aspect of it also appealed to me. It was very exhilarating. I never forgot that experience.”

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Ely Buendia

Mr. Buendia, 47, bought his first bike last year. His modest collection includes two Harleys and a Ducati, a nimbler beast suited for adventure rides, which he bought from fellow Cruiserhead Karlo Magpayo, a licensed embalmer and funeral director, and president and COO of the Caloocan-based Mother Teresa Crematory and Columbarium.   

Continued Mr. Buendia: “I’ve always been fascinated with motorcycles but I didn’t really have the time back then, neither did I have approval of my family. You’d be surprised what a lot of bikers have to through.” Seeing that his kids were all grown up, the elder statesman of rock gave into nostalgia unburdened by guilt. “I’m getting old. I guess it’s never too late to do something you’ve always wanted to do.”

He joined a group of bikers and reacquainted himself with the exhilaration he felt: “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had since getting my first bicycle,” Mr. Buendia said, adding that he made an important discovery. “I thought you just bought a bike and used it for commuting or whatever. I was surprised to find a whole new world of bike culture.” He was referring to long trips to places like Tagaytay and Sagada, and exploring spots that cannot be reached by car. The formula is simple: ride with the pack, eat with the pack, go back with the pack. “It’s like going back to school. The difference is, it’s fun,” he said. “There are parts of the city and the countryside I didn’t know even existed. And I want to discover them through riding. The fun has not waned at all. I can see myself doing this for as long as I can,” he said.

A SCRAMBLER, A RACER, A TOURING BIKE
On the Sunday that High Life joined the Cruiserheads on a road trip to San Pablo, Laguna, Mr. Buendia was absent due to an upcoming gig. Mr. Magpayo, from whom the rock star bought his Ducati, was in attendance, as was Bernie Ledesma, manager of the Shangri-La at the Fort branch of Harley-Davidson; TV host Kim Atienza; professional basketball player Rico Villanueva; TVC director and painter Erin Pascual; Ace Pools, Inc. President Alvin Edrosalam; and retired basketball player Mick Pennisi. Mr. Magpayo, the glue that holds the group together, noted that—save for Mr. Ledesma—everyone is in their 40s. “But you know what makes the group click? Diversity.”

Multiple bikes are represented in the Cruiserheads: a quick inventory revealed a scrambler, a racer, and a touring bike, among other types. The riders themselves are as varied as the motorcycles in terms of skill level and acquisitiveness. Mr. Magpayo, who has had several bikes through the 20-plus years he’s been riding, keeps and drives a Harley. A Harley-Davidson, he explained, has its own soul: “It vibrates. It’s heavy, and it’s quite different compared to other bikes.” Mr. Pascual, owns three—none of which are Harleys. Mr. Atienza is said to have 10, while Mr. Edrosalam, who has been riding motorcycles since he was in fourth grade, has only one Softail for now. Mr. Ledesma said that he, too, has one (Mr. Magpayo quipped, “one fleet”).

inside-cruiserheads

The Cruiserheads think of themselves not as a club but as “foodies,” said Mr. Magpayo. To elaborate: foodies who like going places on their bikes “to have good breakfast, good meals, good coffee.” Their culinary cravings have brought them to Taal, Batangas, where one can find great lomi and to San Pablo, Laguna, where Sulyap, a café-cum-gallery serves traditional Filipino food. 

“It’s a good diversion for us to ride,” said Mr. Magpayo. “It’s a privilege. But we owe it to our families to get home safe.” He knows whereof he speaks. Five of his friends have died from motorcycle-related accidents. Speed is often the culprit, a lot of times, speed and curves.

Mr. Magpayo offered this piece of advice: “Don’t ride faster than your angel can fly. From there, just learn through riding and experience. Nothing beats experience. Either learn the hard way, or the smart way.”

Once a sneakerhead, always a sneakerhead

The story of shoe collecting in the Philippines.

WORDS MICHAEL ANGELO S. MURILLO | PHOTOGRAPHY JONATHAN BALDONADO

In a country as basketball-crazy as the Philippines, it’s unsurprising that sneaker collecting is a “thing.” As a kid in the 1990s, Antonio Aguirre, Jr. remembers Cash & Carry in Makati City as the go-to place for copping the signature shoes worn by NBA players like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, and Scottie Pippen. In the early aughts, Vince Carter and his Nike Shox caught fire. “Not many would line up though. Weeks would pass and the shoes would still be there,” said Mr. Aguirre, who is also known as Mr. Sole Slam, an influential sneakerhead who founded the brand Sole Slam and ran the largest sneaker convention in the country, credited with further cultivating the local sneaker scene.

People started queueing around 2009-2010, when Kobe Bryant was winning championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in a pair of Nike Zoom Kobe V. It was also around this time that LeBron James was in the news for his very public breakup with the Cleveland Cavaliers—remember “The Decision”?—in favor of the Miami Heat. The controversy added to the desirability of the LeBron 8 “South Beach,” which, with its pink-and-teal colorway, screamed Florida.     

While basketball was the takeoff-point for sneaker culture in the Philippines, Mr. Aguirre witnessed a shift around 2014, which he attributed to Europeans and their love for running shoes. “They aren’t really into basketball shoes like the Americans,” he said, adding that the Japanese preference for big, chunky, colorful shoes has also made inroads among Filipino collectors.   

BONDED BY PASSION
The sneakerhead community, according to Mr. Sole Slam himself, is bonded by the thrill for searching and acquiring coveted shoes. “I started collecting seriously when I was 28 years old,” said Mr. Aguirre. “What got me into the sneaker scene was the Jordan IX OG. It was a white pair of shoes that Jordan did not wear due to his retirement from basketball in 1993.”

Mr. Aguirre met up with an online seller who was willing to part with a pair for Php9,000. “I saw he had other stocks of shoes,” he said of the moment he was bitten by the shoe-collecting bug. “Two days after I ended up buying 17 pairs of shoes from him in one go and it opened a can of worms.”

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In a futile attempt to curb his initial appetite for kicks, he told himself that he would limit his collection to Air Jordans (I to XXIII). “Just to satisfy the itch,” he said. Then a friend asked him if he wanted a Kobe, a LeBron, maybe Asics running shoes? At its peak, Mr. Aguirre’s collection was composed of 1,257 pairs of shoes. That Imeldific number has since been whittled down, with great effort, to under 400 pairs.

While Manila is the hotbed of the collecting scene, as it is the site for releases, there are also collectors in Baguio, Pampanga, Bacolod, Davao, and Cebu. “It’s basically everyone and anyone. Some people may be in suits all day but come the weekend they love to wear their sneakers,” said Mr. Aguirre. “People who work in offices, from entry-level to top-management people, they are into sneakers. It bridges the gap among Filipinos. I have a friend who sells fish in the market who, because of sneakers, became friends with a guy who is part owner of one of the biggest construction companies in the Philippines.”

TITAN, SOLE SLAM, AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Fueling the growth of the sneaker scene was the establishment of concept stores dedicated to catering to the needs of sneakerheads, foremost of which was Titan 22. Founded by a group of basketball practitioners and aficionados led by former Philippine Basketball Association player and now coach Jeffrey Cariaso, Titan 22 opened shop in 2010.

“Titan created the scene for basketball shoes through its exclusive releases,” said Alf Co, 30, who started with a pair of Jordan XI “Concord” and worked his way up to more than a hundred pairs of shoes and counting.

A year after Titan 22 opened came another key development in Philippine sneaker culture: the inaugural Sole Slam convention in 2011. “Sole Slam was inspired by an event that I saw in the States called Dunkxchange. It was in downtown San Francisco and it really opened my eyes,” said Mr. Aguirre. Dunkxchange or DxC is a buy, sell, and trade sneaker show that incorporates elements of hip-hop music, fashion/streetwear, and art.

Mr. Aguirre took what he learned from DxC and brought it to the Philippines. The first Sole Slam convention was a huge success. “It garnered so many eyeballs. We were expecting 500 people but we had 2,500. The crazy line of people caught the eye of the media” said Mr. Aguirre. “Our mission was to cultivate the culture, which is why I brought big names from abroad as well for the event because I wanted knowledge on, and passion for, sneakers to spread and be shared,” he added.

Sole Slam’s run lasted until 2016. After nine editions, Mr. Aguirre felt that the convention accomplished what it had set out to do. The spirit of Sole Slam lives on in social media, where collectors both old and new can congregate (you can find him on Instagram at @mrsoleslam). Said Mr. Co: “Social media, be it Facebook, Instagram and others, has done a lot to spread the culture in the country. From 2010 to 2012 a lot of sneaker groups came into existence and it all started to move forward. They were helping each other to grow the scene. Since then it has become easier to collect.”

COLLABS
The sneaker game has evolved beyond the basketball court, embracing big names in entertainment and fashion. In 2018, people are talking about Yeezys, the shoes of Kanye West; and Virgil Abloh’s Off-White collab with Nike. Every major shoe brand seems to have a partnership with a rapper: Nike has Drake; Adidas, Kanye; Under Armour, A$AP Rocky; Puma, The Weeknd and Rihanna. “It’s music partnering with the shoes. Collectors in the Philippines are taking note of that,” said Mr. Aguirre.

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Virgil Abloh x Nike

These exclusive drops—although there are levels of exclusivity—do find their way to the Philippines, eventually. “After Japan, I think the Philippines is a close second in terms of sneakers. But being a developing country we don’t get special treatment when it comes to the really rare ones. They call it ‘Tier 0,’ those are like 100 pieces released in Japan, Hong Kong, sometimes Korea and Singapore. But we have resellers here and they find ways to get those shoes from Europe and the United States,” Mr. Aguirre said, adding that the Philippines has a strong secondary market. “Resellers are doing big business. Resale makes the scene expensive but people still turn to it for the rarity of the sneakers. This is apart from the fact that resellers do pre-order as well which makes it more convenient.”

Mr. Co, who used to be a reseller, agreed: “For collectors, retail is the first choice but, if for one reason or another, they can’t get what they want, they turn to resellers even if the price is higher.”

For both men, shoe collecting goes hand-in-hand with knowing the stories behind said shoes. “Before, it was quantity over quality; now, it’s the other way around,” said Mr. Aguirre. “It’s not just about how many pairs of shoes you have but how passionate you are about sneaker knowledge. It’s like collecting comics, you should know the history.”

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To neophytes who want to get into the scene, he advised: “Buy what you want. Don’t buy what the other person wants. Buying what the other person wants means that you’re a headless chicken. You don’t want to be like that. You want to have your own cultivated taste that represents you. “And, yes, buy at your own pace,” Mr. Aguirre said, adding: “Once a sneakerhead always a sneakerhead.” 

Why buying a super bicycle worth more than a million makes perfect sense

Meet the MAMIL (Middle-Aged Men In Lycra).

WORDS  ROME JORGE

Super bicycles. That’s the name for them. They’re the equivalent of super cars by manufacturers such as Lamborghini and Ferrari in the automotive world. They are vehicles finely engineered with aerodynamics and aerospace materials such as carbon-fiber composites and titanium for speed and performance. They have been tested, honed, and vindicated in the world’s most prestigious and grueling races. They are machines that have passed muster with the world’s best professionals.

But unlike with super cars, the vast majority of the very select few men and women who ride super bicycles are not laughably corpulent middle-aged men compensating for lost virility with powerful motors and sleek car bodies. Unlike horsepower, you can’t buy pedal power. Lycra doesn’t lie. And bicycles aren’t for picking up chicks; they are serious racing machines for serious racers.

The men and women who ride super bikes are focused on performance. Cyclists who ride super bikes earn it through arduous training and determination undaunted by the world’s toughest Ironman triathlons, giros, and tours. When you are the engine, you take every bit of unnecessary weight, every bit of unnecessary wind resistance, and every bit of unnecessary discomfort personally. The race is tough enough without adding to it a bicycle that weighs you down on the climbs, holds you back in the wind, and rubs you the wrong way causing sores and numbness. You want the very best your money can buy. Being one with the bike—it truly is an extension of your body.

Triathlons are the new golf—the sport of today’s executive class, with the likes of Fernando Zobel and Fred Uytengsu leading the way. Any seasoned triathlete will tell you that: a.) It’s all about the time management, and b.) it’s age-groupers 40 and above that are most competitive. Only those in leadership roles wherein they can delegate responsibilities have the time to train in three different sports.

The Tour de France and other famed road cycling events have also inspired a new breed of men who have embraced the media’s moniker for them: MAMIL or Middle-Aged Men In Lycra. And unlike those that deal with midlife crisis by purchasing super cars and super motorbikes, MAMILs have earned their rides with sinew worthy of their steeds.

‘MAMIL’ PUSHER
The men who supply the Philippines’ elite cyclists with the world’s very best bicycles—some worth over a million—shared with High Life who buys their bikes, what they ride, and why. They know what they are talking about; they are avid cyclists themselves who earned their success with their passion and involvement as with their customer service and premium brands.

Glenn Colendrino, a stockbroker by profession, cofounded Primo Cycles at Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio after he had his own midlife transformation. “I got into cycling through mountain biking way back in 2000 when my son and daughter were born. After that, I felt that I had to get in shape. I was a party guy, as I would go home at six in the morning and stuff like that, so I needed a drastic change of lifestyle. Me, I’m guilty of that. I’m a MAMIL.”

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Pinarello Bolide

In 2008, Mr. Colendrino decided that he wanted to train for triathlons and shift from mountain bikes to road bikes. “But when we went around there were only a few choices carrying decent products and shops that were actually covering warranties the same way western businesses would really uphold warranties and provide after-sales service and the whole customer service experience,” he recalled.

He and his partners, John Clogg and David Almendral, opened Primo Cycles in 2011 to fill this gap. “We wanted to change the whole industry by offering honest-to-goodness service and parts.” When it opened, Primo Cycles carried brands such as Pinarello, Cervelo, and Felt. The shop’s clientele—guys who already own bikes and want to progress to the next level—know that they can get more choices and customization when they visit Primo.

Today, clients include celebrities, sports icons, and executives. One regular patron, on the occasion of his 40th birthday, passed on a Porsche from his mother and asked for a bike instead. “True story,” said Mr. Colendrino, “the thing is, the guy could afford to buy the car on his own, but it’s the thought that counts.”

Primo Cycles pays it forward by supporting Filipino athletes. “We’ve been helping so many cyclists and triathletes, from your age-groupers, to some pros, to some of our national team athletes. When the Triathlon Association of the Philippines sends their triathletes to me, I don’t charge them.”

‘WINNINGEST’ BRANDS
Primo Cycles sells the Cervelo P5X Lamborghini Edition carbon-fiber composite triathlon bike, which is the top-of-the-line P5X in a gorgeous Lamborghini yellow pattern. Price tag: Php1.1 million. Mr. Colendrino revealed that out of the 25 bikes produced, two are heading to the Philippines. “I’m not at liberty to tell you who’s buying, but one bike is going to Manila and the other one is going to Mindanao.”

According to Mr. Colendrino, the reason the P5X is so expensive is that each and every frame is hand-built in Minnesota. And yet, despite the cost, the P5X is popular among triathletes who are doing the full Ironman: Cervelo Bicycles dominate the bike count at the Kona Ironman—the world’s toughest triathlon, with more ironmen and ironwomen using Cervelo than any other bike brand.

highlife-inside-pinarello-dogma-super-bike
Pinarello Dogma

Another much sought after bicycle is the Pinarello Dogma—one of the most esteemed road bikes in the world. The frame set alone costs Php340,000. More Tour de France races have been won with Pinarello than with any other bicycle. Another bicycle from Pinarello, the Bolide, specifically designed for time trial races, costs a million.

ITALIAN COLLECTION
On the other side of the Metro is Paul Laurence Tan, owner and CEO of Mega Ideal Enterprises. He is better known as the man who is bringing to the Philippines Bianchi bicycles—a vaunted Italian heritage brand founded in 1885 made all the more iconic because of its patented shade of green known as “Celeste”—as well as some 30 other renowned cycling brands, many of which are Italian such as ITM components, Astute Italia saddles, Challenge handmade tires, and Suomy bike helmets.

Mr. Tan is poised to make his presence better known to high-end bicycle enthusiasts with Celeste Cycles shops. Already in operation along Congressional Road is Celeste Cycles, a Hong Kong-style shop that’s chock-full of bicycles and parts. Opening soon is the Celeste Café and Cycles, a retro-style bicycle concept store in Circulo Verde Mall, Pasig, which will open its doors in time for the launching of the Escuderia Ferrari bicycles jointly developed with Bianchi.

highlife-inside-bianchi-oltre-super-bike
Bianchi Oltre XR4

The affinity for cycling is in Mr. Tan’s blood. His father was a mechanic who tinkered with bikes and motorcycles in a small shop in Daraga, Albay. In 1996, the elder Tan came to Manila and, with the help of his brother—who owned a metal factory—opened a bicycle manufacturing business called Megabikes in Valenzuela. “Those bikes were steel frames, mostly commuter bikes, and bicycles for kids. In 2001, with the boom in the Chinese economy, we realized it was cheaper to buy bicycles from China. We shut down the factory in Valenzuela and became a trading company,” he recalled.

An avid cyclist himself, Mr. Tan has joined executive tours. But it was his passion for bike collecting—he owns about 70—that led him to distribute the very best European brands. The authentic parts he needed for his bicycle collection are the same brands that Celeste Cycles carries today. “I really love bikes, it’s addictive—like drugs,” he said.

Among his most prized possessions is one of several Bianchi Specialissima bicycles specifically tailored for the late legendary Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia champion Marco Pantani. Other bicycles of note are the vintage Bianchi L’Eroica and the Bianchi Oltre XR4 “Leon” aero road bike with a custom paint job (it’s emblazoned with the Philippine flag). The latter was gifted to Mr. Tan by none other than Bianchi CEO Bob Ippolito. “He gave it to me as a token of friendship,” he said, adding that it’s valued at around Php700,000. “But for me it’s priceless. It’s unique. It’s the only one in the world.”

Restarting your body, resetting your metabolism

Benefits of stem cell therapy include better organ function, better metabolism, and less muscular and joint pains.

WORDS ZSARLENE B. CHUA | ILLUSTRATION JOY DELA CRUZ DAGUN

Aging might not be inevitable after all—that is, if one is inclined to undergo Vietura’s Regenerative Cell Therapy procedure, which involves getting stem cells from one’s own adipose tissue before processing it and reintroducing it to the body to help it heal. Or, in the words of Vietura’s medical director, the procedure is meant to “restart the body.”

“It’s resetting your body metabolism. It’s really amazing because I did the procedure three years before we introduced it,” Dr. Mary Jane Torres, medical director of Vietura and Zen Institute, told High Life during an interview in May.

Stem cells by definition are “undifferentiated cells present in multicellular organisms capable of giving rise to more cells of the same type from which other kinds of cells can arise by differentiation.”

Prior to the procedure, Dr. Torres suffered from persistent knee pain that made it difficult for her to work out for long stretches of time. Benefits of stem cell therapy include better organ function, better metabolism, and less muscular and joint pains.

While most people over the age of 35 can undergo stem cell therapy, there are certain precautions: prospective patients must be cleared by the doctors, who must evaluate the health of their immune systems. Stem cell therapy isn’t recommended for people with active cancer, for example, since their immune systems are compromised. The same goes for those with HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Patients on anticoagulant therapy should also think twice.

A person must also be psychologically ready to undergo treatment. The procedure needs to extract fat from the patient via liposuction, which requires local anesthesia. The payoff of stem cell therapy versus “entry-level” procedures such as colonics, said Dr. Torres, is that the former’s effects are “longer and deeper”: “Stem cell therapy can really prevent degenerative diseases and delay the aging process because cells are given more time to divide and live. It can boost the immune system and regenerate cells.”

Those who have been cleared to undergo the procedure will then be taken into a sterile room (Vietura will open its sterile room this June while Zen Institute in Quezon City already has an operational one). It is here that the patient undergoes manual liposuction under local anesthesia: 150 ml of fat is aspirated and centrifuged to separate the fat/lipid component from the stromal vascular fraction that contains stem cells.

After the separation, the stem cells are counted to ensure adequacy—there should be no less than six million cells—if the count is high enough, the cells are then injected back into the patient.

The process doesn’t stop there as results largely depend on the body’s own regenerative healing ability and it may take time—usually between four to six weeks—to see improvement. In the meantime, Dr. Torres recommended that patients get immune booster shots.

Regenerative cell therapy, which is not a treatment but a preventive procedure, was offered by Vietura in March 2017. “I do recommend doing it every five years because, in that time, your body has aged,” Dr. Torres said. The ambulatory procedure only takes a day but the beauty of being in a hotel, she explained, is that people can stay overnight to rest and enjoy—that is included in Vietura’s Php800,000++ package.

INCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE
Vietura Aesthetic Center is located at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. Zen Institute has a branch in 69 Scout Rallos, Diliman, Quezon City. Visit vietura.com and zeninstitute.com.

Mind, body, and soul working together

A lot of people think that living life to the fullest means doing everything under the sun, but did it ever occur to you that life can be enjoyed during its pauses?

WORDS JOSEPH L. GARCIA

Breathe in, breathe out. Life is a long, often troubling ride, and we might as well make the most of it by picking up all the good that might come across our way. A lot of people think that living life to the fullest means doing everything under the sun, but did it ever occur to you that life can be enjoyed during its pauses?

Some people live their lives around yoga, the ancient Indian philosophy tied to exercise and meditation, that might be summed up as assuming poses and practicing correct breathing techniques. The world of yoga is incredibly diverse, its imprint spreading across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. This writer apologizes in advance for the awfully simplistic definition, because based on this writer’s experience, yoga means making the mind, body, and soul work together for one to be in communion with the universe. Perhaps it’s fitting that the Sanskrit word translates to English as “yoke,” thereby implying that one becomes attached to a force greater than one’s own.

High Life talked to Urban Ashram Yoga instructor Carlo Ordoñez, who goes by Janaka, a name given to him by the monks in Sivananda, a yoga center where he trained in Val Morin, Quebec. After his stint in Canada, he moved to California, living an ascetic lifestyle centered on meditation and physical work. “Almost as a monk,” he told High Life. “It was a joyful time there where I met truly light beings of Mahatma status changing the collective vibration through silent service.”

He began his yoga practice in college in the early 2000s, where he described himself as “mentally, physically broken down.” He believes that his practice began his healing process.

High Life asked Mr. Ordoñez about yoga routines for executives and people in positions of power, whom we termed as “extra-busy” people. Yoga was brought to the West in the 20th century, and was embraced by people as diverse as Madonna to former US Vice-President Al Gore. Mr. Ordoñez said that “extra-busy” people like executives are drawn to it because it’s simply effective and practical. “Nobody is too busy to do yoga really,” said Mr. Ordoñez. “That is just an excuse because yoga can be practiced anywhere, any time by everyone regardless of fitness or background. You can squeeze in a five-minute practice in your office if you’re determined to practice.”

While there are many yoga classes offered in the country, ranging from free classes to thousands of pesos per session, there’s a certain advantage to hiring your own yoga instructor. Mr. Ordoñez said: “Yoga, meaning union, is finding your own individual connection to the Self. Firstly, you will have a personalized design to your sessions, tailor-fit to your specific needs whether physical, mental or spiritual. Secondly, you learn to build a solid foundation and relationship to your own mind and body with your guide in a more in-depth process. Thirdly, you have the advantage of creating your own discipline and expression of the practice in a more focused trajectory.”

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Urban Ashram Yoga instructor Carlo Ordoñez (who goes by the name Janaka) says that yoga can be practiced anywhere, any time by everyone regardless of fitness or backgrounds. Photo courtesy of Urban Ashram Manila

CLEAN, SIMPLE, AND FREE OF DISTRACTIONS
If you’re getting your own yoga instructor, why not build your own meditation room—everybody needs a sanctuary from this world. According to Mr. Ordoñez, a person’s yoga or meditation room (or corner) should be clean, simple, and free of distractions: “As much as possible everything you’re surrounded by in the space should be related to your practice and promote a sense of wholeness and inwardness/interiorization—it is a time you devote for yourself.”

The space should have basics such as a mat, a bolster or chair to sit on for meditation, and a shelf or altar containing symbols of inspiration.

Even without a meditation room, however, one can still tap into the energies and knowledge of yoga. A person really, really pressed for time can, ironically, start the day right by staying in bed for a few more moments. “Take a minute in the morning before jumping out of bed to mindfully take a deep breath in and take a breath out while scanning the length of the body and each part, then add another minute working your way up to five minutes if you can, then sit in stillness. Add this practice at intervals throughout the day,” said Mr. Ordoñez. “Breath is a person’s first mantra coming into the world but we forget and get distracted from it by societal conditioning and ‘busyness.’”

LIVING IN THE PRESENT
Yoga can help you become more efficient at work. “Practitioners generally find that they’re more calm, productive and efficient in any of their pursuits. If the mind is clear and focused, the body can move and breathe healthfully—then, it’s manageable to navigate around one’s environment. One finds that tackling activities are done by being present.”

If one lives in the present, then one can forget about worrying about the past and panicking about the future. The goal is inner freedom, liberation, or moksha in Sanskrit yoga terminology, a state described by Mr. Ordoñez as an “eternal now-timeless, in-the-zone, flow-state.” “Yoga,” he continued, is “a hack, so to speak, to free oneself from limitations, challenges, and illusions on all levels.”

Sidebar | A word from officer safety

Meet the Cruiserheads, a group of guys who ride their bikes in search of good food and good coffee.

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Everyday grind: How C-Suite executives keep in shape

The many ways executives keep in shape.

WORDS HIGH LIFE STAFF | ILLUSTRATION TONE DAÑAS

Maintaining a sound body is necessary when you’re responsible for an entire company. How can you make tough decisions when you’re distracted by health problems? Four executives share how they take care of themselves (there’s something for everyone, even the gym-averse).

Gerwyn See, founder and CEO of MASE Investments, Inc.

As the chief executive officer of a holding company and business consultancy firm that specializes in business development, corporate, planning, and governance, Mr. See sees to it that he gets pumped up every day. His secret? Staying active. “My primary motivation for working out is to stay fit and to stay in shape. But beyond these goals, my fitness regime has already evolved to be part of my lifestyle. I lead a very challenging life balancing the demands of both career and family.  Fitness has been my regular outlet to recharge and collect myself—and perhaps to stay sane,” he said.

Work out every day.
“I normally start my day with a morning run on a treadmill while watching Bloomberg. But every now and then, I like taking my jog outside just to keep things interesting. I guess what’s important is doing my cardio in a fasted state (fasted cardio), which helps me keep fat loss at a very optimum level as I’m not getting any younger. I’m 38, if you wish to know. Then, I do my weight training in the evenings after work.  I train about an hour and a half, four times a week. I’ve got a fitness coach who keeps me on track. We mix up exercises and routines depending on our goal at that specific time. It is always good to have professional advice to keep you motivated and get proper results.”

But it’s okay to cheat, sometimes.
“We’re not machines, of course we go through our lazy days. We all go through our own ups and downs. And I would say that a tolerable level of ‘unhealthy cheat’ is acceptable.

“So go, don’t deprive yourself from that craving. Just don’t do it every day. I’ve always believed that taking one bad meal will not make you fat, just as having one good meal will not automatically slim you down. You have to invest in it. And it takes some time to see results, months or even years.”

Gym or village, it doesn’t matter.
“I always do my cardio at home and my jogging around our village, which lasts for about 30 minutes every morning. For weight training, we hold our sessions either at Treston Health Club in BGC or The Rockwell Club in Makati City. My work and family life revolves around these areas, so I train where ever it would be convenient.”

Work-life balance.
“I run on a very tight schedule, but I can’t say it’s perfect all the time. As much as I can, I try to organize my week and allocate specific times and routines for both work and play. My weekdays are normally packed with meetings and trips as I juggle my week between several companies and projects, but for my weekends, they are always dedicated to family. I guess I’m a creature of habit. And I work well having that consistent schedule for my daily and weekly regime.”

Ariel G. Cantos, Philam Life CEO

inside-ariel-cantosHis day starts in silence: prayer and reflection. In the middle of the day, meanwhile, a quiet time is observed to manage stress. For Mr. Cantos, it is not necessary to go the extra mile when it comes to wellness. Rather, it is about the simple things: incorporating a routine into your daily life. “Wellness is not just about being physically fit. It is in finding balance in the different aspects of our life that we find holistic wellness,” he said.

Despite his hectic schedule, he is committed to fitness. “There are so many reasons that will keep us from achieving our fitness and wellness goal, but with discipline and commitment, it can be done,” he said.

Be active in your youth.
“I used to be very active when I was much younger. I played football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, went to the gym regularly, and was even into mountain climbing as I love nature.”

Walk 12,500 steps a day.
“During the day, I make an effort to accumulate as many steps as possible to get close to my goal of 12,500 steps a day. Doing at least 10,000 steps a day, I learned, is good for the heart. I consciously incorporate the steps into my day to make it easier to achieve my goal.”

Walk to reduce stress.
“On normal days, I would have tallied about 4,500 steps by the time I leave the office. I complete my 12,500 steps by walking around our village at night. These evening walks along tree-lined streets while listening to relaxing music frees the mind of distractions, and also helps remove any stress built during the day… Domestic and foreign travels are part of my job. I take these trips as an opportunity to relax and do my 12,500 daily steps which is equivalent to about 10 kilometers a day.”

Exercise no matter what.
“Once, I completed my steps just inside my room when the hotel did not have a gym and the weather was bad. Another time, I requested a hotel to open the gym so I could use the treadmill when I checked in at 10 p.m.”

Make room for a small gym at home.
“I removed my lame excuse for skipping exercise when it rains. I bought a treadmill and converted my attic into a small gym, so I can work on my steps even when it is raining.”

Dan Torres, head of digital for Samsung Electronics Philippines

inside-dan-torresCellphones and the Internet have bad reps: they make us screen-addicted couch potatoes endlessly scrolling through cat pictures. In reality, smartphones have built-in health tracking systems that can monitor your heart rate and the number of steps you’ve taken. You can also keep tabs on your physical activity, diet, and sleep. Your smartphone can help you record your progress and share your gains on social media. Just ask Dan Torres, head of digital for Samsung Electronics Philippines.

A triathlete, he pursued the multisport after he almost drowned during a beach trip with friends in 2008. To conquer his fear of open water, he joined as many competitions as he could.

“My ultimate goal is to be able to qualify to race in the Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii (4 -km swim, 180-km bike and 42-km run). What I love about this sport is that you are training for three disciplines. It doesn’t get boring,” said the triathlete, who is training for the Ironman 70.3 Cebu (2-km swim, 90-km bike, 21-km run) in August and Ironman Western Australia (4-km swim, 180-km bike and 42-km run) in December.

Train to conquer fears.
“I’ve always feared the open water. To conquer this fear, I enrolled in Coach Norman Pascual’s learn-to-swim program in 2015. The opportunity opened up when an ex-Samsung colleague invited me to join the said program. When I started swim training, I initially had no intentions of swimming in open water. In February 2017, my coach opened the idea of me joining one of his open water workshops in Subic. I gave it a shot. His instructions and tips definitely gave me a confidence boost.”

It’s now or never.
“My coach, Norman, is very hands on. A lot of his students come from zero background in triathlons and after just a few months are able to change to healthier lifestyles. He helped a lot in showing me that there really is no time limit for people to get fit. People of any age and of any background can do triathlons for as long as they commit themselves to it. I definitely think that this is something more people should engage in. I myself did not believe in this kind of lifestyle when I was younger. I was totally not a sporty type. When I discovered the benefits that come with living such a lifestyle, I immediately got hooked.”

Bye-bye late nights.
“One should be fully committed to it. I had to fully change my lifestyle just to be able to cope. I gave up the late nights and oily food, and disciplined myself to sleep early and eat healthy. I feel more alert and energetic on days when I have training. On days I don’t train, I feel sluggish. This is one of the main factors why I decided to do a full triathlon training. I love how I felt coming to work after training in the morning. It was hard in the first two weeks, but when your body has adjusted to the demands of the training, it becomes a easier. Eventually, your body will even start looking for it.”

Go hard, or go home.
“I train, on average, for 10 hours per week, which includes biking for at least an hour and a half—an average of 40 kilometers—on Mondays at the Mall of Asia Grounds. I also do endurance biking sessions on Saturdays for three hours to Nuvali, Laguna, or Guagua, Pampanga; then an hour of swimming—an average of two kilometers—at the Makati Aqua Sports Arena on Tuesdays and Fridays; a short high-intensity run for one-and-a-half hours—an average of seven kilometers—at the University of Makati on Thursdays, and finally, a long high-intensity run on Sundays for two hours at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig or at the UP Oval in Quezon City.”

Olivia Limpe-Aw, president of Destileria Limtuaco & Co.,Inc.

For Olivia Limpe-Aw, health and wellness is not about the pursuit of a gold medal, but an exercise in moderation. Ms. Limpe-Aw is the president of Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc., established in 1852. Held by the family’s fifth generation, the distillery is behind spirits such as Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, White Castle Whisky, Napoleon VSOP brandy, El Hombre tequila, and Toska vodka. One would think that an heiress to a liquor fortune would be a tippler, but Ms. Limpe-Aw is far from being one. As the adage of any good trader goes: “Don’t get high on your own supply.” She said, “It’s there all the time—there’s no need for me to indulge.” Finally, a page from her book to the company’s patrons: “Drink only what you can take.”

Sleep is not for the weak.
“I don’t smoke. I drink for work, not for socials. I also make sure that I get enough sleep.”

Moderation is key.
“I don’t really deprive myself. My diet consists of vegetables and seafood, with some meat mixed in, and very small allowances for sweets. Thanks to my diet and moderate lifestyle I can work long hours; I have a lot of energy. I can concentrate well. I feel good—if  you feel good, you can work well.” 

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