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DoF says gov’t committed to UHC, funding being addressed

FINANCE Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said discussions are currently ongoing to address funding for Universal Health Care (UHC) after its implementing agency floated the idea of possible delays in rolling out the program.

“We are currently discussing with PhilHealth and the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) how to address funding challenges and ensure continued implementation of UHC,” Mr. Dominguez said in a Viber message to reporters Wednesday.

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President Ricardo C. Morales on Tuesday proposed to legislators a UHC postponement as the health insurer is expected to be in deficit up to 2024.

“The government is committed to UHC particularly to ensure access of our most vulnerable groups to much needed health care especially during this difficult time,” Mr. Dominguez added.

Mr. Morales proposed a PhilHealth subsidy of P138 billion for 2021.

The proposed budget was higher than the P71.2-billion subsidy it received from the government this year, which was lower than the initial proposal of P153 billion. He said the current amount is not sufficient and will affect the health insurer’s capacity to cover all benefits.

He said PhilHealth is collecting less while having to make additional payouts due to the pandemic.

The government subsidizes government-owned and -controlled corporations to cover operational expenses not supported by their revenue.

Asked for comment, the DBM had not responded at deadline time.

The Department of Finance (DoF) last year backed hiking taxes on “sin” products to plug the funding gap for UHC which will require some P257 billion in the first year of implementation.

The bulk of funding for UHC will be sourced from the general appropriations act and tax collections from “sin” products such as tobacco and vaping products.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed on Jan. 22 the new “sin” tax law or Republic Act No. 11467 which was expected to yield P17 billion in fresh revenue in the first year of effectivity.

However, sin tax collections have been plummeting recently due to the lockdown and liquor bans imposed in some parts of the country.

In the year to date, collections from “sin” products are down 39% from a year earlier at P63 billion. — Beatrice M. Laforga

House unlikely to introduce new taxes for health sector

A KEY legislator said the delivery of health services needs to be improved before Congress introduces new taxes to fund the sector.

“As for health, Congress already passed successive increases in sin taxes precisely to fulfill both consumption objectives and funding objectives. I would like to see improvements in service delivery first before I am convinced that we should impose new taxes,” Albay Representative and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jose Maria Clemente S. Salceda told reporters via Viber Wednesday.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) said it will be running a budget deficit of close to P100 billion over the next four years based on projected payouts that include patients treated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

During a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee hearing Tuesday, PhilHealth President Ricardo C. Morales said that the agency is now experiencing a shortfall as it has only collected 10% of what it raises over the same period in 2019. Citing these concerns, Mr. Morales recommended a “general delay” in the implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC) as well as the postponement of the expansion of primary care benefits.

Mr. Salceda said that Philhealth should address its service delivery issue before new revenue is raised.

“Regarding Philhealth’s financial capability, for example, I have questions before I can say we should raise new revenue. First, is the reserve fund being invested in the most optimal way possible? Second, are there stronger mechanisms to prevent fraud? Third, are claims being paid to begin with?” Mr. Salceda said, adding that the agency should propose “operationalized alternatives” before delaying the implementation of UHC.

“As for DoH (Department of Health), are the most basic services, such as immunization, being delivered satisfactorily? Are new facilities requested being used? Universal Health Care systems have to be very efficient with spending. Otherwise, they tend to balloon into fiscally unsustainable super programs that countries struggle to support as their demography shifts,” he added.

Enacted in February 2019, the UHC law seeks to expand access to health services by automatically enrolling all Filipinos in PhilHealth’s National Health Insurance Program to provide a “comprehensive set of health services without financial hardship.” — Genshen L. Espedido

BIR collection target reduced a further 23%

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) tax collection target for 2020 has been reduced further by 23%, with the collection goal for excise taxes nearly halved on expectations of a severe economic slowdown.

According to Revenue Memorandum Order No. 16-2020 dated June 8, a copy of which was posted Wednesday, the BIR’s collection goal for the year is now P1.744 trillion, reduced by P505 billion from the already-lowered P2.205-trillion target adopted in March.

The BIR operations collection target was set at P1.7 trillion.

The BIR said the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) approved the latest revised target during its meeting on May 12.

Prior to the pandemic, the bureau’s 2020 collection target was set at P2.576 trillion.

Under the new target, excise tax collections had the largest reduction of 46.8%, with a revised target of P193.757 billion.

The collection target for income taxes was slashed 19.32% to P902 billion, while that of value-added taxes was lowered by 17.54% to P340.82 billion.

BIR’s collections in April dropped 62% year on year to P90.5 billion, taking its total collections to P559 billion in the first four months, down 18%.

For May, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said tax collections by two biggest revenue-generating agencies is down about 50% from the year-earlier pace due to the deferment of tax payments to after the lockdown.

The DBCC estimated that government revenue will settle at P2.929 trillion this year, lower than the previously estimated P3.17 trillion, as the economy is expected to contract by 2-3.4%. — Beatrice M. Laforga

BIR preparing to tax streaming services, online merchants

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Wednesday it is laying the groundwork for taxing online service platforms and merchants including streaming services like Netflix.

In a briefing, Deputy Commissioner for Operations Arnel S.D. Guballa said the BIR is “papunta na (heading towards)” that direction and studying what other countries are doing with regard to value-added tax for such services.

He added that the BIR will apply the destination principle in taxing online services and goods. Using Netflix as an example, he said even if its head office is in Europe, there is consumption in the Philippines which the government can collect taxes from.

“Hinahanda na ang BIR kung papaano natin ita-tax pero under international (practice)… kapag tayo ang su-subcribe sa Pilipinas, kasama na sa binabayaran natin china-charge ‘yan sa value-added tax (We in the BIR are readying how we can tax this but under the international practice… if we subscribe here in the Philippines, the value-added tax is based on what we pay),” Mr. Guballa said.

On the other hand, Mr. Guballa said the BIR is focusing on the registration of online sellers, for whom a deadline of July 31 has been set. The BIR said it will not tax small online businesses and will be focusing on large online merchants and sellers.

“We are looking sa mga mas malaking negosyante (the bigger businesses) in online selling,” he said.

The BIR last week issued a directive for online sellers to register with the agency and pay taxes. Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, those who earn less than P250,000 annually are exempt from paying income tax. — Gillian M. Cortez

Philippines, ADB sign $500-M loan for 4Ps

THE Philippines signed the $500-million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that will supplement the budget of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), largely for disbursement in July.

In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird signed the loan agreement for the Expanded Social Assistance Project (ESAP) two days earlier.

Of the total, around $450 million is earmarked for “accelerated disbursement” next month.

According to Mr. Dominguez, the loans can also be used to fund programs to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We thank the ADB for again extending its support to our sustained efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our economy and our people. This budget-support loan will not only help bridge our funding gap for our COVID-19 response but will also strengthen our social protection program as we restart our economy and help people get back on their feet,” he was quoted as saying.

The ADB approved the ESAP loan on June 10, supplementing the funds of the conditional cash transfer program known as 4Ps run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The loan has a term of 29 years, including an eight-year grace period, the DoF said.

The ADB will also provide technical assistance valued at $3.1 million to improve implementation of the conditional cash transfer program.

The ADB’s total lending to the Philippines thus hit a record $2.6 billion so far this year, exceeding the $2.5 billion it extended in 2019.

As of June 5, the government’s total foreign borrowings for its COVID-19 containment effort hit $6.508 billion, including bonds and grants.

The government borrows from domestic and foreign lenders to plug its funding shortfall estimated at P1.612 trillion this year or 8.4% of gross domestic product as revenue plunges and pandemic expenses accelerate. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Pump prices remain low despite new tariff — DoE

FUEL products are still cheap despite the imposition of new oil import duties taking effect this week, the Department of Energy (DoE) said.

On May 2, President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) No. 113, temporarily imposing an additional 10% tariff on imported crude oil and refined petroleum products, revenue from which will add to the government’s pandemic response funds.

In a statement Wednesday, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said the department ordered the Oil Industry Management Bureau to monitor the implementation of the new tax.

“Upon the release of EO 113, our Oil Industry Management Bureau immediately met with industry stakeholders to discuss the way forward, including their strict compliance with the EO’s guidelines,” Mr. Cusi said.

The oil bureau has projected that the tariff will raise pump prices by P1.50 to P1.60 per liter (L), starting the third week of June after fuel companies exhaust their old untaxed inventory.

It noted that “prices of petroleum products continue to remain low,” as cumulative decreases since January amount to P6.72/L for gasoline, P9.99/L for diesel, and P13.69/L for kerosene.

Prices of petroleum products rose for six consecutive weeks starting the second week of May when oil prices picked up after oil-producing countries began to cut production.

This week, retail prices of gasoline increased by P1.25/L, diesel by P1.10/L, and kerosene by P0.75/L.

The DoE said about 644 fuel retail outlets of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. have implemented the price adjustment to diesel products only.

“We will not allow any unfair practice to derail consumer interests, especially given the challenges we continue to face in the midst of the pandemic,” Mr. Cusi stressed.

Last month, the Energy Department said the government can expect an estimated P6.78 billion in revenue from the new import tax.

The temporary duty will cease either when the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act expires or once the trigger price, which the DoE set at $64 per oil barrel of Dubai crude, is reached. — Adam J. Ang

Bill promoting urban agriculture hurdles House panels

THE House Committees on Agriculture and Food, and Food Security passed a substitute bill Wednesday seeking to institutionalize community gardens and urban farming to provide alternative sources of food.

The unnumbered substitute bill consolidates six measures, using House Bill 3412 written by Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco B. Benitez as the lead bill.

“It is imperative to introduce game-changing solutions, increasing food production by maximizing available spaces and utilizing emerging agriculture technologies and methods, particularly in urban areas where hunger incidence is prevalent,” he said in his explanatory note.

During the joint virtual hearing, Mr. Benitez said that the pandemic “renewed” the sense of urgency to increase food sufficiency and food security particularly in urban areas.

Under the bill, local government units are directed to identify and develop idle government and/or private land without prejudice to the rights of owners.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is also directed to ensure the provision of adequate space for community gardens, while the Department of Agriculture (DA) will provide technical assistance and support services to ensure full productivity.

Compliance by subdivision and condominium developers will qualify them for incentives under Republic Act 10771 which includes a special deduction from the taxable income equivalent to 50% of the total expenses for skills training and research development expenses, and tax and duty-free importation of capital equipment.

The measure also seeks to establish an inter-agency program called the National Convergence Program on Urban Agriculture which will be headed by the DA to implement the provisions of the bill.

The substitute bill will be transmitted to the Committee on Appropriations for consideration.

In a statement issued at the end of May, the DA said that some 10–15% of the land area in cities could be converted into fruit and vegetable farms. The agency is also pushing an Urban Agriculture Project which involves the distribution of garden starter kits as well as the extension of technical assistance to households and communities. — Genshen L. Espedido

DTI pilots e-commerce export program for small businesses

THE Trade department’s export marketing arm is planning a P25-million program to connect small businesses to consumers in the United States through e-commerce.

The program, once scaled up, could enroll 5000 MSMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) to a digital platform and logistics services optimized for handling small-value shipments.

Department of Trade Industry Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) Director Senen M. Perlada said in a phone interview Monday that the pilot test for the program will include 10 exporters. They will be exporting small shipments falling below the threshold for duties and taxes directly to international consumers.

“They can actually do e-commerce all the way to some selected markets. These are not big shipments; these are those falling within the values that are made available by different markets.”

The program will be a partnership with start-up company eCFulfill, which can connect Philippine businesses to digital transaction services, warehouse logistics, and online marketplaces like Amazon.

The businesses in the pilot program sell mostly food products, he said.

Mr. Perlada said the initial scale-up move will be to about 200 businesses this year.

He hopes to increase this further to 5,000 MSMEs next year, with additional funding from the government’s economic stimulus package. He said the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy law could also fund logistics warehousing for businesses to expand to commercial shipments.

The 5,000 businesses would require P25 million in funding to sign on to the e-commerce program, he said.

Global consumption has, however, been declining in response to the pandemic. But Mr. Perlada said that there is some demand for business-to-consumer exports.

“That’s a transition period, because remember the idea why you want to get into these platforms, because of the analytics, nalalaman ng mga retailers (retailers find out) how products perform. They also want to do this to get a feel of what the mass market is.”

He expects strong demand for food products, especially health related goods. Gifts and houseware, he said, will see less demand.

Mr. Perlada said the e-commerce program will be gradual, as the bureau will have to assist businesses new to digital tools. — Jenina P. Ibañez

Capturing the value of the digital economy

Digital technology has undeniably transformed the commercial landscape. Digitization allows businesses to access markets across borders even without establishing a physical presence. Due to territorial absence, and the novelty of digital technology that tax laws then could not have foreseen, for a time, tax authorities found themselves bereft of rights to collect taxes on digital businesses that cross international borders.

In 2015, the challenge of taxing the digital economy was recognized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plans. By 2019, the OECD published a Proposal for a Unified Approach under Pillar One, which proposes a new nexus, distinct and separate from the existing concept of the permanent establishment. It would ensure that a company is taxable in a jurisdiction where its sales exceed a certain threshold even if it is not physically present in that market.

With various areas placed under quarantine, the pandemic has spurred a spike in electronic commerce. Locally, despite the crippling health crisis (or more so because of it), online selling and viewing on demand have boomed — a fact that has not passed unnoticed by our legislators and tax collectors.

In fact, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) recently issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 60-2020 to remind all persons earning income through digital means to ensure that their businesses are registered. Voluntary declaration of past transactions and payment of corresponding taxes can be done by July 31 without incurring any penalty.

Unfortunately, the RMC does not seem to cover the digital giants who are mostly non-residents. The net for those bigger fish might be House Bill No. 6765 or the Digital Economy Taxation Act of 2020.

THE BILL
The bill does not propose a new tax or tax rate. Instead, it proposes to increase income tax and value added tax (VAT) compliance by requiring network orchestrators and electronic commerce platforms to withhold those taxes by appointing them as withholding agents.

A network orchestrator refers to “persons, typically aided by information technology, that create a network of accredited service providers and service consumers, and act as intermediaries that facilitate the matching of a consumer’s services needs with a provider’s available service.” On the other hand, an electronic commerce platform refers to “persons, typically information technology companies that act as intermediaries by connecting sellers and consumers usually through an electronic means of transmission.”

The legislators also propose to expand the coverage of VAT-taxable transactions to include the supply by any resident or non-resident person of digital advertising services, subscription-based services, and services that can be delivered through an information infrastructure such as the internet. This is where streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify would fall.

POINTS TO PONDER
The bill is still in the very early stages of the legislative process. Hence, we can expect enhancements as it goes through congressional deliberations. To my mind, a number of issues need to be addressed.

For instance, HB No. 6765 is targeting to collect more taxes from subscription-based services including electronic publishing (e-books). The bill appears to adopt the BIR’s stance in a 2012 issuance that the selling of e-books is subject to VAT.

Since the government is applying the same tax rules to both bricks-and-mortar and digital businesses, it stands to reason that the sale, importation and publication of e-books should follow the same VAT treatment as those applied to hard copies, i.e., they should be VAT-exempt. Moreover, with the new norm of online classrooms, it has become more important to make e-books more affordable by recognizing their VAT exemption, so that education is more inclusive.

Another issue that needs clarification is the requirement for non-residents to set up a representative office. In the proposal, a non-resident shall have the privilege to render digital services in the Philippines as a network orchestrator or as an electronic commerce platform exclusively through a representative office, or an agent which shall be a resident corporation in the Philippines. This requirement seeks to address the issue of businesses selling to the Philippine market but not being subject to tax and regulatory requirements due to lack of physical presence.

Under Philippine law, a representative office deals directly with the clients of its parent company but does not derive income from the host country. Fully subsidized by its head office, it undertakes activities such as but not limited to information dissemination, promotion of the company’s products, and quality control. Given that a representative office is technically not allowed to generate revenue in the Philippines, it may not be the appropriate entity to tax network orchestrators and providers of e-commerce platforms, unless it is a different kind of representative office altogether.

Another question is whether digital advertising is a nationalized activity. Under the law, advertising businesses must be at least 70% owned by Filipino citizens. Mass media, on the other hand, must be 100% owned and managed by Filipino citizens.

In 2018, a software development company sought guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on whether the “marketplace” feature of its online platform could be construed as engaging in the business of advertising and/or mass media, and thus, subject to nationality restrictions. The SEC did not issue a definite opinion or ruling. However, it provided guidelines on when an online or mobile app platform operator is not deemed engaged in advertising or mass media activities.

It appears that the Commission treats digital advertising platforms as similar to conventional print/physical platforms. This would seem to point to nationality restrictions applying, which must be taken into account when refining the digital taxation law.

As with other tax reforms, the introduction of digital taxation is a balancing act that the government must carefully and thoughtfully execute, taking the economy and foreign investment into consideration. It is a difficult task that may be as equally daunting as the pandemic measures that it is proposing to fund.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Donabel M. Villegas is a tax manager at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of the PwC network.

+63 (2) 845-2728

donabel.m.villegas@pwc.com

Team PH out to make waves at FIBA Esports Open

THE INAUGURAL FIBA Esports Open unfurls at the weekend with Team Philippines all set to compete and make waves in.

A pilot project by world basketball-governing body FIBA and its member federations in collaboration with NBA 2K, the FIBA Esports Open 2020 hopes to add further dimension to FIBA as an organization while also affording the basketball community some action after activities were halted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

A series of exhibition e-basketball games, the FIBA Esports Open 2020 will take place from June 19 to 21 and will feature teams from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

For the tournament each team will consist of seven players, five on the court and two reserves. Games will be played remotely on NBA 2K using the Pro-AM mode and allowing full customization of player avatars, uniforms and arena designs.

Carrying the banner for the Philippines in the Esports Open are seasoned e-gamers Aljon “Shintarou” Gruzin (point guard), Rial “Rial” Polog Jr. (shooting guard), Custer “Aguila” Galas (small forward), Rocky “Rak” Brana (center/power forward), Philippe “Izzo” Alcaraz IV (center), Clark “Clark” Banzon (power forward) and Al “Alt” Timajo (center/power forward).

Team coach is Nielie “Nite” Alparas, with Richard Brojan serving as team manager.

“Our participation in the FIBA Esports Open 2020 is an amazing opportunity to show the whole world that Philippine Basketball is a force in any arena that it is played in, digital or otherwise,” said Al Panlilio, President of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

“We are proud to be represented by the best of the best that the country has to offer and have no doubt that Team Pilipinas will show off the intensity, the heart, and the honor that we have when we play this game that we love,” he added.

“It’s a surreal feeling playing with my teammates. We have been grinding it out since Day One and we have a common goal of representing the country and now it’s going to be a reality,” said Rial in the video press conference for the team and the event on Wednesday.

“We are honored and confident to be part of the team. Of course there is some pressure because we are playing for the country,” Izzo, for his part, said.

During the exhibition games, Team Pilipinas will be playing five games head-to-head with Indonesia.

Team Pilipinas matches will be shown over the SBP Facebook page.

The entire FIBA Esports Open 2020 series will be produced from the brand-new FIBA Esports Studio located in Riga, Latvia. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Despite GCQ extension in Metro Manila, PBA remains optimistic; TNT KaTropa’s Baldwin fined

WAITING FOR a breakthrough that would allow it to squeeze in some activities amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Philippine Basketball Association remains optimistic despite the general community quarantine (GCQ) setting in Metro Manila being extended till the end of the month.

Citing the continued increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the metro, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, as recommended by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), deemed it necessary to maintain GCQ in the National Capital Region to try to stem the spread of the highly contagious disease.

The decision meant that outside activities would continue to be limited, if not prohibited, including mass gatherings like sporting events.

For the PBA, while it was hoping for further easing of the quarantine situation, the decision did not come as a surprise. It, however, remains optimistic that conditions would soon improve.

“COVID-19 hasn’t been contained, and so I myself was expecting Metro Manila staying under GCQ for the rest of the month. The way I see it, it is in July that less strict quarantine measures will be raised on NCR,” PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial was quoted as saying by the official league website.

“And July would not be late for our teams to have physical activities in the gym, leading hopefully to full practices and season return sooner than later,” he added.

The PBA suspended its Season 45 in March as COVID-19 started to take further root in the country. When NCR was downgraded to GCQ from enhanced community quarantine this month, the league went on and reached out to the IATF, requesting that it be allowed to do some activities, initially team practices, in preparation for a return to action after.

It submitted a letter of request to the IATF along with the list of safety and health protocols it intends to apply for consideration.

As of this writing, the IATF is still evaluating the PBA’s request.

The PBA has set a June 23 meeting with player-representatives of the 12 member teams to discuss with them the league’s plans moving forward.

A separate meeting with team managers and coaches is also being planned.

The league in August will decide with finality if the currently suspended season will continue this year.

BALDWIN FINED
Meanwhile, TNT KaTropa assistant coach Tab Baldwin was suspended for three games and fined P75,000 by the league on Tuesday over recent comments he made that were deemed detrimental to the PBA.

In his recent guesting on the Coaches Unfiltered podcast, Mr. Baldwin, also Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Gilas project director and current Ateneo Blue Eagles coach, voiced out his opinion on several topics, including how the PBA has a “flawed” tournament format and its coaches being “tactically immature.”

Such did not sit well for the league and other stakeholders who took Mr. Baldwin to task for his comments.

The New Zealander-American coach met with officials of the PBA, including Mr. Marcial, via video call on Monday to clear the air before the league handed down its decision the following day.

PBA MOURNS COJUANGCO’S DEATH
In another development, the PBA mourned the passing of basketball patron Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr., who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85.

A valued member of the PBA family, under the leadership of Mr. Cojuangco, the San Miguel group had a lot of success in the league, highlighted by a PBA grand slam in 1989 by the Beermen and the emergence of crowd favorite Ginebra, led by league legend Robert Jaworski, in the late ‘80s.

The group had further success when it added the Purefoods franchise in its fold later on.

All three teams are still active and a force to contend with in the PBA.

Also, Mr. Cojuangco was behind the Northern Consolidated Cement (NCC) basketball team which won a title in 1985 as a guest team in the PBA and produced some of the league’s legends like Hector Calma, Samboy Lim and Allan Caidic.

“Thank you for your countless contributions to the PBA and [Philippine] sports! Our prayers and condolences to his family and loved ones. Requiescat in pace,” the PBA wrote on its Facebook page. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Striegl not about done doing combat sports

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

PARLAYING his wares as a combat sports athlete for more than a decade now, Mark “Mugen” Striegl said he is not about done and continues to look for the next mountain to climb.

Speaking at a recent episode of Lucis Channel’s web show, Mr. Striegl, 31, shared that combat sports have been generally good to him all these years and that he is happy with the way things have panned out for him in them.

But he was quick to say his journey is still ongoing and that he is not yet satisfied, looking to continue to challenge himself.

“I’m happy with the way my career has turned out but I cannot be satisfied. As an athlete, when you get satisfied that is when the end is near. You cannot be satisfied, especially as a professional fighter. I’m always looking for the next mountain to climb,” said Mr. Striegl, the reigning Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) featherweight champion.

Among those he still wants to accomplish is the chance to step in the famous Octagon of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

“I want to get a shot at the UFC, one of the premier organizations in the world. That’s my goal,” he said.

Started doing mixed martial arts as a professional in 2009, Mr. Striegl (18-2) has been part of a lot of organizations, including ONE Championship and Pacific Xtreme Combat, apart from the URCC.

Growth continues for him as well as a fighter, he said, developing his game to be ready no matter the challenge ahead.

Most recently, Mr. Striegl competed for the Philippines in the martial art of sambo and won gold in the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

He said it was a great experience for him competing for the country and that the success they had in sambo as a team speaks volume of the potential of Filipinos to excel in it.

“It was a great experience. I have been competing in MMA and representing the Philippines but the SEA Games was something and I believe sambo will be great for Filipinos to take and something we can succeed in,” said Mr. Striegl.

The Philippine sambo team won six medals in the SEA Games last year here, including two gold hardware.

Mr. Striegl, however, lamented how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) put the momentum that they, and Philippine sports in general, have built to a halt.

But he remains optimistic that eventually things would get back to their proper places and they get to resume what they are doing.

Having the kind of success he has had in combat sports, Mr. Striegl said he is keen on suggesting to one to take fighting as a career only if one’s passion lies in it.

“As far as being a career, I would say it is a great sport, tough sport. I would only advise it to people if they are truly passionate about it. You really have to be into it otherwise you cannot be successful in it. If you’re thinking of making it just a hobby it’s great, but if you want to make it a career, you really have to be obsessed about it to make a run at it,” Mr. Striegl said.

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