Special Edition watches highlight mWell partnership with UAAP

The mWell watches with the UAAP and school logos

mWell, the digital healthcare arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, has thrown its commitment to the 87th season of the UAAP, launching a set of special edition watches with health and wellness features, which highlights their commitment to health innovation.

Wearing these watches will allow student-athletes and fans alike to showcase their school spirit with school logos and color-matching straps, while also staying on top of their fitness goals. 

The unveiling of these watches was done in a special signing ceremony at the MPIC boardroom in Pasig, with members of the league's Board of Managing Directors and student-athletes present.

In a statement, mWell Chairman and MPIC Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan shares, "This partnership between the UAAP and mWell manifested from our mutual drive to support the well-being of young people. These special edition wearables—linked to the mWell platform—will equip students, athletes, and the entire UAAP community with the tools to actively manage their health and reach peak performance."

mWell CEO and MPIC Chief Finance, Risk, and Sustainability Officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla adds, "mWell is an ally in every part of the wellness journey. Recognizing that health is our biggest personal investment, our wearables are designed to deliver crucial insights to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle. Our affordable line of watches paired with the mWell app will enable everyone, including our students and alumni community to become more productive, better manage their overall health and ultimately live happier and longer lives."

For the league's part, Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag was excited about this new partnership. He notes the synergy this is with the current season's theme of "Stronger, Better, Together," and says, "The UAAP is one with mWell in promoting wellness and leading healthier lives in order to become a more formidable community committed to greatness."

The UAAP special edition watches come in two versions, the Power and Prestige Sport. Each comes loaded with advanced essential health features, including blood pressure and heart rate monitor, making them perfect for tracking physical activities across 100 sports modes. Once paired with the mWell app, it allows the user to track his daily mWellness score, based on exercise, light activity, sedentary time, and step count. By monitoring one's mWellness Score daily, one would be able to meet fitness goals, secure good scores and help lessen the risk of chronic disease.

All eight member schools will have their own watch face. If one prefers a neutral option, there is one that features the current UAAP season's theme and logo. Each of these wearables are water-resistant, and has a battery life that can last up to seven days.

Interested buyers can purchase these through the eShop on the mWell app that is available at the Apple Store and Google Play Store, or through shop.mwell.com.ph. It will be delivered free of charge, and will come with an extra strap and gift bag.

Aside from the launch of these watches, mWell is also set to launch a Wellness University Tour designed to create awareness about the importance of keeping a healthy mind and body. Expect activations to take place in the upcoming UAAP Cheerdance Competition on December 1, as well as the upcoming indoor volleyball season next year.

Free admission for UAAP Season 87 Athletics and Swimming

c/o UAAP

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines has announced that the UAAP Season 87 Swimming and Athletics Championships will now be open to the public, starting Tuesday, November 19, at the New Clark City Sports Hub in Capas, Tarlac.

The swimming championships, which will run through Wednesday, November 20, at the state-of-the-art Aquatics Center, while the athletics meet will conclude on Thursday, November 21, at the Athletics Stadium.

In a show of support for fans and the student-athletes competing, the UAAP is offering free admission to all attendees. 

There will be no need for tickets – just show up and witness the excitement as the nation’s finest student-athletes take center stage in their bid for glory.

A total of 46 medals remain up for grabs in the last two days of the swimming meet.

Meanwhile, the athletics competition will feature 26 collegiate events and 28 high school events in its last three days, with the champions determined on the final day of the tournaments.

Thailand, Vietnam dominate in second day of AFF Women's Futsal

The Philippines' Alisha Dle Campo battles Thailand's Patitta Moolpho for possession of the ball as Hazel Lustan looks to get into the play. (c/o Philippine Football Federation)

After an opening day of close and intense matches, Day Two of the 2024 AFF Women’s Futsal Championships saw the favorites flex their muscles and rout their respective opponents.

Vietnam came back from a 2-1 deficit to wallop Myanmar with a four-goal second half and a 5-2 win while Thailand crushed the Philippines with a 7-0 victory at the Philsports Arena.

The day began with Vietnam looking to make short work of Myanmar after they scored in the third minute after Thang Hang blasted the ball from outside the penalty area.

Myanmar’s Nang Seng Brim came off the bench to provide much needed dexterity and daring on the pitch to score seven minutes later and whose shot – that rebounded off Vietnamese keeper Ngo Nguyen Thuy Linh – fell the way of an open Sett New Ni for an incredible 2-1 lead that they carried all the way to the halftime break.

It was a different Vietnam that took to the pitch in the second half as they scored barely a minute into the reset for the equalizer. From there it was no looking back Bien Thi Hang’s 1v1 with Burmese keeper Chaw Sandi Aung gave Vietnam a lead they would not relinquish.

Vietnam stymied Nang Sem Brim, and put the game beyond reach via goals from Than Ngan and K’Thua.

“It was a difficult match for us,” said Vietnamese head coach Tran Van Wu who was proud of the way his team fought back. “We didn’t lose our belief and it was a matter of executing our offense.”

Speaking of offense, Thailand kicked in the afterburners when they pummeled the Philippines 7-0.

Switching their offense based on their scouting of Vic Herman’s girls, Vietnam ditched the diagonal runs and moving into spaces that they utilized against Indonesia during their opening day, 1-nil win over Indonesia. This time, through pivot Darika Peanpailun who battled the Philippines’ Isabella Bandoja all the way, as well as Patitta Moolpho who sprayed passes to Paerploy Huajaipetch, Lalida Chimpabut and others.

Sangrawee Meekham pounced on a rebound and blasted it past the Philippines’ valiant keeper Mykaella Abeto for the opening score. Two minutes later, Thailand doubled their lead with a brilliant trick play off a free kick when Peanpailun and Meekham looked to crowd the ball against the smaller Claire Lubetania and Hazel Lustan respectively. 

Right before Sawitree Mamyalee took the shot, Peanpailun and Meekham moved out of the way dragging their defenders leaving Philippine back-up keeper Samantha Hughes open at the net. Mamyalee’s well placed free kick sailed in straight to the right side of the net with Hughes unable to do anything.

From there on, it was a rout. Thailand was up 4-0 at the half after goals Huajaipetch in the 13th minute and Arriya Saetoen in the 17th minute.

Chimpabut (in the 25thminute), Meekham’s brace (29th) and Nattamon Artkla’s goal in the 39th minute as a late substitute gave Thailand two wins in two matches giving them a foot inside the semi-finals door.

The Philippines had their chances to chip away at that lead but the Pinays were unable to finish.

Despite the lopsided loss, Philippines head coach Vic Hermans remained positive. “Past teams would get clobbered in double digits. Even the men’s team lost 22-0 to Thailand. Games like this are good exposure for the girls. We have to play Vietnam and Indonesia and we will give them a good fight.”

Furthermore, despite the tough loss, it was an even bigger crowd of Filipinos that turned out and in spite of the inclement weather. And they cheered up to the end, egging the Pinays to score.

Monday, November 18’s schedule pits Vietnam and Indonesia in the first game at 4pm while Thailand look to cement their spot in the knockout phase when they battle Myanmar at 7pm.

UST formally ends postseason drought

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Standings

*DLSU 12-2

*UP 10-3

*UST 7-7

UE 6-7

AdU 5-8

FEU 5-9

NU 5-9

Ateneo 4-9

Games on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre

8 a.m. – UPIS vs UE (JHS)

10 a.m. – FEU-D vs NUNS (JHS)

12 noon – DLSZ vs Ateneo (JHS)

2 p.m. – UST vs AdU (JHS)

5:30 p.m. – UP vs UE (Men)

University of Santo Tomas punched its ticket to the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Final Four after a third quarter storm diminished Adamson University, 75-49, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Saturday night.

The Growling Tigers, who finished the eliminations with a 7-7 record, made their way back to the post-season festivities for the first time since Season 82 (2019) where they reached the Finals.

This victory assured UST of the third spot and it will face twice-to-beat-armed University of the Philippines in the semifinals.

“Unang-una, yung first quarter hindi namankami nag struggle pero masyadong good start yung Adamson then we recovered. Ang difference is yung second half, we became aggressive, we’re making our shots,” said UST head coach Pido Jarencio, who led the school to the Final Four after a 2-12 record last season.

The Growling Tigers came out of the dugout at halftime with renewed urgency, dominating the third quarter 23-4 to turn a 29-28 close affair into a 52-32 blowout entering the final frame.

In that monster third period that completed their turnaround from a 14-3 deficit early in the first quarter, Amiel Acido and Nic Cabañero delivered eight points each.

“Super blessed. Happy ako with the guidance of coaches and management. Sobrang natutuwa ako even though I’m struggling in the first half they continue to cheer me up. Thank you sa UST community ginagawa ko talaga lahat, I stayed for three years. Meron pa akong one year next year,” said Cabañero, who endured three fruitless seasons before this.

Rookie Acido shot the lights out for a career game of 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from deep, while Cabañero added 13 points and eight rebounds.

The fourth-year combo guard just missed out on a third-straight scoring title with his 16.29 points, losing it to reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao (16.64 points) by just six points.

Malian center Mo Tounkara had 11 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks, while Kyle Paranada chipped in nine points and six assists.

The Soaring Falcons, despite the loss that dropped them to 5-8, still have a chance to qualify for the Final Four.

They need to win against the Ateneo Blue Eagles next Saturday while hoping that the UE Red Warriors lose to the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday to force a playoff for the last ticket.

Mathew Montebon was the lone Falcon in double digits with 14 points, 11 of which came in the first half.

Cedrick Manzano and Matt Erolon, who are huge parts of the Adamson system, struggled heavily, shooting 0-of-5 and 0-of-6 from the field, respectively.

The Scores:

UST 75 – Acido 14, Cabañero 13, Tounkara 11, Paranada 9, Padrigao 7, Llemit 7, Manaytay 6, Crisostomo 5, Estacio 3, Laure 0, Danting 0, Lane 0, Pangilinan 0.

AdU 49 –Montebon 14, Mantua 9, Anabo 7, Dignadice 5, Yerro 4, Barcelona 4, Fransman 3, Ramos 2, Manzano 1, Erolon 0, Ronzone 0, Ojarikre 0, Calisay 0, Barasi 0, Ignacio 0, Alexander 0.

Quarterscores: 16-18, 29-28, 52-32, 75-49.

FEU secures finals berth in women's football

c/o UAAP

Men's Football Matches on Sunday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium

4 p.m. — DLSU vs UP

6:30 p.m. — AdU vs UE

KYZA Colina and Carmela Altiche scored two goals each to propel Far Eastern University to the championship match of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Football Tournament and dismantle University of the Philippines 5-0 on Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

The December 14 final will be the Lady Tamaraws’ fourth straight appearance in the big dance and 22nd overall in the women’s division. Aside from gunning for their 13th crown, the defending champions are looking to complete a three-peat, which they last achieved in Seasons 75–77.

“Siyempre, exciting kasi maglalaro ulit kami sa final,” said FEU Coach Let Dimzon. “But again, regarding sa mentality ng mga players, I don’t want them to relax. We still have three more games to play plus the final. Kailangan lahat ng lapses namin in the first round until this first half kanina, we have to improve on them para sa pagpasok namin ng final, we’ll be ready and na-strengthen lahat ng mga attacking plays namin.”

Colina, a rookie out of Cebu, opened the floodgates off Dionesa Tolentin’s cross in the 74th minute and secured her brace in the 87th minute.

Likewise, FEU-Diliman alumna Carmela Altiche scored FEU’s third goal of the match by volleying another Tolentin cross in the 81st minute and performing a fine finish in the 85th minute.

Barotac Nuevo National Comprehensive High School product Judie Arevalo scored a tap-in in the 80th minute as part of the Lady Tamaraws’ five-goal blitz.

“It was a long wait with many frustrations although maganda yung naging adjustment and nakuha nila yung momentum during the (last) 20 minutes of the game,” said Dimzon. “After that (Colina) goal coming from the cross of Inday (Tolentin), I think dun nag-start.”

Second-year midfielder Althea Rebosura was out of the Lady Tamaraws’ lineup for today’s game since she’s a member of the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team that is competing in this week’s 2024 ASEAN Women's Futsal Championship.

FEU, top of the standings with 13 points and a plus-11 goal difference, will face University of Santo Tomas this Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

On the other hand, UP will return to action against UST on November 30 at 4 p.m. The Fighting Maroons remain in third place with five points and a minus-8 GD.

UP eliminates FEU in postseason contention

c/o UAAP

Junior HS Games on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre

10 a.m. - ADU vs UE

12 p.m. - UP vs FEU

2 p.m. - NU vs DLSZ

4 p.m. - Ateneo vs UST

University of the Philippines dashed Far Eastern University's Final Four aspirations, escaping the Tamaraws, 86-78, to snap a two-game losing streak in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Reeling from back-to-back losses to the DLSU Green Archers and the NU Bulldogs, the Fighting Maroons returned to the winning column to hike their record to a 10-3 slate.

FEU, on the other hand, will miss the postseason for the third straight season after ending its first year under head coach Sean Chambers with a 5-9 card, a two-win improvement from last season’s 3-11 slate. They last entered the Final Four in Season 84 (2022).

The Tamaraws’ ninth loss meant that three teams remained in the hunt for the last two Final Four spots - the UST Growling Tigers, the UE Red Warriors, and the Adamson Soaring Falcons.

It was a hard-fought win for the Fighting Maroons, who are hoping to enter the post-season with momentum on their side.

“Every time naman na may game na ganito and we had to battle it out in the end makes you proud as a coach. Especially coming from dalawang talo, seeing the heart of the players was great,” UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde.

A commanding 20-7 run to open the third frame allowed UP to cling on to a 67-62 lead entering the payoff period, weathering FEU’s late 16-5 surge to close the frame.

A tight fourth quarter affair saw the Tamaraws’ deficit trimmed to three with 50.2 seconds left after three Jorick Bautista free throws, 81-78, but Cagulangan quickly responded with a dagger stepback triple with 26.7 seconds left to officially boot FEU out of the Final Four picture.

With 2:47 left, Cagulangan scored nine of UP’s last 11 points to close the game to seal the Fighting Maroons’ 10th win in 13 outings. Prior to that, the graduating point guard shot a poor 3-of-14 from the field.

The wire-to-wire win also asserted the Fighting Maroons’ mastery of the Tamaraws, whom they defeated with a 69-58 first round decision last September 22.

Co-captain Gerry Abadiano enjoyed his best game of the season with 19 points, four rebounds, two steals, and one assist, while Cagulangan ended the day with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Francis Lopez also scored 12 points to go along with four steals, four assists, and three rebounds, while Aldous Torculas chipped in 11 points, six reboudns, two assists, and one block.

In his return, Quentin Millora-Brown contributed seven points and 13 rebounds. The one-and-done center missed UP’s second-round clash against La Salle due to the passing of his grandfather.

Jorick Bautista paced the Tamaraws in the losing effort with 16 points, two rebounds, and one steal, while Janrey Pasaol contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and one steal.

Veejay Pre also tallied 15 points to go along with eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal, while Gambian center Mo Konateh achieved a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds to go along with three assists, one steal, and one block.

FEU will miss the service of homegrown talent Royce Alforque next season, who has exhausted all five playing years. In his final UAAP game, Alforque tallied nine points, four assists, two rebounds, and one steal.

Looking ahead, the Fighting Maroons aim to end the eliminations on a high note against the Red Warriors on Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the same San Juan venue.

Prior to tip off, the UAAP held a moment of silence to pay tribute to the late Ricky Dandan, a former UP head coach and Ateneo assistant coach.

The Scores:

UP (86) - Abadiano 19, Cagulangan 12, Lopez 12, Torculas 11, Torres 7, Millora-Brown 7, Fortea 6, Felicilda 3, Alarcon 3, Bayla 2, Stevens 2, Belmonte 2, Briones 0, Ududo 0.

FEU (78) - Bautista 16, Pasaol 16, Pre 16, Konateh 11, Alforque 9, Montemayor 7, Daa 3, Ona 2, Bagunu 0.

Quarterscores: 22-16, 42-39, 67-62, 86-78.

UST secures second seed in women's basketball

c/o UAAP

UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Standings

*NU 13-0

*UST 11-2

*AdU 8-5

*Ateneo 8-5

DLSU 4-9

UP 4-9

FEU 3-10

UE 1-12

Junior HS Games on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre)

10 a.m. - ADU vs UE

12 p.m. - UP vs FEU

2 p.m. - NU vs DLSZ

4 p.m. - Ateneo vs UST

University of Santo Tomas locked up the second seed after clobbering Adamson University, 60-47, in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre on Saturday.

The Growling Tigresses now hold an 11-2 record and have secured a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four in the event that the NU Lady Bulldogs could not complete the sweep.

“We want to see the best nung mga players pa rin. First to fourth quarter hindi kami consistent pero ang silver lining ay ‘yung defense namin, 47 points lang ang nagawa ng Adamson,” said UST head coach Haydee Ong.

Trailing throughout the first half after UST clawed back from an early 11-4 deficit, Adamson rallied back to within five with 3:33 left in the third quarter, 32-37.

But Brigette Santos led the Growling Tigresses’ answer as they went on a 10-2 blast to close the frame and reestablish a 13-point lead heading into the fourth, 47-34.

Tacky Tacatac topscored for UST with 13 points on four three-pointers, while Kent Pastrana delivered 12 points and eight rebounds.

Brigette Santos chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds, while Karylle Sierba did it all with seven points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Koi Danganan and CJ Maglupay hauled in 10 and 12 rebounds, respectively, as the Growling Tigresses outrebounded the Lady Falcons by 22, 57-35, despite missing Rocel Dionisio for the entire second round due to personal reasons.

UST will close the eliminations against De La Salle University next Saturday also at the San Juan venue.

Kem Adeshina led Adamson with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Elaine Etang struggled with just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field while also committing seven turnovers.

The Lady Falcons dropped their second straight game for an 8-5 record, now tied with the Ateneo Blue Eagles for third and fourth. They will collide next Saturday for the third spot.

The Scores:

UST 60 - Tacatac 13, Pastrana 12, Santos 10, Sierba 7, Bron 6, Soriano 5, Danganan 4, Reliquette 2, Maglupay 1, Ambos 0, Pescador 0.

AdU 47 - Adeshina 14, Etang 9, A. Alaba 6, Limbago 5, Apag 5, Padilla 4, Meniano 2, Ornopia 2, Bajo 0, Mazo 0, Cortez 0, E. Alaba 0, Agojo 0, Manlimos 0.

Quarterscores: 20-12, 30-22, 47-34, 60-47.