UPMBT supporters TopBreed provide holiday treats on UP Doggo Day

The nineteen dogs of the University of the Philippines' Emotional Support Animals (ESA) Program in Diliman received a much-deserved holiday treat late last year from one of the supporters of the UP Fighting Maroons' Men's Basketball Team: TopBreed.

Founded in 2019 by then UP Chancellor Michael Tan, the ESA Program provides psychosocial support for students and university staff that may experience stress, depression or anxiety. The program manages, trains and utilizes campus animals to render emotional and therapeutic support to those who need them.

Considered as the leading Philippine-made dog food brand in the country, TopBreed provided these canines with nine hundred kilograms of high-quality dog food, as well as additional essentials like TopB+ vitamins and ShamPooch dog shampoo.

Aside from the treats, the dogs also underwent general check-up and deworming. They were also inoculated with anti-rabies vaccines from TopBreed veterinarians. TopBreed also provided pet supplies to ESA handlers from the different colleges and units in the Diliman campus that are under their supervision.

Helping in these efforts are members of the Friends of Campus Animals (FOCA UP), the first campus-based animal welfare volunteer group that helps with the ESA Program. Serving as the home of these emotional support animals is Balay Kaibigan.

TopBreed's decision to provide assistance to the ESA Program was an offshoot of their efforts to reach out to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs back in early December, one that the Men's Basketball Team also shared.

UP-Diliman Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Aleli Bawagan shares, "The University recognizes the ability of animals to help people destress. Therapy dogs are already being tapped in universities abroad to help students deal with academic stress. But even the ESA’s were not spared from the hardships of the pandemic. We appreciate the efforts of Top Breed to vaccinate and deworm UPD's emotional support dogs and donate dog food. We look forward to more collaborations with them in the future."

For their part, Universal Robina Corporation's Agro-Industrial Group (URC-AIG) managing director Vincent Henry Go says, "TopBreed is thrilled to take part in the UP Doggo Day. We are very happy to be given a chance to express our brand’s mission of providing top care to pets specially to these dogs who have provided comfort and emotional support to those in need. We would like to commend UP for coming up with this brilliant program that benefits both animals and humans alike. We salute the University for this endeavor and for taking good care of our fur friends, the emotional support dogs."

UP Fighting Maroons tap Converge ICT for assistance in remote learning for UP students

Student-athletes from the University of the Philippines, particularly those from the Men's Basketball Team, are doing their share to help uplift their fellow undergraduates.

Through the NowheretogobutUP Foundation, as well as the team's newest supporter, Converge ICT Solutions, the team has made a commitment to assist scholars based in NCR and certain parts of Luzon with regards to meeting the requirements of remote learning.

In conjunction with the UP College of Human Kinetics, the UP Varsity Council, and the university's Kaapagay Sa Pag-Aaral Ng Mga Iskolar Ng Bayan program (#KaagapayUP), Converge is in the process of identifying deserving students in NCR and Luzon to become beneficiaries of said program, to which the up-and-coming internet service provider would subsidize their online connectivity expenses.

#KaagapayUP is the UP System's fundraising and resource-generating campaign targeted towards over 5,600 students having major difficulties with remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the adjustment towards online classes in order to minimize and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the ability to connect to the internet is a concern most undergraduates nationwide have to go through.

Converge ICT Solutions Founder and CEO Dennis Anthony Uy shares, "We plan to support the most challenged UP students throughout the duration of the remote learning setup, or at the very least, for two semesters. Phase 1 of the initiative will provide internet connection to 30 student-athletes for the whole academic year. As the first semester has already begun, we will begin installation of pure fiber internet in their homes, as soon as possible."

Uy adds, "The transition to remote learning is no easy feat, especially for those who lack the ample resources to study from home. We hope to ease the burden of those Iskolars ng Bayan who are most in need, some of whom are student-athletes, by providing them with fast and reliable internet connection so they can adjust well to remote learning. This is one way of showing our commitment to uplifting Filipino lives, by helping them #ExperienceBetter. This is why we are supporting #KaagapayUP."

He concludes, "We hope that, through this project, we can make this academic year more productive for the students. We at Converge and the UP Fighting Maroons have the students’ welfare in mind and we will join hands so we can all get through this hard time together."

According to CHK dean Francis Diaz, "Converge ICT’s offer to help is laudable and very well-timed because of the crucial need for connectivity during this remote learning phase of our new normal. Internet connection is at the heart of today’s learning process and is key to achieving institutional and personal educational objectives. This development is definitely deeply appreciated and most needed. The generosity of Converge will directly benefit a number of UP student-athletes who badly need this connectivity for their remote learning." He also thanked both Converge and the Men's Basketball Team for launching this initiative.

MBT manager Atty. Agaton Uvero also thanked Converge for their support of the team and act of generosity for the UP community. "We welcome Converge ICT as a new sponsor of the team and we thank them for thinking of the needs of many students and scholar-athletes during these trying times. The team is very happy to be a part of the project because they can directly help UP students and their fellow student-athletes. This is just the start of a fruitful partnership between the UPMBT, Converge, and the UP community."

JHI, STATS Performance Apparel renews UP MBT partnership

Partnership renewed

The partnership continues.

Both Januarius Holdings, Inc. and the University of the Philippines announced that the partnership between the two for the men's basketball program will be renewed for a couple more seasons.

The partnership allows the JHI and its athleisure brand STATS Performance Apparel to remain as the team's official outfitter after having the role last season.

JHI President/CEO JJ Atencio shares, "Our journey with the UPMBT started three years ago, when, acting on a strong gut feeling, we decided to be major sponsors, despite the team’s just coming out of a lackluster season, the absence of significant community support, and my not even being a UP alumnus. We wanted to be part of the dream and help create something that eventually we could all be proud of.  Fast forward to today, it’s a completely different situation, isn’t it?"

He adds, "While the team has accomplished a lot these past years, the work isn’t finished yet. That dream continues to unfold. Success is a process after all, and we continue to be motivated and encouraged to keep on supporting and being part of this journey - in good times and bad. We think that the next two years will be really good for the team."

JHI has been supporting the teams since 2017 and has been instrumental with the preparations for the Fighting Maroons, most notably with their overseas training activities, starting in Las Vegas in 2017, Serbia in 2018, and Tokyo last year.

Although the pandemic has virtually ruled out overseas activities for the team this year, Atencio believes in this particular aspect of the team's preparation, "We’ve seen it. After three straight years of training abroad, we placed fifth the first year, second in the second year, and third after last year’s training. We’re still committed to sending the team for training abroad in Seasons 83 and 84 as soon as it’s possible."

The new partnership also establishes a new line of commitment from JHI/STATS to the Fighting Maroons: data analytics.

According to Atencio, "What’s also exciting for us starting this year is analytics. That’s one of the things we are working on with the team and that’s what we’re looking forward to -- how it would help them."

UP MBT head coach Bo Perasol bares, "We are beyond grateful for having JJ [Atencio] and STATS in the team for the past three years and a couple more. Despite the COVID-19 situation, he still chose to stay on. He is as determined as we are to see everything through. More than the financial aspect of things, the moral support they have given us from the start is priceless. JJ is like a father or a brother to the players and us coaches. His kindness and faith in the team truly inspires us."

UP MBT manager Atty. Agaton Uvero adds, "Sir JJ Atencio was one of the first to give hope to our program. A believer in the value of education, he graciously sponsored the team’s first overseas training when all we had to show was a promise to do our best. Four years after, we now have a sustainable program and a team that is going to be competitive for many years to come. We will always be grateful for his support."

To commemorate the renewed partnership, a memorandum of agreement signing was conducted, involving Atencio, Perasol, Uvero, NTGBUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay III, JHI COO Marcy Valenzuela, and STATS CEO Edrin Panganiban.

Nowhere to Go But UP book highlights UP Men's Basketball ascent

Coming soon to a bookstore near you

Basketball fans can have an inside look at the ascent of the University of the Philippines men's basketball real soon, when the Nowhere to go but UP Foundation had their book launch for Nowhere to Go But UP: How a Basketball Team Inspired a Nation earlier this month at the UP Executive House inside the Diliman campus in Quezon City.

Attended by current and former players, coaches, team managers, sponsors, partners, volunteers, notable alumni, UP officials, and fans, which all played a role in forming the narrative of the men's basketball program as it emerged from being a cellar-dweller in previous seasons to breaking through and making the finals in 2018.

Tasked to serve as its author, Naveen K. Ganglani penned this piece through the perspective of the founders of the NTGBUP Foundation, a group of UP alumni that decided to join forces to help shepherd the UP sports out of the dark ages, doing so mainly with the men's basketball program.

Among those who spoke at the program is Renan B. Dalisay, who shared the birthing pains of NTGBUP and its growth to where it currently is now. He chronicled how the UP Men's Basketball program managed to emerge from the bottom to be at the cusp of a championship, a ride made possible thanks to the entry of recruits, partners, supporters, and improvements in the coaching staff and training.

Dalisay says, "It was purely because of my desire to give back to the University of the Philippines that made me commit into fulfilling this dream—a dream that we share with every Isko and Iska out there— to watch our basketball team play in an arena with a sea of maroon. But it doesn’t stop there. The best is yet to come."

As the author, Ganglani shares, "It has always been my dream to write a book. As a sports writer and reporter, writing the incredible story of the UP Fighting Maroons is not just an honor but also a dream come true. I can not thank the Nowhere to Go But UP foundation enough for giving me the chance to write one of the most inspiring stories I have ever encountered in the world of sports."

The book will be available in bookstores and at the NTGBUP Facebook page at PhP 800.

Robinsons Retail Group / Universal Robina Corporation Agro Industrial Group reaffirm UP commitment

(Standing L-R: TGP AVP-Supply Chain Abet Liuson, TGP General Manager Agnes Rafinan, UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan, UP MBT Head Coach Bo Perasol, UP President Danilo Concepcion, Daiso General Manager Katherine Yu)
(Sitting L-R: Robinsons Supermarket Managing Director Jody Gadia, Handyman Vice Chairman Willy Co, Robinsons Retail Group President & CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, nowheretogobutUP Chairman and UP MBT Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, Handyman Group General Manager Stanley Co)

Student-athletes from the University of the Philippines will still get to enjoy valuable support and commitment from one of their biggest and most loyal supporters.

The Robinsons Retail Group and Universal Robina Corporation's Agro Industrial Group (URC-AIG) renewed their partnership with the school recently, in line with the build-up for the upcoming 82nd season of the UAAP and beyond.

Officials from both organizations as well as from the school and the Nowhere to Go but UP Foundation were also present for the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement at the UP Executive House in Diliman, Quezon City. Representing RRG and URC-AIG as signatories are Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. President and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe and URC-AIG Group Business Unit General Manager Vincent Henry Go, alongside NTGBUP's Agaton Uvero and UP Men's Basketball Team Head Coach Bo Perasol. The ceremony took place while the team was fresh from claiming the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Cup in Taiwan.

Other officials who witnessed the ceremony include: Handyman Group Vice Chairman Willy Co and General Manager Stanley Co, Robinsons Supermarket Managing Director Jody Gadia, Daiso General Manager Katherine Yu, TGP General Manager Agnes Rafinan and AVP - Supply Chain Abet Liuson, and Robina Farms Farm Operations Director Dr. Florante Palabrica.

Gokongwei-Pe is one of the longest backers of the Fighting Maroons, having supported them since 2010. She and her group have stuck it out this decade with the lows and the highs of UP's quest for sporting relevancy.

(Standing L-R: UP CHK Dean Francis Diaz, UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan, UP MBT Head Coach Bo Perasol, Robina Farms Marketing Director Jonathan Dino)
(Sitting L-R: nowheretogobutUP Chairman and UP MBT Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, Robina Farms Business Unit General Manager Vincent Henry Go, UP President Danilo Concepcion, Robina Farms Farm Directo Dr. Dante Palabric, Robinsons Retail Group President & CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe)

Among the units within URC-AIG is its premium farm products unit Robina Farms, which only recently became one of the newer supporters. In line with their backing, Go says, "We firmly believe that the UP Fighting Maroons shares the same values as us, such as passion for excellence and loyalty to our stakeholders. As we renew our official support for the men’s basketball team, we want them to continue to imbibe the same things that our company lives by as they seek to surpass last year’s achievement. This upcoming UAAP Season 82, it would be another great privilege to stand by this team together with the whole UP community. Hoping to exemplify ISKOs values of honor and excellence in every endeavor."

URC-AIG Marketing Director Jonathan Diño adds, "UP’s run last year is proof that everything is possible. Hopefully, this year’s team will build on what Batch 81 started and bring home the UAAP Championship for the first time since ’86. It’s UP’s time! They should take it. They deserve it."

Perasol shares, "We’re always grateful for all the support we have received from our alumni, especially from Ms. Gokongwei and her group of companies, who have been with us through our ups and downs. This team knows what it’s like to be at the bottom, to lack basic necessities like food and allowances. We are thankful for the faith and loyalty of the Robinsons Retail Group."

The Fighting Maroons are currently in Japan for the final phase of their overseas preparations for the upcoming campaign.

The Great UP Run set to kickstart UAAP Season 82 for Maroons

The UP community has something to look forward to in a couple of months.

The Nowhere to go but UP Foundation continues to seek complementary funding for the University of the Philippines student-athletes, and in collaboration with RUNRIO Events, Inc. and the Quezon City Athletics Association, they are set to launch their latest fundraising initiative, the Great UP Run.

Set to take place on August 11 at the UP Diliman grounds, three thousand runners are anticipated to take part in four categories, 3K, 5K, 10K, and 21K.

The run will be held during the afternoon, providing a new twist for aficionados. It will also take the participants around the campus and out, with certain roads to be closed to traffic to make room for this event.

Race fees are as follows: PhP 1,100 (21K), PhP 800 (10K), PhP 700 (5K), and PhP 600 (3K). All proceeds will go towards the NTGBUP Foundation in their efforts to provide assistance to the UP student athletes.

Registered runners will be able to receive a race kit that contains a singlet, race bib, timing chip, and a loot bag. For 21K runners, they will also receive a finisher's shirt and medal.

Afterwards, the foundation will be holding a concert that would feature homegrown UP artists, one that would also serve as a kickoff for the upcoming UAAP Season 82.

For further details on the race, one can check it out on RUNRIO.

STATS Performance Apparel secures role as UP outfitter and merchandise provider

NTGBUP x STATS Performance Apparel, with UPMBT in the background

The revitalization of the athletic program of the University of the Philippines continues, under the auspices of the Nowhere to Go by UP Foundation (NTGBUP), a volunteer group of UP alumni tasked to support the different varsity programs in the university.

Led by its president, Atty. Agaton Uvero, NTGBUP's latest effort is an evolution of partnership with STATS Performance Apparel. Said agreement was finalized last week, with officials from both sides and select members of the UP Men's Basketball Team in attendance at the UP Bahay ng Alumni.

Representing STATS Performance Apparel are Januarius Holdings, Inc. Chairman and CEO JJ Atencio, COO Marcy Venezuela, and STATS Performance Apparel CEO and Creative Director Edrin Panganiban.

Also gracing the occasion are Head Coach Bo Perasol, UAAP Season 81 Most Valuable Player Bright Akhuetie, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, Janjan Jaboneta, and Noah Webb.

Already a supporter of the UP MBT, STATS Performance Apparel has expanded its role with the team for Season 82, from not just becoming the official on- and off-court wear of the team, the athleisure brand will now also provide official team merchandise.