Half Court Group and Uratex Dream All Set to Represent the Philippines at the Red Bull Half Court World Final in New York

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The Philippines is gearing up for game day as the winning Red Bull Half Court teams, Half Court Group and Uratex Dream, head to New York representing the country at the Red Bull Half Court World Final. Months after they earned their wings and secured their respective spots in the competition, both teams are ready to put on a show for the global stage.

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

Sam Harada, Kaye Pingol, Eunique Chan, and Afril Bernardino of Uratex Dream are challenging for the title as Red Bull 2024 Half Court World Champion for the women’s division. Meanwhile Chester Saldua, Matt Salem, Jordan Bartlett, and Gryann Mendoza of Half Court Group, who are playing for the men’s division, have been laser-focused on getting back into the swing of the 3-on-3 streetball tournament. The team has emphasized the importance of staying to shape, anticipating a fast-paced game full of pressure.

“Our outside shooting and speed will always be our main weapons,” said Half Court Group’s Coach Mau Belen. “In practice, we make sure to improve these two skill sets and use (them) efficiently in order to help us win games.”

Coach Belen added, “We are trying to focus on positioning better inside the court, so we’ll give ourselves a chance to keep the ball alive and maintain an even count on possession against the other teams.”

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

Asked about what they expect to be their biggest challenge during the competition, the coach shared, “We have addressed every physical and mental challenge we are about to experience during the tournament, but one thing we can’t really prepare for is the jetlag (that) the players will have (from) traveling to the other side of the world. This is something we hope wouldn’t put us in a big disadvantage.”

On the team’s chemistry, Coach Belen claimed, “The team has been together for (about) over a year now, so familiarity and chemistry are not really something we’ve had to cover. But, I’ve seen a lot of maturity in their game, and it’s something I’m excited to see in New York.”

Ezra Acayan / Red Bull Content Pool

The team’s coach also said that she constantly reminds the players the value of simply enjoying the game. “I constantly emphasize (to them to) enjoy each game and the whole experience because we will never know when we’ll have this kind of chance again.”

Coach Belen shared that the loss from last year’s World Final in Serbia shaped her mindset and coaching heading to this year’s World Final. The coach said, “As a leader I (made) sure that I improve my coaching ability in order to match the high-level competition in the World Final. Learning the game intentionally and intensively has been my promise to myself since the loss against Dominican Republic last year.”

Looking ahead to the competition, both Philippine representative teams share the enthusiasm for the challenge and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of representing the Philippines in a global street basketball. Coach Mau also expressed her aspirations for Half Court Group at the World Final this year. “I hope we as a team have had that chance to evolve and mature on and off the court.”

National Pride on the Court

Red Bull Half Court is all about scoring buckets and playing tight offense. As the World Final approaches, the Philippine representatives assured supporters that they are more than ready to showcase their skill for streetball. The competition will be fierce as the teams go up against the top streetball teams from 25 countries across the world, but both teams are up for the challenge.

Support Half Court Group and Uratex Dream as the athletes take on the best street basketball players from all over the world. Don’t miss the Red Bull Half Court World Final happening on October 19 to 20 at New York City, USA.

Follow their journey at the Red Bull Half Court World Final and stay tuned for the latest updates. To find out more, visit the official Red Bull website and the following social media pages (Facebook | Instagram | Tiktok )

PH represent! Local celebrities Hit it Big, Appear in the Streets of New York and Los Angeles for Pepsi

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If Olympic medals are not enough to make one proud and excited to be Pinoy right now, Pepsi is bringing another reason for us to sustain this much needed feeling.

Local celebrities top-billed by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla are gracing the screens on the bustling streets of New York and Los Angeles for Pepsi.

KathNiel

The beautiful faces of our local celebrities top-billed by Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla are gracing the screens of the bustling streets of New York and Los Angeles, USA. The global beverage giant is currently showcasing its #PepsiHitSaSarap campaign material in Times Square, N.Y.C. and Downtown L.A. which also features Billboard Music Awards-nominee SB19, collegiate basketball hotshot Ricci Rivero, and internet sensation Mimiyuuuh, bringing a bit of the Philippines to the Filipinos abroad.

The global beverage giant is currently showcasing its #PepsiHitSaSarap campaign material in Times Square, N.Y.C. and Downtown L.A. bringing a bit of the Philippines to the Filipinos abroad.

Pepsi’s Hit Sa Sarap campaign is all about the importance of enjoying meal time with friends and family showcased in a true Pepsi way that is hip and fun, utilizing music and vibrancy. As Filipinos, dining is an event that is looked forward to especially during special occasions and not a mere functional necessity. Given this, the elements of elevating a dining experience is essential to every meal. But just what makes a regular lunch or dinner good? The answer is basic. Food. And while most would stop here, there are many others who would want to take the dining occasion even further. How? Through beverage pairing. And that’s where Pepsi comes in.

Pair these delicious dishes with Pepsi and that becomes a meal that is hit sa sarap.

Pepsi is like the best friend that complements every meal made up of all good food there is. Be it with everyone’s favorite DTI-standard adobo, the crispiest chicken, the tastiest burgers and fries, the glorious inihaw na liempo, or just about anything one craves for, Pepsi literally and figuratively adds fizz to every meal. Pair these delicious dishes with Pepsi and that becomes a meal that is hit sa sarap.

As seen in the Pepsi commercial, sharing delicious meals over a Pepsi becomes not just yummier but definitely more special. What could have been just a regular lunch or dinner becomes a dining experience to remember.

Music + Good Food + Friends + Pepsi = Best dining experience. The squad is in full force for the #PepsiHitSaSarap campaign.

Ricci Rivero

Mimiyuuuh

SB 19

Check out the new Hit sa Sarap ad here. Follow @pepsiphilippines on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter. Post your #PepsiHitSaSarap photos and tag us on IG.

Pepsi is available in all leading supermarkets, convenience stores, and sari-sari stores nationwide.

COVID-19: Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost a full year, says UNICEF

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UNICEF unveils ‘Pandemic Classroom’ at United Nations Headquarters in New York to call attention to the need for governments to prioritize the reopening of schools

NEW YORK, 3 March 2021 – Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost an entire year due to COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new data released today by UNICEF. Furthermore, around 214 million children globally – or 1 in 7 – have missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning.

The analysis of the school closure report notes that 14 countries worldwide have remained largely closed from March 2020 to February 2021. Two-thirds of those countries are in Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting nearly 98 million schoolchildren. Of the 14 countries, Panama has kept schools closed for the most days, followed by El Salvador, Bangladesh, and Bolivia.

“As we approach the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again reminded of the catastrophic education emergency worldwide lockdowns have created. With every day that goes by, children unable to access in-person schooling fall further and further behind, with the most marginalized paying the heaviest price,” said Henrietta Fore UNICEF Executive Director. “We cannot afford to move into year two of limited or even no in-school learning for these children. No effort should be spared to keep schools open, or prioritize them in reopening plans.”

School closures have devastating consequences for children’s learning and wellbeing. The most vulnerable children and those unable to access remote learning are at an increased risk of never returning to the classroom, and even being forced into child marriage or child labor. According to latest data by UNESCO, more than 888 million children worldwide continue to face disruptions to their education due to full and partial school closures.

The majority of schoolchildren worldwide rely on their schools as a place where they can interact with their peers, seek support, access health and immunization services and a nutritious meal. The longer schools remain closed, the longer children are cut off from these critical elements of childhood.

To call attention to the education emergency and raise awareness about the need for governments to keep schools open, or prioritize them in reopening plans, UNICEF today unveiled ‘Pandemic Classroom,’ a model classroom made up of 168 empty desks, each desk representing the million children living in countries where schools have been almost entirely closed – a solemn reminder of the classrooms in every corner of the world that remain empty.

“This classroom represents the millions of centers of learning that have sat empty—many for almost the entire year. Behind each empty chair hangs an empty backpack—a placeholder for a child’s deferred potential,” said Fore. “We do not want shuttered doors and closed buildings to obscure the fact that our children’s futures are being put on indefinite pause. This installation is a message to governments: we must prioritize reopening schools, and we must prioritize reopening them better than they were before.”

As students return to their classrooms, they will need support to readjust and catch up on their learning. School reopening plans must incorporate efforts to recover children’s lost education. UNICEF urges governments to prioritize the unique needs of every student, with comprehensive services covering remedial learning, health and nutrition, and mental health and protection measures in schools to nurture children and adolescents’ development and wellbeing. UNICEF’s Framework for Reopening Schools, issued jointly with UNESCO, UNHCR, WFP, and the World Bank, offers practical advice for national and local authorities.