Ambassador Charles C. Jose (left photo, second from right) was the guest of honor and inspirational speaker during the opening ceremonies of SMART World Mabuhay Cup held on September 17 at the Pusat Sukan of the Universiti Malaya.

Joining him during the event are (left photo, from left) LBC Mabuhay Philippines Country Manager Ysrael Laude, PLDT Global Corporation Vice President John Palanca and Philippine Airlines Country Manager Gene Pauline Banzon.  LBC and Philippine Airlines were co-sponsors of the event.

In his speech, Ambasador Jose reminded the participants of the importance of sportsmanship and fair play during the matches, as well as showcasing the best of the Filipino and the Philippines by displaying honesty, hard work and excellence in their places of work and residence. He also reminded them that as foreigners in Malaysia, the Filipino community should continue to support and lift each other up.

The SMART World Mabuhay Cup featured men’s basketball and men’s and women’s volleyball games, aimed at gathering Filipinos to foster friendship and camaraderie among them through sports. Twelve teams competed for the basketball competition while five and eight teams competed in the men’s and women’s volleyball matches, respectively.  The matches will be played on two Sundays, where the winners will be decided on September 24.