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Ra Solomon

Ateneo de Manila University - AB Economics-Honors 2022

Former Associate Vice President for Publications of the Ateneo Economics Association (2019-2020)

Bylines at Ra Solomon for The GUIDON Sports

Featured Articles

The GUIDON •

What Yuka Saso’s decision says about Philippine Sports

What Yuka Saso’s decision says about Philippine Sports

ALTHOUGH THE Philippines will lose one of its top-seeded Filipina golfers, Yuka Saso made the better decision for her growth as an athlete in choosing to become a Japanese citizen.

Saso has represented the Philippines in tournaments since her days as a junior golfer in 2011. However, this will soon change once she turns 22 after she decided to choose her Japanese citizenship over her Filipino citizenship. Saso, who currently has a dual Fil
The GUIDON •

SJ Belangel: A legacy unfolding

IT WAS in the Gilas Pilipinas against South Korea International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup qualifiers match where Samjosef “SJ” Belangel made arguably the most iconic shot in Philippine international basketball history.

In his path to becoming a Gilas icon, Belangel developed from a highly touted Bacolod recruit into a focal point for Ateneo in multiple University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball championships.

After first playing in Bacolod, the future sta
Ateneo Economics Association •

New Clark City: Development for Everyone? – Ateneo Economics Association

As Metro Manila has been branded as a city synonymous with congestion, a new location to deconfine the region is eyed. Given this, as part of Duterte’s Build Build Build (BBB) program, the development of the New Clark City (NCC) is envisioned to decongest the Philippine’s capital and become the pillar of economic growth in Luzon.

NCC is a part of the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) which spans across the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac. Situated in proximity to major highways such as North
The GUIDON •

The Last Decade: Establishing Excellence

The last decade saw Ateneo win countless championships and achieve unimaginable athletic feats. As The GUIDON Sports celebrates Ateneo sports history month, we look back at the moments that ultimately shaped the glorious events of the past decade. Part two of this three-part series looks into the first-ever Men’s Beach Volleyball crown, the end of the Women’s Fencing title drought, Isaac Go’s iconic three-pointer, and a dynastic three-peat from the Men’s Indoor Volleyball team.

See also The Las
The GUIDON •

The (almost) forgotten sport of billiards

AMONG THE many sports in which the Philippines has competed internationally, billiards has arguably given the country the most success. Due to various Filipinos’ triumphant history in the sport, the Philippines has earned its title as the pool capital of the world.

However, billiards’ golden age has since waned due to lack of sponsorships—causing the sport to lose its popularity in recent years. Nonetheless, the country’s success in the billiards scene
The GUIDON •

Examining the state of Philippine basketball

ATENEO MEN’S Basketball Head Coach Tab Baldwin drew much attention after he made controversial comments on the state of Philippine basketball. While Baldwin’s remarks focused on how the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) one-import-per-team rule in two of its three conferences is a mistake, there is a stark possibility that there are more factors contributing to the problems of Philippine basketball.

Simultaneously, Gilas Pilipinas finds itself struggling on the global stage with its poo
The GUIDON •

What Yuka Saso’s decision says about Philippine Sports

What Yuka Saso’s decision says about Philippine Sports

ALTHOUGH THE Philippines will lose one of its top-seeded Filipina golfers, Yuka Saso made the better decision for her growth as an athlete in choosing to become a Japanese citizen.

Saso has represented the Philippines in tournaments since her days as a junior golfer in 2011. However, this will soon change once she turns 22 after she decided to choose her Japanese citizenship over her Filipino citizenship. Saso, who currently has a dual Fil
The GUIDON •

Sports Watchlist: October 2021

A testament to the league’s popularity, the UAAP’s first-ever Varsity channel was recently launched, giving fans the option to access UAAP content 24/7. In partnership with Cignal TV, the channel started airing last September 8.

The channel’s launch is part of the five-and-a-half-year deal between the UAAP and Cignal TV signed last October 2020, following the end of the league’s partnership with ABS-CBN Sports after two decades.

The channel offers an archive of historic UAAP games, including m
The GUIDON •

SJ Belangel: A legacy unfolding

IT WAS in the Gilas Pilipinas against South Korea International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup qualifiers match where Samjosef “SJ” Belangel made arguably the most iconic shot in Philippine international basketball history.

In his path to becoming a Gilas icon, Belangel developed from a highly touted Bacolod recruit into a focal point for Ateneo in multiple University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball championships.

After first playing in Bacolod, the future sta
The GUIDON •

Paalam bids goodbye to 2020 Tokyo Olympics with silver in tow

Paalam bids goodbye to 2020 Tokyo Olympics with silver in tow

Illustration by Tiffany Cu Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado, Photos sourced from Getty Images and Belfast Media

DESPITE A gallant stand, Carlo Paalam was unable to secure the Philippines’ first boxing gold as he suffered a split decision 1-4 loss at the hands of Great Britain’s Galal Yafai. The flyweight division finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was decided by scorecard (28-29, 29-28, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29) at the Kokugikan Arena earlier
The GUIDON •

Petecio secures Olympic silver in a close finals bout against Japan’s Irie

Illustration by Tiffany Cu and Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado, Photos sourced from Rappler and The Daily Tribune

THE PHILIPPINES just barely missed out on its first Olympic boxing gold medal.

In a tightly contested bout, Nesthy Petecio fell short of a historic boxing crown in heartbreaking fashion against Japan’s Sena Irie via unanimous decision, 0-5 (28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 27-30). Their gold medal matchup of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics of the women’s featherweight division was held earlier tod
The GUIDON •

RECAP: PH’s Paalam breezes on to quarterfinals, Petecio one win away from gold

RECAP: PH’s Paalam breezes on to quarterfinals, Petecio one win away from gold

Illustration by Tiffany Cu and Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado

IN HIS second 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics bout, Filipino Carlo Paalam was awarded the unanimous decision victory versus Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi earlier today at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. All of the judges scored the bout in favor of the 23-year-old Filipino, 30-27.

It was a calculated first round from both fighters, as Paalam and Flissi waited for the
The GUIDON •

RECAP: PH’s Marcial advances to quarterfinals, Magno falls in round of 16

RECAP: PH’s Marcial advances to quarterfinals, Magno falls in round of 16

Illustration by Tiffany Cu and Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado

IN HIS much-awaited Olympic debut, the Philippines’ Eumir Marcial quickly dispatched Algerian Younes Nemouchi in one round via technical stoppage in their round of 16 bout. The two boxers competed in the men’s middleweight division of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at the Kokugikan Arena earlier today.

Marcial–one of the Philippines’ Olympic flag-bearers–automati
The GUIDON •

Petecio outclasses Colombian foe, assured of Olympics medal

Illustration by Tiffany Cu and Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado

HISTORY CONTINUES to be made for the Philippines as Nesthy Petecio secured the country another Olympic medal.

2019 World Champion Petecio is now assured of at least a bronze medal after outclassing Colombian Yeni Arias Castaneda via unanimous decision, 5-0 (30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27), in the quarterfinals of the women’s featherweight division in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held at the Kokugikan Arena on Wednesday, July 28.

After
The GUIDON •

Margielyn Didal places seventh in street skate Olympic bid

Illustration by Tiffany Cu and Layout by Kaitlyn W. Mercado

EQUIPPED WITH her swagger and composure, Margielyn Didal continued to make history for the Philippines as she managed to land a seventh-place finish in the Olympic Women’s Street Skateboarding event. A newly introduced Olympic sport, the Women’s Street Skateboarding event was held earlier today at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.

The world-ranked no. 17 Didal booked her ticket to the finals after placing seventh out of 20 competitors in
The GUIDON •

A legacy of versatility

THE DECATHLON’s physically and mentally exhausting nature makes it one of track and field’s toughest sports as athletes have to compete in 10 events. Despite the decathlon’s difficulty, Mark Matthew “Mackie” Operario stands out by keeping up with the demands of the sport and winling numerous national tournaments.

Apart from excelling in decathlon, Mackie served as a leader in the Ateneo Men’s Track and Field Team (AMTFT). During his stint as the team captain in Season 82 of the University Athle