Igorot heritage helps Team Lakay survive pandemic
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine mixed martial arts stable Team Lakay is leaning on its Igorot heritage in surviving the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Based in La Trinidad, Benguet, Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao and some of his best athletes boasted their culture of resiliency and discipline in keeping themselves safe during the health crisis.
"The Igorot people are known to be resilient and self-sustaining, village-oriented, and we are used to simple living," Sangiao said through ONE Championship.
"People don't get hungry because we take care of each other," he added.
Sangiao and Team Lakay themselves have taken part in distribution of relief items in their areas, with one of their athletes also spending her allowance from the Philippine Sports Commission to buy relief goods for the less fortunate.
"You go out and you'll see free vegetables stocked out on the road, and we don't hoard them, we only get what we need so that everyone has something on their tables," the martial arts mentor said.
Meanwhile, former ONE Championship lightweight champion Eduard Folayang noted that their heritage and way of life has left them very obedient to stay-at-home orders.
"The Igorot people are obedient, we make sure to follow our figures of higher authority, especially our elders," he said.
Strawweight king Joshua Pacio echoed the sentiment, attributing the small number of coronavirus cases in the province to their following of the rules.
"The Baguio-Benguet area is somehow one of the places with the least amounts of cases... I believe that it's because of how disciplined the Igorot people are," Pacio said.
Their stablemate Edward Kelly, for his part, commented on the strong physicality of the Igorots in helping fight the virus.
"The Igorots are physically strong because we are very hard workers, and that helps make our immune system strong as well," Kelly said.
The fighters are still on quarantine, staying active and training at home.
With the health crisis putting a hold on all events by Singapore-based ONE Championship, the Team Lakay fighters are shifting their attention to keeping themselves and their loved ones healthy during the pandemic.
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