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| (Image Source; BusinessWorld Online) |
It has been a few weeks since The Nationals, the first franchise-based
professional gaming league in the Philippines, officially kicked off and I'm sure
that many Filipino gamers were enthralled to see how their favorite eSports
athletes showcase their prowess throughout the competition. By the time I'm
writing this article, its first conference featuring DOTA 2 is heading its way
to the playoffs and Cignal Ultra is at the top of the win-loss column after
PLDT-Smart Omega took the lead in its first few weeks of competition.
If you've enjoyed every single bit of The Nationals anywhere you
prefer, you may have noticed how each game played on matchday made its conclusion.
Though most of the games have ended in a sweep, there are times when it all
ended in a draw without any settlement. Whether you like this premise or have
doubts about it, this is what The Nationals is all about and it could possibly be
a norm all throughout its maiden season. Aside from the thrill and excitement
it brings from the finest pro gamers in the country, what makes The Nationals
more interesting to enjoy is no less than its intriguing roster of talents that
are slated to follow the action.
Every game in The Nationals is being called by a full-scale commentary
team helmed by some of the finest local eSports casters and analysts with years
of experience on their side. The ongoing DOTA 2 leg has Sam "Wolf"
Nopueto, Aries "Kalbz" Alejandro, Neil "Midnight" De
Guzman, Jaz "Heneral Tuna" Komoda and Rain Manaig seating on the
sidelines. On the other hand, the upcoming Tekken 7 will feature Ron "Hot-E"
Muyot, Poch "_pochspice" Estrada, Paul "Poru" Fuentes and
Pica Lozano while Manjean Faldas, Shin Boo Ponferrada, Gian
"Ilustrado" Bernardino, Em "Kaisaya" Dangla, and Lhea Lei
"Yasumeow" Pelaez will highlight the action and bring thrills for
Mobile Legends.
Joining the fine roster of casters and analysts are essentially The Nationals'
own league of courtside reporters which consists of Alyzza Taylor, Eileen Shi, Mila
Fabella, Torie Moreno and Dan "Leo" Cubangay. With their mix of
hosting and reporting backgrounds for various sports and gaming shows, these
eSports correspondents will be in the middle of the action giving updates and
reactions straight from the trenches. And this is just part of what you can
expect from the league that is starting to shape the foundation of the
professional gaming scene in the Philippines without question. But, for 5 Plus,
that's not all.
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| 5Plus' eSports and gamng VJs (from left to right): Gino Quillamor, Bea Benedicto, Ariana Conechado, Jodie Tarasek, Kim Cruz and RJ Arroyo (Image Source: Manila Bulletin/The 5 Network) |
The Nationals' slueth of commentators and correspondents is part of the
channel's dynamic set of talents which was introduced to amplify its gaming
content and solidify 5 Plus as the home of eSports and gaming on Philippine
free TV. Anchoring the channel's bevy of gaming content is its own sleuth of
VJs who will talk about all things gaming and eSports everyday. These include
DJ Gino Quillamor, host and commercial model Bea Benedicto, content creator and
TV personality Kim Cruz, former MTV VJ and brand presenter Jodie Tarasek, host
and commercial model Ariana Conechado, and host and Mobile Legends streamer RJ
Arroyo.
Catch The Nationals every
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday live at 3:00 pm on 5 Plus (free TV
channel 41, Skycable channel 59, Cignal channel 15, ABS-CBN TV Plus channel 15)
and at 6:00 pm on eGG Network (Cignal channel 99) and One Sports (Cignal SD channel
91 and HD channel 261). For more updates, follow The Nationals on Facebook and
Twitter.
