Applause erupted from Filipinos in all nooks of the globe at every turn on the floor and on the air as Carlos Edriel Poquiz Yulo performed in the final competition in the gymnastics of the 2024 Olympics. People were caught in awe as the young Filipino made perfect landings after making difficult artistic twists and turns. The tumbling appeared too easy for the Filipino Olympian who trained so hard to achieve his childhood dream of winning an Olympic gold. Unknown to all of us, he had to sacrifice in daily training and correct practice to attain perfect form since when he was a kid. His life story only came to public knowledge when he bagged the first gold in the artistic floor exercises, besting seven others in the field.

The tale of his difficult life drew public attention as he shared his humble beginnings in the gym near his house. He was only seven years young when his grandfather brought noticed his superb tumbling skills on their neighborhood. It was reportedly his grandfather who brought him to the Rizal Memorial Coliseum for his to watch young gymnasts in practice. Thereafter, he was introduced to the officials of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines where he was admitted for training after undergoing a tryout. His grandfather is still living in their family abode but had no knowledge of his feats, chiefly his winning two Olympic golds in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In a twist of fate, he was given the opportunity to train in Japan under the tutelage of a Japanese coach who imposed a regimen too hard to do but he took without any complaint as he was focused on his Olympic dream. His stint in Japan had the support of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines and his father who backed him in the sport of his passion. He participated in world and international tournaments for him to hone his skills and win prizes as well. His winnings reportedly went directly to his mother Angelica Poquiz Yulo.

As he hugged the limelight in the 2024 Paris Olympics, a silent bomb was ticking behind the scenes. It exploded to distract the attention of people hooked to social media platforms. The issue has to do with posts by the mother who openly disowned her son for reasons only she could explain. There too were messages against the girlfriend of her son, who she did not like as unworthy of her son. She was protective of her son who she sees as being controlled by his girlfriend. The rift spread like wildfire on social media as people feasted on the tales that remained one sided considering that the Olympian was focused on winning the gold in the 2024 Parish Olympics.

In his bid to muster all the strength he needs in the tough competitions, Carlos Edriel Poquiz Yulo decided to drop his Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya and tapped his Filipino coach Aldrin Castaneda to handle him in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was revealed later that one of the reasons he dropped his Japanese coach was his intervention in his personal relations with Chloe Anjeleigh San Jose who he revealed is his source of strength. Part of his struggle is his having no support while in Japan where he was struck with depression as he encountered language barrier with his fellow Japanese gymnasts.
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In the dynamic landscape of the 21st-century business world, one phrase has increasingly found its way into our lexicon: disruptive innovation. The term refers to a process whereby a smaller company with fewer resources successfully challenges established industry businesses. This was coined by Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen in the mid-1990s. This article explores into the ways disruptive innovation, driven by startups, is revolutionizing traditional industries.

The Phenomenon of Disruptive Innovation

Disruptive innovation is not merely about the introduction of new technology. At its heart, it is a strategy, a different approach to the market that challenges the status quo. Startups, with their agility and risk-taking attitude, are often the forerunners of such innovation. They develop products or services that, while initially gaining traction in a niche market, eventually disrupt the entire industry, displacing established market-leading firms.

Startups have introduced innovative technologies and business models that have transformed traditional sectors, offering convenience, accessibility, and new experiences to consumers. They have challenged established players, redefined market dynamics, and reshaped the way people commute, travel, shop, manage finances, order food, and access healthcare. Through their disruptive innovations, startups continue to drive change and shape the future of industries worldwide.

Impact on Traditional Industries

Startups are transforming various traditional industries through disruptive innovation. For instance, in the transportation industry, companies like Grab and Angkas, in the Philippines, and Uber and Lyft, overseas, have drastically altered how consumers view personal transportation. By leveraging digital technology and a unique business model, they have challenged traditional taxi services and have reshaped urban transportation.

Similarly, the hospitality industry has seen an upheaval with the advent of platforms like Airbnb. By turning homeowners into hoteliers, Airbnb has utilized a peer-to-peer business model to disrupt traditional hotel chains. Additionally, this has become an inspiration for Overseas Filipino Workers to invest on real properties as they have realized that this is a good source of income which can benefit their families.

The finance industry has also not been immune to this wave of disruption. Fintech startups are offering a range of services, from mobile payments to crowdfunding, that are challenging traditional banks and financial institutions. We have been used to using credit card payments online. But for the past years, various payment channels have emerged such as GCash, Maya, GrabPay, etc. All of these have truly made life easier with regards to having a range of payment options.

Implications of Disruptive Innovations

While disruptive innovations bring about industry transformations, they also come with their own set of implications. Traditional businesses must adapt to these changes or risk being left behind by these emerging businesses. This requires a shift in mindset, from protecting existing markets to embracing new innovations and incorporating them into their business models.

Furthermore, as industries evolve, regulatory bodies must also keep up. While these changes are intended to help businesses. It should also be understood that they need to create a balance between protecting consumers and fostering innovation. This can often be a complex task, given the pace of innovation and the time it takes to understand and regulate new technologies.

Disruptive innovation, primarily driven by startups, has become a transformative force in traditional industries. It is reshaping markets, changing the rules of competition, and constantly redefining consumer expectations. For established businesses, the choice is clear: adapt and innovate or risk obsolescence. As for startups, the sky is the limit. Their potential for growth and disruption continues to be a defining characteristic of the modern business landscape. The age of disruptive innovation is not just upon us; it is transforming the world as we know it.

Should we fear these evolving changes? I guess not. We just need to cope up with these changes as these are significantly important in allowing us to do more with just a few clicks.
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WE have to be most aware of this basic truth about ourselves. We are all called by God, our Creator and Father, to be holy and to do apostolate for the simple reason that we have been created by God in his image and likeness. And even if we fall into sin, we are also given the means through Christ, our Redeemer, of how to handle that condition so that in the end we can manage to be what God wants us to be.

We have to overcome the thinking that this duty to seek holiness and to do apostolate is only for priests, religious and other so-called special people. It is for everyone. And so, we just have to sharpen our awareness of this truth about ourselves and to spread this truth as widely as possible, since we all know that many still are ignorant of it, let alone, making their life consistent to that truth.

Ever wondered why Christ chose his apostles practically randomly? He, for example, would just pass by Matthew in his tax collector’s table and say, “Come, follow me,” without as much checking on Matthew’s background.

Same with brothers Peter and Andrew, and James and John. Christ would just call them, and without asking any question they simply left their nets, for they were fishermen, and followed Christ.

In the end, he would also call Judas Iscariot who would later betray him. Christ, being God, would have known that Judas would turn him in. But that did not deter him. He called Judas to be one of the original 12 apostles just the same.

The only reason I can find for this behavior of Christ is that he has the right to call anyone and everyone to follow him. And that’s simply because, as God, he has that right since all of us come from him and belong to him. As redeemer, he calls everyone to follow him.
And just as there is the universal call to holiness, there is also the universal call to the apostolate. This is what is to be an authentic Christian. No one can be a true Christian if he fails to pursue this dual goal of holiness and apostolate. In a way, we can say that a Christian is both a saint and an apostle.

This universal call to the apostolate stems from the basic human need of ours to be concerned always with everybody else. As persons, we are not meant to be by ourselves. We are meant to be always in relation with the others. And that relation should be one that is good and helpful to the others.

And from the human need to be good and helpful to everyone, we are asked to elevate that concern to the supernatural level where we can be with God. That means that our relation with others should not just remain in the human and natural level, but should be developed in view of our common supernatural goal to be with God, to be holy and to truly love one another as Christ himself as loved us. (cfr. Jn 13,34)

We need to train ourselves to be apostolic all the time. We have to realize that if we simply are aware of this universal call to the apostolate, everything in our life can and should be an occasion to do apostolate. Even when we are isolated, we can still do apostolate by simply praying and offering sacrifices for the others, etc.