La Trinidad’s Highland is PH’s 2019 top boxing promoter

by Pigeon Lobien

BAGUIO CITY — Highland Boxing Promotions based in La Trinidad, Benguet has been named by BoxRec as the Philippines’ top promoter of professional boxing for the year 2019.

In BoxRec’s top 12 list of boxing promoters in the country, Highland owner Brico Santig came on top with 12 promotions and produced 17 titles, besting well-known promoters like the Elordes and Aldequer.

The closest promoter that could match Santig’s record is Jim Claude Manangquil who came up with 10 promotions this year including six titles.

Gabriel Elorde Jr., on the other hand, had five promotions with eight titles, while Johnny Elorde came up with four promotions and producing two titles.

Michael Aldequer had four promotions this year, while former world champion Gerry Peñalosa had five promotions the past year of which two are title fights.

Santig’s young partner Darwin Miller Dep-ay had four promotions to his credit. The two staged the successful Knock Out at the Manila Arena in Dec. 21 last year where Carl Jammes Martin took the Philippine Boxing Federation bantamweight title via an impressive win against Philip Luis Cuerdo.

Martin’s third-round knockout win over Cuerdo was his 12th stoppage, improving the young Ifugao fighter’s record to 13-0 (win-loss).

The 20-year-old Martin from Hingyon town, Ifugao allowed only one opponent to go the whole nine yards, Jason Buenaobra, whom he beat via unanimous decision in April 19, 2017 to win the Luzon Professional Boxing Association bantamweight title.

Santig also maintains a boxing gym in Manila as well as in Bangkok, Thailand where he stays with his family.

Three of his wards — kickboxers Jomar Balangui, Renz Daquel and Karol Maguide — won medals in the recent 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Santig, as well as his Highland Boxing Promotions, was named the Boxing Promoter of the Year by the Kafagway/Kordillera International Sports Luminary Awards Podium during the yearend awards on Dec. 30, 2019.

Martin was also named the professional boxer of the year while his father Abel Sr. was the trainer of the year.

Santig is expected to come home this February to help run the Baguio Benguet Educational Athletic League boxing event.

Also cited by BoxRec are Juan Monis (three promotions), Pio Castillo (three promotions, four titles), Joseph Quibral (three promotions), Edgar Ricafort, Gerry Balmes and Raudes Neri with three promotions each.

Rounding up the top 12 list is Joven Jimenez with two promotions.

BoxRec is a website that is dedicated to holding updated professional boxing records.