OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Brico Santig’s Highland Boxing Gym in Bangkok, Thailand was formally opened Wednesday (Jan. 29) to cater to his boxers and muay Thai players. The main gym is found at Km. 5, La Trinidad, Benguet, in the three-story Santig residence where his Highland Boxing Promotions has its office. (Photo courtesy of Brico Santig)
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – After more than a year of being closed, the Highland Boxing Gym is again open. But this is not the one found here where it is home to many fighters who have won international titles but in Bangkok, Thailand where its owner Brico Santig calls his second home and where he has raised a small family with a Thai wife.
Santig formally opened his gym on January 29, after a month-long soft opening.
“December pa last year bukas na eto pero hindi pa kumpleto gamit (I opened this December last year but the equipment were not yet complete),” Santig told Philippine News Agency through Facebook message on Thursday.
Santig opened a gym in Bangkok in 2018 as he spends at least half of his time also to spend it with his family as well as train boxers and muay Thai players.
He first opened in Ladprao 94 in the Thai capital but was forced to relocate in December of 2018, just after holding the Boxing for Itogon, Benguet here to raise money to help the mining town people in its recovery from the devastations of typhoon Ompong.
The closure was because the owner opted to sell the building.
The new gym can be found in Udusoksa School in the town of the same name, and very near the Thai capital.
Santig maintains his gym where his staff continues to train boxers as well as muay Thai and kickboxing players like Renz Dacquel and Karol Maguide, who won a silver and a bronze medal in the 30th South East Asian Games (SEAG) in December last year.
The three-story old house of the Santig’s has the first floor for weights, punching bags, and other boxing equipment. The second floor is where the ring is located and the third floor as sleeping quarters, kitchen and office for the Highland Boxing Promotions which BoxRec recognized as the top promoter of professional boxing for the year 2019.
BoxRec’s list of top 12 boxing promoters in the country showed Highland owner Santig coming up on top with 12 promotions which produced 17 titles topping well-known promoters like the Elordes and Aldeguer.
The closest promoter that could match Santig’s record is Jim Claude Manangquil who came up with 10 promotions this year including six title fights.
Gabriel Elorde Jr., on the other hand, had five promotions with eight titles, while Johnny Elorde came up with four promotions producing two titles.
Michael Aldeguer had four promotions this year, while former world champion Gerry Peñalosa had five promotions the past year of which two are titled fights.
Santig’s young partner Darwin Miller Dep-ay had four promotions to his credit.
Santig and the Highland Boxing Promotions was named the Boxing Promoter of the Year by the Kafagway/Kordillera International Sports Luminary Awards Podium during the year-end awards on Dec. 30, 2019. (PNA)
