MAGALLANES, CAVITE -- The last turn towards the home of Jerwin Ancajas from the highway leads onto a dirt road. A few meters from the corner, on the left side of the road, stands a humble house perched on a lot that is unlike anything else in the province.
Heading into the first defense of his IBF super flyweight title late in 2016, Ancajas and his trainer Joven Jimenez decided to invest in their dream of having a gym they can call home.
"Nakakahiya na rin kasi sa ibang gym," Ancajas said, sporting his sheepish smile. "Baka sabihin nila world champion na kami pero nakiki-gym pa rin kami sa kanila."
(It was embarrassing to keep training in other gyms. They might say I'm a world champion without his own gym.)
The two then decided to pull together their money and buy a spacious lot in Magallanes, Cavite. With the money they earned from Ancajas' title-clinching performance against McJoe Arroyo back in September of 2016, the two laid the foundation of what would be the Survival Gym.
"Si Jerwin yung nagsabi ng pangalan ng gym, sabi ko ayoko kasi naka-survive na kami," Jimenez explained. "Pero sabi niya para daw malinaw sa mga gustong mag-train dito na kailangan nilang mag-survive."
(It was Jerwin who came up with the name. I disagreed because we survived. He said he wanted it to be clear to whoever wanted to train here that they need to survive.)
The improvements in boxing training have been vast in the past few years with athletes and their coaches choosing the more scientific approach. Gyms are now packed with specialized equipment to squeeze the absolute best from any boxer. The gym built by Ancajas had none of these bells and whistles but it has one thing that most gyms do not and may never have: a world champion.
The base of the ring is nothing more than concrete poured inside an outer wall of hollow blocks. Only a thin sheet of foam separates the concrete from the canvas. The raw metal from the corners is softened by insulation foam, which is also used to cover the ropes with plastic straw to hold it together.
On the left side of the ring, coco lumber was used to bridge the decline between the lot and the gym. The floor to ceiling ball is a toy rubber ball squeezed inside black cloth. One end was tied to the steel bar on the ceiling, the other weighed down by a 25-kg barbell plate. There is one heavy-bag in the middle and no speedball.
The ring corner is covered with insulation. Ropes are lined with straw. pic.twitter.com/rZg3LKInhj
— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) January 16, 2018
While other fighters might have walked away after seeing the gym, Ancajas beams with pride every single time he talks about it.
"Maganda na ito," he boxer said. "Kasi dati sa lupa lang kami nag-t-training ni coach. Dati kung saan kami abutan ng oras ng training, dun na kami. Kahit mainit. Kahit walang bubungan."
(This is okay already. Before we would train on the bare ground. Wherever we would be when it came time to train, that's where we trained. Even if it was hot and no roof.)
Only a thing layer of foam between the canvas and the cement floor beneath it. pic.twitter.com/zLdRjBBgFA
— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) January 16, 2018
Ancajas never had a problem with making weight in the past. There's no need for a sauna as training under the scorching heat of the sun was more than enough to keep his weight low.
"Kapag sobrang init talaga o umuulan, tumitigil kami sandali o kaya naghahanap ng masisilungang puno. Pag wala na, tuloy na ulit kahit maputik na yung lupa."
(If it was very hot or raining, we'd stop for a while or look for shelter under trees. Once the rain stopped, we'd continue even if the ground was muddy.)
Floor to ceiling bag is a ball inside black cloth. pic.twitter.com/ptN7EMw1Bp
— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) January 16, 2018
Growing up poor and without a mother, life tested the mettle of Ancajas early. He'd often wait for his father come dinner time to see if he found work for the day. If he did, they'd eat well. If he didn't, they'd have bananas.
When he was nine years old, boxing presented Ancajas with the opportunity to change his fate. A program by a local politician gave young boxers the chance to train and study for free and, with the prodding of his older brother, Ancajas took this opportunity.
Ancajas would spend the next eight years of his life apart from his family as he had to stay at a dorm-type quarters for training and school.
"Lumaki akong malayo sa magulang ko. Lumaki ako sa gym. Minsan lang ako umuuwi sa amin," he recalled. "Nung una ayaw ng tatay ko na ipasok ako sa boxing. Pero sumuporta rin si Papa kasi libre na yung pag-aaral ko. Sa akin okay rin kasi nakakapag-aral ako tapos kumikita ng konting pera. Yung unang laban ko sa amateur naka 400 pesos ako. Yun na yung pinakamalaking pera na nahawakan ko. Natuwa ako kasi nakapagbigay ako sa papa at kuya ko tapos nakabili ako ng sapatos na pang ensayo."
(I grew up away from my parents. I grew in the gym. I'd only go home once in a while. At first my father didn't want me to take up boxing. But he eventually supported me because of the free education. It's all good because I was able to finish my studies and earn some money. My first amateur fight I was given 400 pesos. That was the biggest amount of money I'd ever had. I was very happy because I was able to give money to my father and older brother and buy myself training shoes.)
Early in his boxing journey, Ancajas crossed paths with Jimenez. "Sinabi sa akin na kunin ko daw siya kasi future world champion," the trainer recalled. "Nung nakita ko siyang lumaban nakita ko nga na magaling siya kaya kinausap ko na agad."
(They told me to take him in because he's a future world champion. When I saw him fight I saw that he was in fact a very good boxer, so I talked to him right away.)
The two would be on the same path from there on out but there were many times that their bond was tested. In Philippine boxing, there will be times when other managers will try to recruit fighters from other managers especially if they're starting to make a name for themselves.
Back then Jimenez trained the promising super lightweight Adones Cabalquinto and WBO Oriental flyweight champion Froilan Saludar but without a moneyed promoter behind him, Jimenez could do nothing but let go when his other fighters sought greener pastures.
Only Jerwin Ancajas stayed.
The boxer's loyalty would come at a price but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. Ancajas trusted his trainer's vision that one day they'd be world champions if they put in the work. Things got tough for Ancajas and Jimenez, especially as the fighter started a family. The money they made from fights was barely enough to get them by.
"Nung may sariling pamilya na ako, mas naging mahirap. Si coach rin nagkaproblema kasi nagka-walaan yung mga boxer niya. Ako na lang yung natira," said Ancajas. "Naging pabigat rin ako kay coach. Naisip ko na rin tumigil, maghahanap na lang ng mapapasukan. Kaso alam ko rin na kung hindi ako mag-boxing, wala naman akong ibang trabahong alam. Sabi ni coach sa akin, wag ko daw gawin yun, na tutulungan niya ako hangga't makakaya niya."
(When I started a family, it became harder. Coach also had problems because his other boxers left. I was the only who stayed. I became a burden to coach and I thought of leaving and looking for other work. But I didn't have any other skills except boxing. Coach said not to leave and that he'd help me.)
The two even spent time giving private boxing lessons to patrons in Manila, with most of their pay eaten up by the commute to and from Cavite. The two rolled with the punches together until Ancajas received an offer that Jimenez pushed him to accept.
"Si boss Manny (Pacquiao), gusto niya lahat ng boksingero niya sa Davao na mag-training," Jimenez recalled. "Sabi ko kay Jerwin, pumunta na siya doon kasi wala siyang mapapala sa akin. Gugutumin lang siya dito. Inaalala niya yung pamilya niya pero sabi ko sa akin na muna sila tumira."
(Boss Manny Pacquiao wanted all his boxers tot rain in Davao. I told Jerwin to go because I couldn't help him anymore. He was worried about his family but I told him I'd take care of them.
Ancajas eventually said yes but Jimenez's sacrifice did not go unrewarded. He was assigned by MP Promotions to be a matchmaker for some of their events and eventually he was able to convince Pacquiao to make the big investment in Ancajas.
At that point, the 24-year old fighter managed to steadily climb the IBF rankings which gave him the opportunity to challenge and eventually dethrone Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo.
"Yung gumawa ng Jerwin Ancajas si sir Manny talaga," he said. "Bihira kasi yung tayo yung magpapapunta ng champion dito. Siya yung nagtulak na dito i-promote yung laban."
(It was sir Manny who really made Jerwin Ancajas. It's rare that a champion comes over here to defend his belt. He was the one who made it happen.)
The win did not come easy even if Ancajas was buoyed by hundreds of Filipino fans. He managed to knock down the defending champion in the seventh round en route to a unanimous decision victory.
"Olympian siya kaya magaling talaga. Sobrang laking challenge sa akin yun, lalo na undefeated champion siya. Di ko akalain na matalo namin siya kahit wala kaming gym."
(He's a Olympian and really good. It was such a big challenge for me, especially since he was an undefeated champion. I didn't think I could beat him since we didn't even have a gym.)
The recent success enjoyed by Ancajas, especially his technical knockout win against Ireland's Jamie Conlan in Ireland last November, was enough for people to start crowning him the next Manny Pacquiao. Philippine boxing has been in a rough patch as of late with fans looking for new heroes to cheer for and they saw a potential Pacquiao replacement in Ancajas. However, the young fighter often shies away from this comparison as he thinks it could be a burden he'd rather not bear.
"Hindi sa ayaw kong makumpara kay sir Manny kasi siya yung naging inspirasyon ko bilang boxer," Ancajas started. "Napakabigat nun para sa akin kasi ibang level si sir Manny. Mahirap ikumpara yung sarili mo sa isang alamat. Kung ano man mararating ko sa boxing, kahit hindi man ako makalapit sa narating niya, magiging masaya ako."
(It's not that I don't want to be compared to sir Manny because he has been my inspiration. But it's such a big label because he's at a different level. It's hard to be compared to a legend. Even if I don't match his success, I'll be happy.)
Like Pacquiao, though, Ancajas pins his hopes of conquering the U.S. market by signing with Top Rank Promotions. He signed a three-fight deal with them starting with his upcoming title defense against Israel Gonzalez on Mexico on February 3 (February 4, Manila time) in Corpus Christi, Texas.
He's in for the biggest payday of his career but Ancajas isn't leaving behind his old lifestyle even as a huge financial windfall heads his way.
Here in Magallanes, Cavite, Ancajas does not rely on specialized meals for athletes. Instead, he is sustained by the community that has rallied around him. He does not need a treadmill nor even a track for his cardio as the rocky road of Ramirez works just fine.
"Nakakatuwa dito kasi hindi namin akalain kung gaano kami ka-welcome dito. Inaalagaan nila kami. Nabubuhay kami sa mga bigay nila dito," Ancajas said as more and more people walked over to his backyard to watch him train. A few yards away, three men prepared the group's lunch for the day as fighting cocks that may have seen better days served another purpose.
(We've been pleasantly surprised because we didn't expect this type of welcome here. They really take care of us. We get by on what they give us.)
While the boxers are sparring, lunch is being prepared nearby. pic.twitter.com/suqoS2lOPv
— Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) January 16, 2018
"Saging, manok, buko, kamote, kahit anong sobra sa kanila, binibigay nila sa amin. Dito pwede ka lang kumuha ng mga tanim, magpaalam ka lang. Nararamdaman namin dito na inaalagaan kami."
(Bananas, chicken, coconuts, whatever extra food they have, they give to us. Here you can get their harvest as long as you ask permission. We really feel welcome here.)
For Ancajas, his upcoming fight is more than just about him and his aspirations. It's about his family, his trainer, the community that accepted him as one of their own, and his fellow fighters who followed him to the Survival Gym such as his longtime friend and former Olympian Mark Barriga and former world-title challenger AJ Banal.
Ancajas and Jimenez built this gym to provide a home for boxers who have nowhere to go, so that there'll be no need for them to train on bare soil while being punished by the sun, so that there'll be no need to jump from gym to gym, training wherever they'll be allowed to.
Now the place has a few foams that the other boxers could sleep on at night and kawayan double-deck beds where they could rest in the afternoon. When Ancajas and Jimenez first got there, it was a bare building but they turned it into a home with their hard work.
"Noong una kaming dumating hindi, hindi pa tapos lahat. Wala pang mga pinto at bintana kaya tinakpan lang namin ng cardboard at plywood," Jimenez recalled. "Tiniis namin lahat yun. Lamok. Langaw. Lamig. Kahit hindi natutulog ng maayos si Jerwin sa kagabi, hindi mo makikita yun pag nagtraining na siya sa umaga. Walang-wala lang talaga kami dati pero nakuha naming maging world champion kaya siguro marami rin yung gustong mag-training dito kasi ginagawa nilang inspirasyon na nagmula kami sa wala."
(When we first arrived here, it wasn't finished yet. There were no doors or windows so we used cardboard and plywood to cover it up. We endured a lot. Mosquitoes. Flies. The Cold. Even if Jerwin couldn't sleep well at night, you wouldn't know it from his training the following day. We had nothing before but now we have world champion. Maybe that's why other fighters want to train here, to be inspired by the fact that we started from nothing.)
Watch Jerwin Ancajas defend his IBF super flyweight title against Israel Gonzalez LIVE on ESPN5 on February 4. Telecast begins at 10 a.m.