He shoots, he throws, he runs and scores! But in the ultimate face-off between man and beast, who will bring home the gold?

In its second year of bringing the animal kingdom and knowledge closer to you, Matanglawin revisits your favorite Man vs. Beast moments since 2009 and lets you decide who holds the crown.

Is it me, you, the animal from the zoo- or Kuya Kim? Take it from him when he says: “Diskarte lang ‘yan (it’s all in the strategy),” and get ready to rumble!

Round 1: Speed

Two heads are better than one, but does it follow that four legs are better than two?

Meet Tekya, the miniature horse, the contender against Mountain Biker Bans, Ruel the in-line Skating Champion and  Mang Danny, the small but terrible midget!
        

Though measuring only two feet from nose to tail, Tekya is not to be underestimated at speeds of 40 kilometers per hour.

Does she have a chance against her three rivals?

Kuya Kim gives the mark, and Bans on his mountain bike leaves Tekya to eat his dust!

But what’s this? Is Tekya’s mom, Marlina, avenging the loss for mini-horses everywhere against skater boy Ruel? But she proves to be no match against Ruel as he zips through the course while she goes on a hearty meal of grass on the side of the road!

Can Tekya redeem the title by beating a midget in a 75-meter dash? It was a close one, but unfortunately for man vs. mini-horse, the glory goes to man.

But what if man’s best friend decides to race against him? It’s another heart and clock-stopping match when Urby the Belgian Malinois goes head to head with 2007 South East Asian (SEA) games Decathlon bronze medalist Arnold Villarube.

And believe it or not, Urby clears 70 meters with only 0.13 seconds to spare, ahead of the veteran SEA Games sprinter! If that’s fast, how about the speed of a greyhound who can clock in 72 kph, only second to the fastest animal on earth, the cheetah?

Round 2: Agility

It turns out that not only is Urby fast, he can jump higher and farther than the average dog.

He claimed the title of 2007 Champion in Mondioring during the Canine Sports Summit and 2008 Extreme Games Long Jump Event.

Will this round go to the animals? Not if members of the Philippine Track and Field Team have anything to say about it!

Philippine Record Holder for the Triple Jump Joebert Delicano strutted his stuff -and beats Urby- by jumping a whopping distance of 6.9 meters, longer than the length of a car!

However, if Joebert competed with a dog named Bang in Gloucestershire, England in 1849, he would have lost to Bang’s jump of 9.14 meters.

But how high can man and beast go? 2007 SEA games Gold medalist Henry Dagmil proves he’s worthy of the title by jumping over a hurdle as tall as a 5.5 foot man! 

In this test of agility, it seems that Man has it in the bag.

Then again, in the practice of Matanglawin, no stone is left unturned by pitting man to the animal closest to our evolution, the ape. Man boasts of brains while the Black Celebes Ape boasts of flexible hands and feet- the ultimate tools for tree-climbing.

The first try goes to man because Jeremy got distracted and JC, the tree-climbing Aeta said it best: “Tatalunin kita, TSUNGGU!” But with the next try, Jeremy went all out, even pausing during mid-climb and yet winning!

Round 3: Endurance and concentration

It’s PBA’s 1997 Most Valuable Player Johnny “Flying A” Abarrientos against Johnny the Dunking Monkey!

It’s not about height (Johnny A is the smallest MVP, by the way), and it’s not about the jump (but that’s cool, too, like Spud Webb who can jump almost 4 feet in the air), it’s all about the shots. And when you’re Johhny A who can shoot 115 balls in 10 minutes out of sheer determination and motivation, you’re a total shoo-in.

Can Kuya Kim maintain the winning streak by outlasting the Living Tractor of the East, the Carabao, in a test of endurance under the sun? Things can get messy as Kuya Kim and Islaw Kalabaw throw it all in the mud - literally!

“The mud covering the carabao’s skin doesn’t evaporate as fast as water so it’s cooler,” Kuya Kim says- but is it enough to beat our determined trivia king? Obviously not, as our carabao moves out, leaving Kuya Kim sweaty and dirty, but contentedly happy.

Round 4: Ultimate combination

All the bases were covered but is it enough to say that the combined brains, brawn, endurance and focus of man takes it all? Maybe the game of Frisbee can decide!

The farthest Frisbee throw measured 211.32 meters or almost three times longer than the Quezon City Memorial Monument. But for Man vs beast, all you need is speed and skill.

Between Agos the German Shepherd and Philippine Ultimate members Gali Gonzalez and Julian Villar, it’s the dog who takes the win with 12 catches to spare!

But it’s not over until man says it’s over: enter Team Captain and Frisbee aficionado Derek Ramsay!

“I really saw Derek’s drive to win. Derek’s competitive in all aspects of life, not only in showbiz, but especially in sports like Ultimate Frisbee. He really wanted to beat the dog, and he used strategy and tactics.)” Kuya Kim praises the actor. And despite barely recovering from being hospitalized after a tiring shoot, Derek proves that with the will to win, man will reign supreme.

And what can we get from this battle? “The challenge between man and beast isn’t there just to prove who’s stronger or better. It’s a way to know our abilities and push our limits,” says Kuya Kim.

In the test of endurance, man has the advantage.

Who is the fastest? Agos the Dog, Kuya Kim or 2007 SEA games bronze medalist Joebert Delicano?

Kuya Kim admires Derek’s fighting spirit during his Frisbee game against Urby the Dog.

Ready, set, go