How Louie Sangalang became The Apprentice ONE’s last ‘man’ standing

After eight weeks of intense competition on “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,” Filipino candidate Louie Sangalang is the last man standing – literally.

He hasn’t won the whole show, but with Indian candidate Niraj Puran Rao having been eliminated in Episode 7, Louie is now the only male candidate left as the show enters its final stretch.

But for the 43-year-old, success isn’t about gender, it’s about what you bring to the table.

“To be brutally honest, I don’t really care if my competitor candidates are male or female. All of the candidates are here for a reason,” he said.

The selection process, after all, wasn’t based on one’s gender and Louie knows it, especially since there’s a US$250,000 job offer to be ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong’s Chief Of Staff in Singapore.

“Chatri found these strong characteristics and abilities in every one of the candidates he took to be a part of ‘The Apprentice.’ So I don’t see any difference whether you’re a male or a female,” he said.

“To me, we’re here and there’s a reason why we’re here, and Chatri probably sees some greatness in us that he believes he can unlock once he chooses ‘the one.'”

What brought Louie to this point is how he handled himself with professionalism. Coming into this competition, Louie kept his mind open while adjusting accordingly to the business challenges.

That type of approach has made him stand out on the show, as he hasn’t experienced being in the bottom three on the chopping block yet.

“I didn’t really have a gameplan coming into the competition, and the reason why I didn’t have a gameplan was because I didn’t know what to expect,” he said.

“So my preparation was quite simple: I told myself that I’m just going to be at my best with my professional and mental toughness, then I will adapt to the situation along the way.”

And if he gets to be the last one standing out of the original 16 global candidates, he knows that he has more to offer the largest martial arts organization in the world.

“I think that working for ONE Championship will give me a lot of resources, but I really think in the realm of professional sports, whether it’s mixed martial arts or esports, I have a lot to offer,” he said.

“And that’s the reason I want to be part of ONE Championship – to embody the values that I also look up to and the practices that I like.”

Catch the ninth episode of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” this Monday, May 17, at 9 p.m. on One Sports.