PATAFA, ICTSI Foundation fuel PH athletics medal run at SEA Games

Photo credit: Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association

The ICTSI Foundation-supported Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) delivered the largest medal haul in the history of Philippine athletics, as the national team collected 31 medals at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, with athletics emerging as one of the country’s strongest contributors.

Athletes competing under the PATAFA program produced five gold, seven silver and 19 bronze medals across track, field and relay events. The haul included two SEA Games records and five national records, reflecting steady results across multiple disciplines.

Gold medals came from a mix of established and emerging performers. Ernest John Obiena won the men’s pole vault, setting a SEA Games record, while John Cabang Tolentino captured the men’s 110-meter hurdles, also with a SEA Games record. Middle-distance races added two more golds, with Naomi Marjorie Cesar winning the women’s 800 meters and Hussein Lorana taking the men’s 800 meters. Hokett Delos Santos completed the gold tally by topping the men’s decathlon.

Silver medals followed across endurance and technical events. Yacine Guermali delivered a double podium finish in the men’s 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Arlan Arbois Jr. earned silver in the men’s marathon, while Artjoy Torregosa placed second in the women’s marathon. Additional silvers came from Robyn Lauren Brown in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Janry Ubas in the men’s long jump, and Mariel Abuan in the women’s high jump.

Bronze medals were spread across a wide range of events. Individual bronze medalists included Russel Je Ricaforte in the men’s discus throw, Elijah Cole in the men’s pole vault, Jessa Mae Roda in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Bernalyn Bejoy in the women’s 800 meters, Lauren Alexis Hoffman in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Junel Gobotia in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, William Morrison in the men’s shot put, Zion Corrales Nelsonin the women’s 200 meters, Joida Gagnao in the women’s 5,000 meters, Jeralyn Rodriguez in the women’s 400 meters, and Susan Ramadan in the women’s 1,500 meters. 

Elijah Cole wins the bronze medal in men's pole vault.

Additional bronze finishes came from Richard Salano in the men’s marathon, Sonny Wagdos in the men’s 5,000 meters, Ana Bhianca Espenilla in the women’s javelin throw, and Cesar in the women’s 1,500 meters.

Relay teams added depth to the medal count. The women’s 4x100-meter relay team of Jessica Rose Laurance, Lianne Diana Pama, Zion Corrales Nelson and Kristina Marie Knott placed third while setting a national record. The mixed 4x400-meter relay team of Alhryan Labita, Alfred Talplacido, Angel Rene Watson and Bejoy earned bronze, while the women’s 4x400-meter relay of Brown, Bejoy, Hoffman and Rodriguez added another podium finish.

Team Philippines composed of (from left) Kristina Knott, Lianne Pama, Jessica Laurance, and Zion Corrales Nelson won the bronze medal in the women's 4x100 meter relay and broke the Philippine National Record.

Several athletes also posted record-setting marks outside medal events. Cesar established a national under-18 record in the women’s 1,500 meters, Amanda Javellana set a national under-20 record in the women’s hammer throw, Espenilla reset the national under-20 javelin record, and Sep Blessee Placido recorded a national under-20 mark in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk.

The Philippines fielded 61 PATAFA athletes in athletics at the Thailand Games, supported by the ICTSI Foundation, as the national delegation competed against 10 other Southeast Asian nations.

As the 33rd SEA Games concluded on December 20, the Philippines placed sixth overall in the medal standings with 277 medals — 50 gold, 73 silver and 154 bronze —, with athletics accounting for a significant share of the country’s total.