2025 SEA Games: Justin Kobe Macario, women’s 4x100m swimming team deliver first golds for PH

The 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand officially opened Wednesday, and the Philippines already has 13 medals in its haul, including one from taekwondo and one from swimming.

Justin Kobe Macario delivered the country’s first gold medal in freestyle poomsae, while the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team, composed of Olympian Kayla Sanchez, Chloe Isleta, Xiandi Chua, and Heather White, secured the second gold.

Meanwhile, John Derick Farr, bronze medalist in the mountain bike downhill event, captured the Philippines’ first medal in the biennial meet, while swimmer Gian Santos settled for silver in the men’s 200m individual medley.

Taekwondo contributed the bulk of Wednesday’s medals, earning three more podium finishes aside from Macario’s gold.

Rodolfo Reyes, King Nash Alcairo, and Ian Corton claimed silver in the men’s recognized poomsae trio, while the duo of Patrick Perez and Jocel Ninobla (recognized pair poomsae) and the group of Macario, Jeus Yape, Darius Venerable, and Janna Oliva (mixed freestyle poomsae) added bronze medals.

The Philippine women’s team advanced to the sepak takraw hoop finals after only four teams remained, following Cambodia’s withdrawal. In the men’s division, four of six teams moved on, with Cambodia again affected. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished third in the finals to secure bronze medals.

The women’s sepak takraw team is composed of Rachelle Palomar, Rhea Mae De La Cruz, Mary Ann Lopez, Abegail Sinogbuhan, and Kristine Lapsit, while the men’s roster includes John Deryck Diego, Emmanuel Escote, Vince Alyson Torno, Jason Huerte, Ronsited Gabayeron, and Marc Kian Jake Fuentes.

Hockey 5s also produced bronzes, as both squads reached the semifinals. The men’s team, however, fell to Malaysia, 10–1, while the women’s team lost to the same opponent, 7–0.

Chess added to the Philippines’ tally as IM Paulo Bersamina, IM Jem Garcia, GM Daniel Quizon, and GM Darwin Laylo secured bronze in the men’s markruk team triple blitz. They reached the semifinals but narrowly lost to Indonesia, 5–4.

Godwin Langbayan of the men’s jiujitsu 62-kg fighting division also claimed bronze after defeating compatriot Rajae Dwight Del Rosario, 21–0, in the repechage B bronze medal match.

The Philippines currently holds two golds, two silvers, and nine bronze medals.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News