Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino

RICKY VARGAS was named chef de mission to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and Al Panlilio will handle the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) made key appointments during its first General Assembly for the year on Wednesday at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Paranaque City. Also appointed, according to POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino were Rep. Richard Gomez for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Dr. Jose Raul Canlas for the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and Stephen Arapoc for the Chengdu 2025 World Games. “The objective is to prepare our teams—and athletes—in earnest for the international competitions, that’s why the chefs de mission were appointed,” Tolentino said. “If we prepare early, there will be no excuses.” Richard Lim of karate is chef de mission to the Asian Winter Games in Harbin that starts February 7 to 14 while the a ched de mission has yet to be named for the Third Asian Youth Olympics Games from October 22 to 31 in Bahrain. Vargas is a former POC president and currently chairman of the boxing federation, Panlilio (basketball) and Gomez (modern pentathlon) are the incumbent first and second vice presidents, respectively, and Canlas (surfing) treasurer of the organization, while Arapoc heads the wushu association. The SEA Games will be played December 9 to 20 this year in Chonburi, Songkhla and Bangkok, and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are set February 6 to 22, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in 2026. The Los Angeles Olympics are from July 14 to 30, 2028. Former football president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta was appointed as ethics committee chairman while Atty. Daniel Hofileña, a non-POC member, will head the arbitration committee. Tolentino said the POC General Assembly also approved the 2025 working budget of P35 million which is P8 million less than last year’s because of the Paris Olympics preparations and participation.  Tolentino and his secretary-general Atty. Wharton Chan also announced that the POC made a P15 million savings last year.

THE country is fielding a 20-athletes team to the ninth edition of the Asian Winter Games that China is hosting for the third time from February 7 to 14 in the winter resort city of Harbin. The mission? To start setting the stage for a first-ever Winter Olympics medal for the Philippines. “We’ve already accomplished the dream in the Summer Olympics—three gold medals in consecutive games,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on New Year’s Day Wednesday. “And that dream we want to also achieve in the Winter Olympics.” There are no available accurate records as to how many Filipino winter sports athletes competed in the first eight editions of the Asian Winter Games, but Tolentino believed the team to Harbin should be the biggest thus far. “And our athletes are competing in six of the 11 sports on the Harbin program,” Tolentino said. Curling, now one of the most-watched winter sports discipline, will have the most number of athletes in Harbin with 10 athletes— Marc Angelo Pfister, Enrico Gabriel Pfister, Christian Patrick Haller, Alan Beat Frei, Jessica Pfister, Benjo Delarmente, Kathleen Dubberstein, Leilani Dubberstein, Sheila Mariano and Anne Marie Bonache. The Curling Winter Sports of the Philippines was established late last year to organize the discipline’s ranks with the new group joining Philippine Skating Union and Philippine Ski and Snowboarding Association in the POC roster. The other members of Team Philippines managed by chef de mission Richard Lim are Paolo Borromeo, Aleksandr Korovin, Cathryn Limketkai, Isabella Marie Gamez and Sofia Lexi Jacqueline Frank in figure skating; Francis Ceccarelli and Talullah Proulx in Alpine skiing; Laetaz Amihan Rabe in freestyle skiing; Peter Joseph Groseclose in short track speed skating and Adrian Tongco in snowboarding Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo won the Philippines’ first Summer Olympics gold medal in Tokyo 2020 and gymnast Carlos Yulo captured two gold medals in Paris 2024, both under Tolentino’s watch at the POC. “The Winter Olympics are as extremely tough as the Summer Olympics, but we have proven that it could be done,” Tolentino vowed. Italy will host the 25th edition of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6 to 22 next year. Sixty-four events will be contested in Harbin, which was host in 1996, the second time after Changchun 2007 where China first organized the games.  Japan has been the dominant team in the games, followed by China and Kazakhstan.

Cignal TV and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) are joining forces for the official launch of Isang Daang Taon Laban Para sa Bayan: Celebrating 100 Years of Filipino Excellence in the Olympics. The campaign will kick off the country’s campaign for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics where the Philippines is seeking to snare medals and achieve more glory in France. “Cignal TV has always believed in the skills and talent of the Filipino athlete and this partnership only reiterates our commitment to them. We want them to know that we’re with them every step of the way,” said Cignal TV and MediaQuest President & CEO Jane J. Basas. “We’re honored to have Cignal TV be our gracious partner for the Paris-bound athletes and this early, we have high hopes of another memorable showing in the Olympics,” said POC President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino. This isn’t just any other Olympics for the Philippines as this also marks 100 years of participation for the country in the quadrennial meet. Runner David Nepomuceno was the first Filipino to qualify for the Olympics, participating in the 1924 Paris Games. A century later, the country is banking on our proud representatives spearheaded by pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, weightlifter Vanessa Sarno, and boxers Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio as Team Philippines once again tests itself with the best athletes in the globe. From the buildup in their preparations and training, their respective campaigns, and the aftermath of their performance, Cignal TV will be there chronicling the journey of the Filipino athlete through our comprehensive news coverage which will be aired and featured on the various MediaQuest platforms, primarily on Cignal TV platforms including Free-to-Air and Pay TV, and on digital and social media through One Sports, One News, and News5. The Philippines is coming off a historic performance in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where Hidilyn Diaz became the country’s first ever gold medalist, with Petecio also taking home silver, and Marcial and Carlo Paalam bagging bronze medals.

Ernest John "EJ" Obiena gave the whole nation hope as he claimed the first gold medal for the Philippines in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Obiena's remarkable journey unfolded at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, where he dazzled with a record-smashing performance in the pole vault finals. The anticipation was palpable as Obiena soared to an astonishing 5.75 meters, leaving his competitors in awe. Yet, he wasn't done there. In a breathtaking display, he shattered the Asian Games record of 5.7 meters and secured the gold with a spectacular 5.9-meter leap, igniting celebrations among Filipino supporters in the stands, including Philippine Olympic Committee president Rep. Bambol Tolentino, Chef de Mission Richard Gomez, and athletics' chief Terry Capistrano. In a heartwarming gesture, Obiena attempted to break his own Asian record of 6 meters, aiming to gift his coach, Vitaly Petrov, a fitting birthday present. Though he narrowly missed this feat, his outstanding achievement marked a historic moment for Philippine athletics. This victory was the Philippines' first gold medal in athletics in 37 years since Lydia de Vega's 100-meter triumph at the Seoul Asiad. It also represented the first athletics medal in 29 years, dating back to Elma Muros' bronze in the long jump at the 1994 Hiroshima Games. Obiena's remarkable journey has made him a superstar and a source of inspiration for his fellow athletes. His training partners, including China's Huang Bokai and Saudi Arabia's Hussain al Hizam, acknowledged his immense contributions to their progress and expressed their desire to challenge him in the future. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Bambol Tolentino summed up the nation's sentiments, stating, "EJ never ceases to amaze us." Obiena's extraordinary achievement in pole vaulting has left an indelible mark on Asian Games history, and his gold medal is a testament to the dedication and perseverance of an athlete who has truly reached the sky's limit.

Budget Woes Derail ANOC World Beach Games in Bali, Leaves Athletes and Fans Disheartened Regrettably, ANOC has received unexpected and disheartening news regarding the 2023 ANOC World Beach Games, initially set to be hosted by the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI). The KOI has withdrawn its commitment to organize the ANOC World Beach Games and the ANOC General Assembly, slated for August 2023. This sudden decision, delivered merely a month before the Games commenced, has left ANOC in a challenging position. With insufficient time to secure an alternate host, the unfortunate outcome is canceling this year's edition of the Games in Bali and the ANOC General Assembly. Future arrangements for the General Assembly, including new dates and locations, will be communicated as soon as available. ANOC sincerely apologizes to the affected NOCs, athletes, and International Federations (IFs) who had steadfastly supported the event. The organization also extends its regrets to fans across the globe. Despite the inherent challenges in the preparations for such a multifaceted event, ANOC had been continually assured by KOI that viable solutions were underway and that the Games would proceed according to plan. Regular coordination meetings between ANOC and KOI were held, with the most recent occurring just last week. KOI did not indicate any imminent issues that could lead to this outcome. In this unfortunate circumstance, ANOC's immediate focus lies in supporting the athletes and ensuring that the affected NOCs and IFs are appropriately compensated given the unforeseen cancellation of the Games. The original statement appeared here.

With this year's theme, "Let's Move," POC is one with the nation to keep moving forward together, overcoming challenges. The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) celebrated Olympic Day on June 23, 2023, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Track and Field Oval in Diliman, Quezon City. POC President Abraham Tolentino and members of the Philippine Olympian Association, Special Olympics Philippines, and other sports stakeholders led the event. The celebration kicked off with a fun run, followed by a series of sports activities, such as basketball, volleyball, and taekwondo. There were also educational seminars on the Olympic Movement and its values. POC stressed the importance of Olympic Day in promoting physical activity and sportsmanship among Filipinos. He also urged the youth to dream big and strive to represent the Philippines in the Olympics one day. The POC's celebration of Olympic Day was a success, and it helped to raise awareness of the Olympic Movement in the Philippines. The event also served as a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and inspire others to participate in sports.

And just like that, the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games has officially concluded. Let’s take a quick look at this year’s highlights. We clinched our first gold medal even before the opening ceremony from the Pencak Silat team courtesy of Francine Padios in the Women's Artistic Single event. Olympic pole vaulter EJ Obiena lead the Philippine delegation in the parade of nations as the country’s flag bearer. The Philippine Olympic Committee recommended both Obiena and fellow Olympian Hidilyn Diaz share the task but the event organizer only allowed one flag bearer per country, to which Diaz agreed it should be Obiena. The athletes immediately got back to action after the opening ceremony with the country continuing to pile up the medals. Breaking records and ending the drought Gymnast Carlos Yulo is the most bemedaled Filipino athlete for two consecutive SEA Games. Yulo’s outstanding run resulted in five gold medals in the men’s division of individual all-around, floor exercise, still rings, vault, and high bar. He got two more silver in the parallel bars and the men’s artistic gymnastics team together with Jan Gwynn Timbang, Juancho Miguel Besana Eserio, John Ivan Cruz, Justine Ace de Leon, and John Matthew Vergara. While he got the same number of medals in 2019, he has more gold medals this round. EJ Obiena remained at the top of the men’s pole vault category and reset his own SEA Games record to 5.46 meters in a single attempt. The Philippine women’s football team ended a 37-year medal drought after a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Myanmar. The last was in 1985. When it rains… After eleven years, we bagged gold again in bowling with Merwin Tan’s singles win and another with Patrick Neil Nuqui, Ivan Dominic Malig, and Christian Dychangco in the men’s team of four-event. In Esports, we closed our first women’s gold in the League of Legends: Wild Rift (Mobile) - Women Team Event. Kim Manrobang swept the duathlon and triathlon golds, her third consecutive in women’s triathlon. Manrobang with Fernando Casares in the men’s division swept the triathlon golds. Swimmer Chloe Isleta ended our decades-long gold drought in the women’s category. Weightlifter Vanessa Sarno shattered all three SEA Games records in the women’s 71kg. Other highlights The athletics team brought in the most number of medals with over 20 in total followed by the dancesport and gymnastics teams; gymnast Aleah Finnegan contributed two golds and two silvers in her SEA Games debut. Eumir Marcial bagged his fourth straight SEA Games gold after beating Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho of Timor Leste in the men’s -75kg finals. Rubilen Amit from the billiards team got a couple of gold medals in the 9-ball and 10-ball pool events. Gilas Pilipinas men finished their latest SEA Games tournament with a silver medal after the loss to Indonesia. The loss ends a 13 consecutive gold streak. The Philippine team closed its SEA Games run in 4th place, and the host country, Vietnam, won the top spot for the Southeast Asian Games.

After the success of the Filipino athletes in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, capped off by the first gold medal of the country, another athlete is aiming to make the Philippines proud in the upcoming Winter Olympics to be held in Beijing. Filipino-American skier Asa Miller is the sole representative of the Philippines in this iteration of the Winter Olympics and he will compete in the men’s giant slalom and men’s slalom events.