The Philippines closed Day 1 of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand with a 13-medal haul, consisting of two golds, two silvers, and nine bronzes, based on the Philippine Olympic Committee tally as of December 10, 2025. This placed the country sixth in the early standings released that evening.
The nationโs two gold medals came from standout performances in swimming and taekwondo.
The womenโs 4x100m freestyle relay teamโKayla Sanchez, Heather White, Chloe Isleta, and Xiandi Chuaโdelivered a commanding win with a time of 3:44.26, finishing ahead of Singapore and Vietnam to clinch the Philippinesโ first swimming gold of the Games.
Earlier, Justin Kobe Macario secured the countryโs first gold medal after topping the menโs individual freestyle poomsae event at the Fashion Island Shopping Mall, giving the delegation an early boost on opening day.
The Philippines also earned two silver medals. Gian Christopher Santos took silver in the menโs 200m individual medley, while the team of Rodolfo Reyes, King Nash Alcairo, and Ian Corton placed second in the menโs recognized poomsae event.
Bronze medals came steadily throughout the afternoon and evening, highlighted by John Derrick Farrโs podium finish in the menโs downhill mountain bike race in Chonburi. Additional bronzes from sepak takraw, taekwondo, and several other early events brought the total to nine, rounding out the Philippinesโ 13-medal opening surge.
This yearโs SEA Games opened under tense circumstances following the withdrawal of the entire Cambodian delegation, which cited urgent safety concerns amid an escalating border conflict just eight kilometers from one of the competition venues. Their exit reduced the competing field to 10 nations.
Despite the tense backdrop, action across Thailand remained intense. The Gilas Pilipinas womenโs 3×3 team fought hard but fell to Indonesia, 15โ21, after a late scoring run by the Indonesians at Nimibutr Stadium. Meanwhile, the Alas Pilipinas womenโs volleyball team is set to begin its campaign on Thursday against host powerhouse Thailand at Huamark Indoor Stadium.
In Pattaya, rising golf star Rianne Malixi headlines the Philippine golf delegation as individual and team events begin at the Siam Country Club. She is joined by Junia Gabasa and Grace Quinanilla on the womenโs side, while the menโs team is composed of Chris Remata, Rolando Bregente, Perry Bucay, and Shinichi Suzuki.
As of December 10, 2025, the Philippines stands at:
๐ฅ 2 Gold โ ๐ฅ 2 Silver โ ๐ฅ 9 Bronze (13 medals total)
with more events unfolding on Thursday as Filipino athletes look to climb higher in the standings.
Image created with the use of AI.