KYLA Louise Bulaga etched her name in Philippine swimming history as the youngest member of the national team bound for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games set this December in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 15-year-old protégé of Olympian Ryan Paolo Arabejo (2008) from the La Union Bullsharks Swim Club clinched a silver medal in the girls’ 400m individual medley at the 2025 Philippine Aquatics, Inc. (PAI) National Tryouts, which wrapped up Sunday at the Teofilo Yldefonso Swimming Center in Malate, Manila.
Bulaga clocked 5:11.84 to finish behind veteran campaigner Xiandi Chua of FTW Royals Club, who touched in 5:05.61. Both surpassed the qualifying standard of 5:13.05 to earn slots for the Bangkok Games.
“Masayang-masaya po at very proud. Dati po pinapanood ko lang ‘yung mga langoy nila ate Xiandi (Chua), ngayon nakasabayan ko siya tapos silver medal pa ako. Very grateful ako sa mga suporta, specially sa parents ko at kay coach Ryan,” said Bulaga, who earlier ruled the 400m freestyle but missed the qualifying mark despite a 4:45.74 finish.
“With only one event for the SEA Games, talagang magko-concentrate ako sa training namin,” added the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy standout.
For her part, Chua secured berths in five events, including her signature 200m backstroke, where she is the defending champion and record-holder. She clocked 2:17.10 to qualify, though well off her SEA Games’ record of 2:13.20.
“Yey, bad swim, really. Need to focus more,” admitted the Melbourne-trained Chua, who is set to return to Australia to resume training at Nunawading. She also qualified in the 100m freestyle (56.95), 100m backstroke (1:03.07) and 200m IM (2:18.38).
Olympic relay silver medalist Kayla Noelle Sanchez also looms as one of the country’s biggest hopes after qualifying in six events: 100m freestyle (55.00), 50m back (29.00), 200m free (2:01.41), 50m butterfly (27.46), 100m back (1:02.38) and 50m free (25.38).
“I’m very proud representing the Philippines. It’s a dream come true and I’ll try my very best to give the country gold medals in the biennial meet,” said the 24-year-old Sanchez, who won silver for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s tough for me since my schooling in nursing aid will start on September 1. But my priority is to be healthy and fit right on time with three months left,” she added.
Also making the national team are returning foreign-based swimmers Chloe Isleta, Miranda Renner, and Teia Isabella Salvino, along with first-time Fil-Am Gian Santos, Fil-Mongolian Metin Junior Jason Mahmutoglu, Fil-Canadian Joran Paul Orogo, Fil-Japanese Logan Wataru Noguchi, Fil-British Heather White, and homegrown standouts Ivo Nikolai Enot, Quendy Fernandez, and Micaela Jasmine Mojdeh.
PAI secretary-general Eric Buhain lauded the 14 qualifiers. “We are proud of their achievements and hopeful that they will carry the Philippine flag with honor in Bangkok,” he said.
