THAILAND—Team Philippines mounted a fierce last-ditch push in the penultimate day of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, piling up crucial gold medals in a futile effort to rise from sixth place in the medal standings, even as its traditionally dominant boxing team endured a bruising day marked by questionable calls favoring Thai fighters in the finals.
The Filipinos’ gold rush was headlined by a historic breakthrough in beach volleyball, where Alas Pilipinas Women finally toppled eight-time champion Thailand on home sand in Pattaya.
In their maiden finals appearance, Alas 1’s Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons swept Worapeerachayakorn Kongphopsarutawadee and Taravadee Naraphornrapat, 21-17, 21-15, before Alas 2’s Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez closed the door on Tanarattha Udomchavee and Rumpaipruet Numvong, 21-13, 17-21, 15-6, to clinch the overall title.
“Sobrang saya, lalong-lalo na sa amin ni Pons na pang-lima na namin ito and nakapag-gold din kami sa international,” said Rondina, whose team had never finished better than bronze before. She credited the breakthrough to patience and trust within the program.
“Sabi ko nga magiging consistent lang kami… I think consistency lang din ipinakita namin kaya kami nakapag-gold ngayon,” she added.
Pons, who was medal-less in the previous SEA Games, added: “Wala kaming medal nu’ng last SEA Games… sabi namin babawi kami.”
Golds also poured in from other fronts as the Philippines tried in vail to keep pace in the medal race.
In Bangkok, SEA Games debutant Peter Groseclose announced his arrival by winning gold in the men’s 500m short track speed skating after settling for silver in the 1,500m earlier in the day. “Definitely, it was a motivation… I really wanted to be better in the 500m,” said the 18-year-old Winter Youth Olympian. “I am really grateful to win this gold medal for Team Philippines.”
The Blu Girls reasserted their supremacy in women’s softball, edging Singapore, 4-1, behind Royevel Palma’s complete-game, 10-strikeout performance to claim a record-extending 11th gold.
The Philippine men’s tenpin bowling team—Mark Jesus San Jose, Kenneth Chua, Marc Dylan Custodio and Artegal Barrientos—also struck gold by overpowering Thailand in the finals, while Gilas Pilipinas Women reclaimed basketball supremacy with a gritty 73-70 win over the hosts. On the mat, Gabrielle Thomas Dinette added another gold by ruling the men’s 86kg freestyle in wrestling.
The celebratory surge, however, was tempered by disappointment in boxing, where three Filipinos settled for silver after losing to Thai opponents in finals clouded by accusations of hometown decisions—an especially bitter pill for a nation long regarded as a regional boxing powerhouse.
Paris Olympics’ bronze medalist Aira Villegas bowed to Chutamat Raksat in the women’s 50kg but accepted the verdict with grace.
“Hindi pa binigay ni God… hindi pa doon natatapos ang lahat,” Villegas said. “Si God na po ang bahala sa desisyon, kung ibibigay niya o hindi tatanggapin ko ng maluwag.”
Flint Jara (men’s bantamweight) and Bryan Baricuatro (men’s light flyweight) also lost to Thai foes — Thanarat Saengphet and Thitiwat Phlongaurai, respectively.
