Weightlifters under the Alsons Power–Hidilyn Diaz (APHD) Scholarship Program delivered an impressive showing in 2025, collecting a total of 49 medals across international, regional, and national competitions, underscoring the steady rise of the next generation of Filipino lifters.
Building on that strong momentum, the young athletes are now preparing for an intensive international campaign in 2026, with appearances lined up in continental championships, world events, and multi-sport games.
Named after Olympic champion Mam Hidilyn, formally Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, the APHD Program is implemented through Alsons Power’s Zamboanga-based subsidiary, Western Mindanao Power Corporation (WMPC). By the end of 2025, the initiative will be supporting 12 scholars and is set to expand its international exposure efforts this year.
In 2025, APHD athletes competed in major global events sanctioned by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), including the Youth and Junior World Championships, as well as the Asian Weightlifting Championships and the Asian Youth and Junior Championships.
They also saw action in multi-sport meets such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games, while dominating the domestic scene with podium finishes at the Palarong Pambansa and various regional competitions across Mindanao.
Among the standout performers was Jhodie A. Peralta, who stamped her class in the youth ranks. She opened her international campaign with a two-gold sweep in the girls’ 53kg division before securing a three-gold haul in the women’s 55kg Youth category at the IWF Youth and Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru.
Peralta also made her Southeast Asian Games debut in Chonburi, Thailand, finishing fourth in the women’s 53kg class. She was the youngest member of the Philippine weightlifting team and the youngest competitor in her division.
