Last Updated on July 19, 2021 by OJ Maño
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics fast approaching, the whole nation supports our Filipino athletes competing in various sporting events. The Philippines will send 19 athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that will be staged from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan. #WeWinAsOne
Generous benefactors like Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corporation and Manny V. Pangilinan of the MVP Group have committed monetary incentives for podium finishers.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino has confirmed that Olympic gold medallists will get a total of P30 million; silver medallists, P15 million, and bronze medallists, P6 million each.
We enjoin the nation in praying for the success of our Olympians in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Good luck, Yuka and Bianca! Good luck to all Filipino athletes! May you bring home the bacon. We are rooting for you!
Filipino Athletes going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
| Sport | Filipino Athletes |
| Athletics – Women’s 200 m | Kristina Marie Knott |
| Athletics – Men’s Pole Vault | Ernest Obiena |
| Boxing – Men’s flyweight | Carlo Paalam |
| Boxing – Men’s middleweight | Eumir Marcial |
| Boxing – Women’s flyweight | Irish Magno |
| Boxing – Women’s featherweight | Nesthy Petecio |
| Golf – Men’s Division | Juvic Pagunsan |
| Golf – Women’s Division | Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan |
| Gymnastics – Men’s All-around | Carlos Yulo |
| Judo – Women’s 63 kg | Kiyomi Watanabe |
| Rowing – Men’s single sculls | Cris Nievarez |
| Shooting – Men’s air rifle 10-meter | Jason Valdez |
| Skateboarding – Women’s street | Margielyn Didal |
| Swimming – Men’s 50 & 100-meter freestyle events | Luke Gebbie |
| Swimming – women’s 100 & 200-meter butterfly events | Remedy Rule |
| Taekwondo – Men’s 58 kg | Kurt Barbosa |
| Weightlifting – Women’s 55 kg | Hidilyn Diaz |
| Weightlifting – Women’s 64 kg | Elreen Ando |
Bulakenya Athletes going to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
This year’s Olympics will be special as have 2 pretty Bulakenya golfers swinging their way to winning a medal for the country. Our kababayan Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan officially secured their slots to the Tokyo Olympics. Yes, both golfers have Bulakenya blood running in their veins.
Yuka was born in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, to a Japanese father and a Filipina mother. On the other hand, Bianca has Bulacan roots. She is related to the Pagdanganans of Calumpit and her maternal great-grandfather is from Baliuag.
Read Bulakenya golfers Saso and Pagdanganan qualify for Tokyo Olympics
List of Filipino Athletes who are Olympic Medallists
There are 9 Filipino athletes (so far) who have won an Olympic medal for the country ever since we first joined the quadrennial international multi-sport event in 1928. We have won a combined 3 silver and 7 bronze medals for the Philippines.
| Olympics | Sports Event | Medal | Name |
| Rio 2016 Summer Olympics | Weightlifting – Women’s 53 kg | Silver | Hidilyn Diaz |
| Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics | Boxing – Men’s light-flyweight | Silver | Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. |
| Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics | Boxing – Men’s light-flyweight | Bronze | Roel Velasco |
| 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics | Boxing – Men’s light-flyweight | Bronze | Leopoldo Serantes |
| 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics | Boxing – Men’s featherweight | Silver | Anthony Villanueva |
| 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics | Athletics – Men’s 400-meter hurdles | Bronze | Miguel S. White |
| Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics | Boxing – Men’s bantamweight | Bronze | José Luis Villanueva |
| Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics | Athletics – Men’s high jump | Bronze | Simeon Galvez Toribio |
| Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics | Swimming – 200-meter breaststroke | Bronze | Teófilo E. Yldefonso |
| Amsterdam 1928 Summer Olympics | Swimming – 200-meter breaststroke | Bronze | Teófilo E. Yldefonso |
The most bemedaled Filipino olympian is Teófilo E. Yldefonso with 2 bronze medals under his name. He won in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Games in 1928 and 1932. He is a legendary swimmer, was known as the “Ilocano Shark,” and named “The Father of the Modern Breaststroke” by transforming the motion of the breaststroke form or biomechanics. He was a World War II hero as well.
The legendary father and son boxers José Luis Villanueva and Anthony Villanueva gave the country silver and bronze medals. Similarly, the Velasco brothers, Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. and Roel Velasco, also won silver and bronze medals. Being a champion runs in the family indeed.