Baguio athlete wins first gold for the Philippines in the 2026 SEA Games

Baguio City, Philippines – A 23-year-old athlete from Baguio City opened the Philippines’ medal tally at the 2026 Southeast Asian Games, securing the country’s first gold with a standout performance in the men’s freestyle individual Poomsae event at the Fashion Island Mall in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) is a biennial multi-sport event involving athletes from 11 Southeast Asian nations. It is typically held in May, June, or November, depending on the host country’s climate, scheduling, and logistical preferences. The event is regulated by the Southeast Asian Games Federation, with supervision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Justine Kobe Macario, who traces his roots to the high mountains of the Cordillera, is a student of the University of Santo Tomas and is currently coached by Jeordan Dominguez—the last Filipino (also from Baguio) to top the event in the 2019 edition held in the Philippines—and by Rani Ortega.

In the ongoing SEA Games, Macario delivered a stellar performance, earning an 8.200 score that placed him ahead of Thailand’s Koedkaew Atchariya (8.100) and Malaysia’s Ken Haw (7.740).

To recall, the Baguio medallist had previously made a name for himself in the SEA Games, winning silver with the mixed freestyle Poomsae team in 2021 in Vietnam and bronze in 2023 in Cambodia.

Meanwhile, Macario is set to compete next in the mixed team freestyle event, where another podium finish is well within reach.

In the 2023 edition of the SEA Games, the Philippines brought home 260 medals—58 golds, 86 silvers, and 116 bronzes. Among the medalists were Baguio standouts such as Sandi Menchi Abahan, Ian Clark Bautista, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Jayson Balabal, and Claudine Veloso, among others.