They're just a few of the athletes who brought honor to the country.
When Emilio Aguinaldo waved the Philippine flag in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, it signified the country’s freedom from Spain’s 300-year rule. For that very reason, the 12th of June has been annually celebrated as the country’s Independence Day. Over the years, the waving of the flag has become a symbol of national pride in various occasions, including the Philippines’ participation in major athletic meets.
During games, fans hold it up high as they cheer on their fellow Filipinos. But the flag’s role is more prominent during the parade of nations in prestigious international competitions.
Being chosen as a flagbearer is quite a huge deal. Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines' only Olympic gold medalist so far, once took on the responsibility of carrying the Philippine flag during the opening parade of the 2012 London Olympics.
Diaz, however, is only one among the many great Pinoy athletes who have had such honor in the world's grandest stage. On that note, we dedicate this space to other Olympic flagbearers who made the country proud.
David Nepomuceno - 1924 Paris, France
It’s hard not to give props to the OG of all OGs. Runner David Nepomuceno is the first Filipino and Southeast Asian who became an Olympian. In 1924, the eventual Far Eastern Games gold medalist was the Philippines’ lone representative in Paris, which also made him the first to wave the flag for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the Olympiad.
Jimmy Mariano - 1972 Munich, Germany
Let’s fast forward to five decades later to remember the flagbearer who also led the last Philippine basketball squad that qualified in the Olympics. Forward Jimmy Mariano proved why he deserved the honor as he averaged a team-best 13.9 points through a 3-6 win-loss record in Munich, which put the Philippines in 13th place out of 16 countries.
Eric Buhain - 1988 Seoul, South Korea
Hotshot 18-year-old swimmer Eric Buhain carried the flag for the Philippines in Seoul back in ‘88. During that period, he already won five Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medals. Later on, Buhain added eight more SEA Games golds to his collection. If ever Family Feud host Dingdong Dantes would pop out to ask who’s the best Filipino swimmer ever, Eric Buhain would likely be the top answer.
Manny Pacquiao - 2008 Beijing, China
The role of flagbearer at the Olympics is usually reserved for Olympians. But a special case was made for Manny Pacquiao who was having a special run in 2008 as a professional boxer. Coming into Beijing, the Pacman was riding an eight-fight winning streak that included thrilling victories over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, and David Diaz. He then capped of the year with a monumental triumph over boxing superstar Oscar De La Hoya.
Ian Lariba, Kirstie Alora - 2016 Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Representing the women were table tennis champion Ian Lariba and decorated Taekwondo jin Kirstie Alora. Lariba, a multiple-time UAAP MVP and Athlete of the Year awardee, rightfully held the Philippine flag in the opening of the Rio Games as she was the first Filipino paddler to ever qualify in the Olympics. Tragically, she never got a chance to follow through with her groundbreaking achievement. In 2018, the 23-year-old pride of Cagayan de Oro passed away due to leukemia.
In the closing ceremony, it was Alora’s turn to carry over the task. Back then, she was a three-time SEA Games gold medalist who made it to Rio by winning silver in a hotly contested qualifying tourney. To this day, the 33-year-old Biñan, Laguna native continues to inspire up-and-coming Filipino martial artists, especially after claiming her fourth regional crown in the 32nd edition of the biennial meet.
Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio - 2016 Tokyo, Japan
The Philippines’ best Olympic campaign inarguably came in 2016. And the country’s flagbearers for the opening and closing ceremonies in Tokyo, namely Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio, were a huge part of that success.
In total, the Philippine delegation took home four medals, including Diaz’s historic gold in the women’s 55 kg category for weightlifting. The other three wins came from boxing, wherein Marcial bagged the bronze in the middleweight division, Petecio secured silver in the women’s featherweight tournament, and Carlo Paalam finished second in the flyweight classification.
Hidilyn wasn't a gold medalist just yet when she became the flagbearer in London. Now that she has proven herself as an undisputed weightlifting queen, an encore in Paris 2024 sounds just about right.
(GM)