CAPAS, Tarlac — Filipino athletes opened the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Philippine Athletic Championships on a high note, securing multiple gold medals during the first day of competition at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium on Wednesday, June 10.
The annual track-and-field national competition, organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), welcomes 1,015 athletes, including competitors from 10 countries such as Malaysia, Chinese-Taipei, the United States, and South Korea.
Filipino-American runner Yacine Guermali led the Philippines’ early gold rush by winning his solitary event, the men’s 5,000-meter race. Despite having barely three days to prepare, Guermali clocked 14 minutes and 15.34 seconds to secure his third consecutive victory in the event. Fellow Filipinos Sonny Wagdos (14:45:59) and Alfrence Braza (14:58:06) claimed the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
In the field events, former Southeast Asian Games long jump gold medalist Janry Ubas captured his seventh consecutive title, recording a season-best 7.61 meters on his opening attempt. Francis Kent Jardin took home the silver medal with a 7.41-meter jump.
The local contingent also dominated the throwing events. Sarah Dequinan, a bronze medalist in the women’s heptathlon at the 33rd Thailand SEA Games, bagged the women’s javelin throw gold with a 45.59-meter spear hurl before transitioning to her pet event. In the youth divisions, Ilocos Norte’s Arianna Dawn Rabi threw 10.89 meters to claim gold in the Under-18 women’s shot put, while Far Eastern University’s (FEU) Ana Bianca Espenilla topped the Under-20 javelin throw with a 45.96-meter attempt.
Philippines Athletics president Terry Capistrano previously noted that the tournament serves as a centerpiece event to showcase Filipino talent in track and field and test local athletes against international competition. Homegrown stars like SEA Games decathlon champion Hokett delos Santos, Hussein Loraña, Leonard Grospe, Clinton Kingsley Bautista, Juniel Gobotia, and Paris Olympian Lauren Hoffman are also scheduled to compete.
The 2026 edition of the championships is sponsored by ICTSI, presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and co-presented by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Group New Clark City. The sporting event will run until June 14, 2026. With reports from Joseph Mendoza and Justine Bagaoisan
