Senator Robinhood "Robin" C. Padilla has congratulated the young Filipino athletes who brought glory to the Philippines by bagging top prizes in recent international competitions in Muay Thai and Pencak Silat.
In Senate Resolution 612, Padilla lauded Islay Erika Bomogao, an Igorot warrior from Cordillera, who became the first Filipina Muay Thai World Champion at the 2023 IFMA Senior World Championship by topping the senior female elite 45-kg category and winning silver in the senior female Wai Kru (boxing dance) category.
"This is not the first time Bomogao has proven her tenacity inside the Muay Thai ring before the international arena. In 2017, she bagged a gold medal in the first World Martial Arts Masterships in Jincheon, South Korea, before her phenomenal triumph at the IFMA World Youth Muay Thai Championship in Thailand in 2018. Bomogao also managed to bring home a silver medal in the 2019 East Asian Muay Thai Championships," Padilla said.
Padilla chairs the Senate committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs.
He, likewise, commended and congratulated other young Filipino Muay Thai fighters for their victory in the 2023 International Federation of Muay Thai Associations Senior World Championships last May 3 to 13, including:
* Rhichien Yosorez and Alyssa Kylie Mallari (gold in the under-23 female Mai Muay category
* Johnden Aldana Jr. (silver in the senior male 18-24 Wai Kru category
* April Joy La Madrid (silver in the under-23 female Wai Kru category) and
* Adelle Vinscent Rosales and LJ Rafael Yasay (silver in the under-23 male Mai Muay; Yasay also snatched bronze in the senior male 51-kg category)
"The remarkable achievements of these young athletes serve as empowering icons and source of inspiration to young Filipino athletes to strive in the field of sports... The sense of patriotism and devotion of our Muay Thai fighters to our country through sports bring immense glory and pride to the Filipino people," Padilla said.
Meanwhile, Padilla filed Senate Bill 613, commending and congratulating the Philippine Sports Association Inc. (Philsilat) and the Pencak Silat athletes and coaches who consistently bring honor to the country in international competitions. Pencak Silat is an ethnic martial arts sport influenced by indigenous culture, religion and sports in the Southern Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia.
Padilla noted Philsilat had received global recognition in international competitions including one gold medal and six bronze medals in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur; four bronze medals in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta; and one gold, two silver and one bronze in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.
In the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2022, the Philippine team brought home the first gold medal for the Philippines after Mary Francine Padios topped the pencak silat's women's seni (artistic or form) tunggal single.
The team also won in the 19th World Championships 2022 (two silver, six bronze); and one gold, two silver and six bronze in the 6th Asian Pencak Silat Championships 2022 in India.
The Philippine team, likewise, bagged 10 medals - two gold, two silver and six bronze - in the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship last Feb. 27 to March 5.
"The Philippine National Pencak Silat Team deserves the highest commendation for consistently showcasing exemplary performance and sports excellence that bring pride and inspiration to the Filipino people," Padilla said.