ERNIE Gawilan launched the Philippines’ gold medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Para Games in emphatic fashion, capturing his third consecutive gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 on Monday, October 19.

The veteran Filipino para swimmer clocked four minutes, 56.72 seconds to retain his continental crown, extending his dominance in the event and delivering the country’s first gold medal in the ongoing competition.

China’s Zhang Yilong settled for silver in 5:01.36, while Singapore’s Toh Wei Soong took bronze in 5:24.23.

Gawilan finished 4.64 seconds ahead of Zhang, completing the eight-lap race with enough of a cushion to secure another major triumph for Team Philippines.

The victory reinforced the Davao City native’s status as one of the country’s leading para swimming figures, adding another milestone to a career marked by sustained success in international competition.

Gawilan also struck gold in the same event at the previous Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, held in 2023, where he collected two medals. Aside from defending his 400m freestyle S7 title, he earned bronze in the men’s 200m individual medley SM7.

His latest victory comes as the Philippines seeks another productive campaign in the fifth edition of the Asian Para Games, which runs from October 18 to 24 across Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan.

The Philippine delegation is composed of 69 para-athletes competing in 11 sports, including para swimming, athletics, badminton, cycling, powerlifting, table tennis, taekwondo, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair fencing.

The country is aiming for four to five gold medals, according to Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo. The target comes amid a major challenge: chess, which accounted for eight of the Philippines’ 10 gold medals in the previous edition, is not included in this year’s program.

Gawilan’s opening-day triumph therefore provides an important boost to the national team’s campaign as Filipino athletes pursue medals against Asia’s top para-sport competitors.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games feature athletes from 45 national Paralympic committees competing in 18 sports, with the competition set to conclude on October 24.