PUERTO PRINCESA — Undeterred by the scorching heat, De La Salle ace swimmer Philip Adrian Sahagun secured the Philippines’ first gold medal in swimming at the 11th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games held Monday morning, Dec. 2, at the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex.

Sahagun, 21, representing Team A, edged out Indonesia’s Hidayatullah Aril by a fraction of a second to win the boys’ 200m IM crown. Clocking in at 2 minutes and 13.52 seconds, Sahagun narrowly beat Aril (2:13.83) in a thrilling race. Rodolfo Apilado III, also from Team A, claimed bronze with a time of 2:20.82.

“I didn’t expect to win kasi two weeks ago kakagaling ko lang ng UAAP and I didn’t have [enough] time to prepare for this kasi gusto ko rin po makapag-hinga. One week po ako walang training at all,” said the third-year BS Entrepreneurship student.

“Pero ang mindset ko lang is swim for the Philippines. No’ng last lap, medyo nakaramdam po ako ng sakit ng katawan pero nakita ko po ‘yong kalaban ko na humahabol kaya i-push ko na. Ando’n na po ako sa una kaya sabi ko ‘di ko na po ibibigay ’tong gold,” he added.

Hours later, Sahagun earned his second gold medal alongside his teammates in the 4×100 boys’ freestyle relay. The team clocked an impressive 3 minutes and 44.05 seconds, leaving Malaysia’s Team B (3:50.05) and Indonesia (3:55.73) trailing behind.

Up next for the two-time UAAP bronze medalist are the 200m IM, 200m backstroke, 100m backstroke, and the 4x100m medley events.

On the women’s side, Ateneo’s Lorah Micah Amoguis also delivered a stellar performance, clinching gold in her specialty, the girls’ 200m IM, with a time of 2 minutes and 30.73 seconds. Despite battling shoulder fatigue, the BS Life Sciences freshman dedicated her victory to her country and loved ones.

“I’m very glad na ito ang first gold ko, ‘tong pet event ko, and I dedicated this to the country,” said Amoguis. “This is for my coaches, parents, and my family po.”

Other Filipino swimmers who captured gold medals include June Pearl Dagano (girls’ 100m freestyle), John Michael Catamco (boys’ 50m butterfly), and Maglia Jaye Dignadice (girls’ 50m butterfly).

In athletics, Berdard Ganancial secured gold in the men’s discus with a throw of 33.95 meters. Jhonmark Sedoripa (33.14m) and Lunasco Alabado (32.58m) took silver and bronze, respectively.

In the women’s shot put, Aliia Tricia Badajos (9.53m) and Jerlyn Grace Crismundo (9.25m) settled for silver and bronze behind Malaysia’s Daniella Jimil, who threw 10.25 meters to claim gold.

The Philippines continues to dominate key events in the competition, showcasing the strength and determination of its athletes.