Name: Reginio Ylana (7 September 1889 – 1963)

Birthdate: September 07, 1889

Origin: Born in Bogo, Cebu, Ylanan attended at Cebu City high school and

played baseball for the institution as a catcher. He continued to play the sport

while studying to be a doctor at the University of the Philippines College of

Medicine. Reaching his twenties, he enjoyed his first experience of high-level

sport in 1911 when he was named in the all-Filipino national baseball team as

a center fielder. Despite his early baseball success, it was in track and field

that Ylanan made his impact as an athlete.

Achievements: He was a Filipino athlete, physician, sports administrator,

physical educator, and sports historian. He rose to fame with three gold

medals in track and field at the 1913 Far Eastern Championship Games in

Manila. He won two further medals at the 1915 Games and also represented

his country in baseball at three editions of the tournament. He was a founder

of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the Philippines in 1924. A

doctor of medicine and surgeon by training, in 1930 he became the first

Filipino to gain a physical education degree from the United States. At age 30

he was appointed head of physical education at the University of the

Philippines – the country's first and most prestigious university. He later

served as national sports director and was a long-standing secretary-

treasurer for the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (a forerunner to the

national Olympic committee). He coached David Nepomuceno—the country's

first Olympian in 1928—and was the Filipino head of delegation for the 1936

Berlin Olympics. Ylanan helped develop sports in the Philippines, with a focus

on Western sports such as baseball, basketball and track and field. He

developed a national sports program, assisted in the building of the Rizal

Memorial Sports Complex and wrote several works on sport, including a book

which was posthumously published.

2. Name: Elma Muros

Birthdate: January 14, 1967

Origin: Born in the town of Magdiwang, Romblon in Sibuyan Island. She is

the 6th eldest child in a brood of nine. Her mother is a former athlete who

competed in the 400-meter sprint in her youth. She attended the Roosevelt

College in Rizal under a scholarship granted by then Rizal governor Isidro

Rodriguez. Later on, she was granted a scholarship in University of Baguio,

then soon after transferred out to Far Eastern University.

Achievements: Elma was known as the "Long Jump Queen" of the

Philippines and a heptathlon champion, is a former member of the Philippine

Track and Field National Team and now a legend in Philippine track and field

history who specialized in long jump. She also competed in the heptathlon,

100m and 400m hurdles, 100m, 200m, and 400m sprint alongside the "Sprint

Queen" of the Philippines and also fellow legend, Lydia de Vega. Elma is one

of the foremost track and field athletes produced by the Philippines under the

Marcos Regime's National Sports Program, Gintong Alay, that was launched in

1979.

3. Name: Genaro Saavedra

Birthdate: 1895

Origin: While at high school in Ambos Camarines, Saavedra was trained by a

Nebraskan sports coach, Clinton “Doc” Fehliman,[1] who taught for six years

In the country during its era of American influence. Although primarily

Interested in American football, Fehliman trained Saavedra in a variety track

And field sports as an all-round athlete. This training paid off on Saavedra’s

Major international debut at the 1915 Far Eastern Championship Games held

In Shanghai – the second edition of Asia’s first major multi-sport event.

Achievements: Saavedra proved to be the star athlete for the Philippines at

The competition: he won the 100-yard dash, pole vault, high jump and the

Decathlon. He also took a bronze medal in the long jump. This helped lead the

Philippines to its second straight athletics championship title. Fehliman

Deemed Saavedra the “Jim Thorpe of the Orient”, given his success across

Disciplines. Saavedra returned to represent his country at the 1917 Far

Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo. He was less successful at this

Competition, but still came away with multiple medals in the form of a long

Jump silver (behind fellow Filipino C. Cardenas) and a bronze in the decathlon.

The Philippines team won a third title, helped by Fortunato Catalon’s sprint

Double, although the nation was equal on gold medals with the hosts on this

Occasion. His last major appearance was the 1919 Manila Games, where he
Was the long jump bronze medallist. Saavedra’s four titles in Far Eastern

Competitions ranked him as one of the tournament’s most successful track

Athletes: only Catalon, Mikio Oda and Regino Ylanan won as many individual

Golds in the competition’s history. Saavedra was the only person to have won

Far Eastern Championship Games gold medals in four separate disciplines.

4. Name: Fortunato Catalon

Birthdate: October 14, 1897

Origin: Born in Tolosa, Leyte, Catalon came from a family of rural farmers. He

Took up sports at Leyte High School, but failed in his initial attempts to join

The school’s track team. He took up baseball, but his talents for getting

Quickly to the bases were noticed and he began to train as a sprinter. A short

Man, his advantage over his rivals was that he was a quick starter. At a time

When sprinting technique was less defined, Catalon, like most of his national

Peers—used to raise his arms in the air and push his chest forwards when
Crossing the finish line (as opposed to the lean-in technique which later

Became common). Catalon studied into his twenties and eventually received

A college diploma from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He had a

Family, including two daughters – Gloria and Jovita.

Achievements: He established himself as Asia’s top sprinter at the age of

Nineteen by completing a double in the 100-yard dash and the 220-yard dash

At the 1917 Far Eastern Championship Games in Tokyo. The third edition of

The competition, he continued Filipino dominance in the sprints, becoming the

Second man to win that double (after Pio Robillos’ wins in 1913) and

Succeeding teammates Genaro Saavedra and Nicolas Llaneta from the 1915

Tournament. Fortunato’s winning time of 10.0 seconds in the 100 yards was a

New games record while his time of 23.8 seconds in the 220 yards was two

Tenths off Robillos tournament best. He returned to defend his title at the

1919 Manila Games and successfully did so by equaling his 100-yard record

And bettering his 220-yard time to 23.0 seconds. Catalon continued his
Success at the Far Eastern Championship Games with two further successive

Sprint doubles at the 1921 Shanghai Games and then the 1923 Manila

Games. A 220-yard games record of 22.2 seconds came at the latter edition.

A run of 9.8 seconds in March 1923 ranked him sixth in the world rankings for

The 100-yd dash that year. Upon meeting him while touring the Philippines,

World record holder Charley Paddock of the United States called Catalon a

Ending a Philippines team for the first time for the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Catalon was entered for the men’s Olympic 100 meters and 200 meters,

Being drawn alongside America’s Paddock in the former, but did not attend

The games or start in those events. Catalon won a fifth straight title in the

100 meters, he was beaten into second place by Nepomuceno in the 200

Meters. This brought Catalon’s tally of individual medals at the competition to

Nine – a record in the athletics section by a margin of two (over Mikio Oda’s

Seven eventual titles). Following his retirement, he became an official in the

Sport, acting as a race starter. His first major event in this role was at the
1934 Far Eastern Championship Games in Manila, where his compatriot

Rafael de Leon became the last ever Far Eastern 100 meters champion. He

Was the starter for the 100 m final for the 1954 Asian Games, also held in

Manila, and his lenient starting approach favored Genaro Cabrera – the

Filipino silver medalist. He was touted as a potential early 20 th century

Candidate for admission into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.

5. Name: David Nepomuceno (May 9, 1900 – September 27, 1939)

Birthdate: May 9, 1900

Origin: David Nepomuceno, from the Albay province, was the first Olympian

From the Philippines and the country’s only competitor at the 1924 Paris

Olympics.

Achievements: Together with fellow countryman Fortunato Catalon, he was

A world class sprinter in the mid-1920s. In Paris, however, Nepomuceno did

Not advance from the heats in either event, 100 m and 200 m. His best year
Was 1925, when he won gold in the 200 m and silver in the 100 m (behind

Catalon) and achieved a personal best in the 100 m only two tenths of a

Second short of the Charley Paddock’s world record. At the 1927 Far Eastern

Games, Nepomuceno took gold in the 100 m and bronze in the 200 m, when

Anselmo Gonzaga became the new star in the dash. Nepomuceno served

With the Philippine Scouts in the United States Navy and died on duty in

1939.

6. Name: Simeon Toribio (September 3, 1905 -June 5, 1969)

Birthdate: September 3, 1905

Origin: Simeon Toribio was born on the island of Bohol after his parents

Moved there from Zamboanga. He joined the school’s track and field team by

Chance, but soon improved his skills to compete on a national level. Toribio

Enrolled in the Siliman University in Dumaguete to study science earning

Some extra money by working in the university’s furniture shop. During the

War, he was active in an underground army and narrowly escaped being

Arrested by the Japanese Military Police. The Japanese officer saw one of his

Souvenirs from a competition presented to him by the Japanese Emperor, and

Because of that and the fact that it was the emperor’s birthday, Toribio was

Released. He later became an acknowledged civil engineer and Congressional

Representative for the province of Bohol in the Parliament of the Philippines

From 1941-53. As a sports administrator, he served as vice president of the

Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation from 1955 to 1959.

Achievements: Jumping a new national record of 1.85 m, he became the

Best high jumper in the country and dominated this event well into the

1930s. Toribio was also an excellent triple jumper. In 1927, he took his first

International title winning the high jump at the Far Eastern Games and

Defended the title at the 1930 and 1934 editions of the Games. At the 1928

Amsterdam Olympics, Toribio placed fourth missing the bronze medal only in

A jump-off. Earlier that year, he had cleared 1.95 m for another national
Record. In 1930, Toribio achieved his personal best of 2.00 m. The year of

1932 was to become a memorable one when he claimed bronze at the 1932

“champion of champions”. His feats encouraged interest in the country of