Filipino figure skater Maxine Bautista. Handout/SM Skating
MANILA – The Philippine Skating Union is hopeful the country's skaters will perform well on the ice at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand next month.
PHSU President Nikki Cheng said the Philippines will be fielding 12 representatives for figure skating and speed skating in the regional showcase.
"For me, as long as they perform how they perform today, they are in the running for a podium finish and even a gold medal," she told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine National Figure Skating Championships last week.
"If we see the performance of Southeast Asian countries in the recent Asian Winter Games earlier this year, the Philippines actually ranks the highest. So I hope that they perform clean programs and for sure, we were going to have a podium finish," Cheng added.
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The country's representatives in figure skating will be led by two-time Nationals champion Maxine Bautista and Nationals champion Paolo Borromeo.
"It's so amazing because I know how it's very important to Southeast Asian countries. It's really an honor to be selected for it," Bautista said.
"I'll go home, keep training. I think I might do one more competition before that one just to kinda prep for it. Yeah same thing, just keep training and prepare for it," she added.
Borromeo finished 11th in the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China last February.
"I'm very excited. Earlier this year, we did the Asian Winter Games, and that was what I had actually felt like the best so far. And I hope I can kind of tap back into that rhythm for the SEA Games also," Borromeo said.
Both figure skaters admit there is pressure heading into their first SEA Games.
Filipino figure skater Paolo Borromeo. Handout/SM Skating
"I feel like there definitely is a little pressure with that just because the whole country is watching. Knowing how important it is to everyone having representatives there. I'll just take that pressure and use it and try to perform my best," Bautista said.
"I think the pressure is more just self-imposed rather than something that because there's someone else has said. More for myself. I feel like maybe unnecessarily I put a lot of pressure on myself, but because I know what I'm capable of, I just really, really want to show that," Borromeo shared.
Nationals silver medalists Cathryn Limketkai and Brandon Baldoz will also be competing for the Philippines in figure skating.
"I'm super excited. I've skated in Thailand in previous competitions and I really enjoy competitions they host, it's always really fun. So I'm excited that SEA Games is going to be there and I'm excited to compete among other fellow Southeast Asian countries," Limketkai said.
The Canada-based figure skater said she looks to have a better showing after her last competition in Thailand.
"I want to skate the best I can and to the best of my ability I don't like to put expectations of podium finishes or placements because I know if I perform the best I can it will show in the scores," she said.
"My last competition there was not the best. It was my first international outing so I'm excited to go there again and compete with myself one more time," Limketkai said.
Filipino figure skater Cathryn Limketkai. Handout/SM Skating
As for Baldoz, he's set on winning gold in his debut in the regional showcase.
"I'm honored. You know my family, they're humble from Ilocos Norte but they're proud of me. And they're so, they're so proud of me," he said.
"I want to win. I'm going to go home. I'm going to train. I'm going to fix my knee, but I'm going to, I want to win," Baldoz added.
Bautista and Limketkai will compete at the Bosphorus Cup 2025 from November 24 to 30 in Istanbul, Turkey.
GROSECLOSE TO BANNER SPEED SKATING TEAM
Cheng is likewise upbeat with the country's chances of speed skating, where there will be four male skaters and four female skaters.
Winter Youth Olympian Peter Groseclose banners the men's team, which also includes Hans Buemio, Sunphil Zablan and Jhan Cyruz Asuncion.
"Speed skating is also a very high chance for both men, especially for Peter Groseclose. He's also the fastest Southeast Asian for short track speed skating," Cheng said.
The PHSU chief said Groseclose is vying for a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.
"He is on his way to his third World Tour event. We have high hopes for this kid, he's 18 years old. Last year, he participated in the Youth Olympics and placed fifth. So he is our frontrunner and we see he is the strongest in Southeast Asia for speed skating. So we're very hopeful for a gold medal," she said of Groseclose.
The women's team will be composed of Shaelynn Bolos, Xsandrie Guimba, Ethelmae Saguitan and Caitlyn Benitez.
"For women's, admittedly, this is a new team somehow because we have been lacking women's skaters for short track speed skating. So we pulled in retired skaters and even hockey players that shifted to speed skating and figure skaters that shifted to speed skating. So this is actually a very good transition plan as well because mabilis development nila," Cheng explained.
The PHSU said training for the country's skaters are ongoing mostly overseas, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Apart from figure skating and speed skating, ice hockey will also be staged during the SEA Games which will be held from December 9 to 20 in Thailand.