Philippines Passports a must – Fil Heritage

No Philippines Passports Fil-Heritage Athletes = NO RANKING NO RECORDS

I have been getting a lot of queries from athletes about what they need to represent the Philippines.

This article will save me a lot of time from having to relay repetitive generic information.

Our National Sports Association, Philippine Track and Field Association (PATAFA).

To make the system transparent Fil-Heritage Athletes Philippine Passports now the criteria for rankings, records, and representation.

Furthermore, the representation of the Philippines is up to the selection decision of the PATAFA.

Just obtaining a Fil-Heritage Athletes Philippine Passports will automatically mean the athlete will represent the Philippines at International meets.

Please forward a scanned copy to [email protected]. Philippine Passports.

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Fil-Heritage athletes must present a Filipino Passport to be eligible for the following.

1. Any Filipino Record or Filipino Junior Record that they surpass.
2. Representation for the Philippines, if they meet the performance qualification criteria.
3. Inclusion into the Annual Ranking Lists if they exceed the standards required.

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Anyone serious about representing the Philippines will obtain a Philippine Passport to do so.

It takes around 3-6 weeks and costs around $100-200 USD/AUD.

I do not guarantee that all overseas Fil-Heritage athletes will be eligible for a Philippine Passport.

Please note the minimum performance times if you will contact [email protected] to be on the Ranking List.

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Filipino by Blood – What is wrong with Half Filpino’s representing the Philippines?

Naysayers on Facebook

What is wrong if Kristina Knott is half Filipino?

She works very hard to be where she is and represent the country. I respect both Lydia and Kristina Knott, but those are different eras.

Kristina Knott is also Filipino by blood.

It disappoints me quite a bit to see Kristina Knott’s recent 11.27 Philippine National and southeast Asian Record comments.

In which she recently broke the legendary mark set by Lydia De Vega of 11.28. While a lot of people cheered her on, the naysayers had their say as well.  

Comments like

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“She is not Pinoy”

“Lydia De Vega was purebred Pinay. Not a mix”

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Surfaced in response to Pinoyathletics posts on Knott’s recent achievements despite being Filipino by blood.

For the record, Yes, Kristina Knott is half Pinoy, so Filipino by blood. Her mother, Rizalina Lamb Cayetano, is Filipino from Cavite, the Philippines, moving to the United States in 1976.

Knott, as she has a Filipino mother by international rules and Philippine sports rules, is eligible to represent the Philippines, which she has been doing the last few years.

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Filipino by Blood A Question of Race?

 

If being pure Filipino is the topic here, historically speaking.

Filipinos are product of all the races that came to our countries since time immemorial.

Scientifically and historically there is no such thing as “pure race” hence the same thing with the concept of “Pure Filipinos”.

Kahit sa constitution ay malinaw kung sino ang Filipino.

Says Pinoyathletics Co-Founder Airnel Abarra.

I mean, a lot of Filipino’s have Spanish Surnames already.

My ancestors on my maternal grandfather’s side came from the Netherlands, possibly of Jewish Origin.

Before settling in the Ilocos Regions.

On my maternal grandmother’s side, they had some Chinese ancestors. 

Please note the Philippines has not resorted to Athletics to the steps taken by Middle Eastern Countries of importing/buying athletes who have no Heritage from the countries they are representing.

Middle Eastern countries get Kenyan, Morrocan, Ethiopian, Jamaican, Nigerian athletes in their Track and Field squads.

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Filipino by Blood – My Own Take on this

Having been a sprinter myself, what everyone else sees’s is only the tip of the iceberg the success.

All the sacrifices, sweat, and barriers are easy to overlook.

Even though I had different origins, my father was British; my mum was Ilocano Filipino.

I grew up in New Zealand.

I can sympathize that she even went and lived with the Filipino Track Athletes in the Philippines and trained with them.

As that is what I did about 15-20 years ago.

Although I was nowhere near the same level of achievements as Knott.

Some of the best friends and memories you will ever make are in those dugouts under the oval.

Below is Comments on Reddit on this Subject

Filipino by Blood – What is wrong with Half Filpino’s representing the Philippines? | Pinoyathletics.info
by u/pinoyathletics in Philippines

Early Days of Fil-Heritage athletes in Philippine Athletics

Fil-Heritage athletes are nothing new in the National Team. Firstly I coined the term Fil-Heritage in 2013 when I was working for the PSC.

And has most things or Ideas I come up with.

Adopting the term widely by the Filipino Athletic Community.

If we think way back to 1936, Miguel White, the Olympic Bronze medalist whose half American blood gave him a height of 5’11, was tall in those days for a 400 Hurdler.

White was the last Filipino to win a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Defending the Philippines from the Japanese in 1942, Miguel White died.

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Josephine De la Vina, the Greatest Female Track and Field Athlete of All Time

It was many years later, in the 1960s, a tall 6’0 Visayan athlete named Josephine De la Vina, who had a Mexican father, became our greatest ever Female athlete making 11th in the final of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. 

To this very day, De La Vina Philippines national records in the Discus have stood for 55 and 49 years, respectively, with nobody even getting anywhere near close.

Big Jo’s national record of 54.71m would still have landed her silver in the 2019 SEA Games 48 years later.

Jo grew up in the Philippines and was part of the now-forgotten Fructosa Soriano powerhouse Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) team, which dominated Philippines women athletics in the 1960s. 

The late great Josephine Dela Vina, who was inducted upon the Nomination of Pinoyathletics to the PSC Hall of Fame a few years ago, famously said this.

“Every time I’d win in an international meet, tears would fill my eyes when the Philippine tri-color was hoisted and the band played the National Anthem.

Although my father is Mexican I believe I should remain a Filipino. I am proud to be one.”

There were several talented Fil-Heritage athletes before Gintong Alay, such as Bobby Moore.

But none of them to the same level as De La Vina.

Take into account though the Philippines didn’t join the SEA Games until 1977.

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Second Wave

It wasn’t until the late 1980s and early 90s  a new set of Fil-Heritage athletes emerged.

This all started with ‘The Juice’ Luis Juico, who showed promising talent at an early age, winning 2 silvers at the SEA Games in High Jump and setting a Phi Junior Record of 2.16m that still has not been broken since 1987.

Juico was followed a few years later by two friends from the United States, Bruce Ventura and Edward Lasquete.

Bruce held the Phi Record in the Shotput for many years before Baguio’s Eliezer Sunang broke his mark a few times.

Lasquete went onto win 3 gold medals at SEA Games and qualify for the Olympics, holding the Philippine Pole vault record for many years before EJ Obiena broke it. 

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Third Wave

The next big revival of FIlams did not come until 2005 via Jerry Cablayan and Jim Apelar, who set up an earlier version of the Fil-Heritage program. Bringing over 15 Fil Americans to the 2004 National Open.

Of this batch, 2 of the 15 were good enough to win SEA Games medals.

The shock continued.

When Kashus Perona defeated SEA Games Champion Ernie Candelario of Iloilo and Jimar Aing (2005 SEA Games Champion).

The 6’1 Perona was of mixed origin with Filipino-Heritage.

At the SEA Games in 2005, Perona was not selected for 100m, and Aing and Candelario went 1-2.

He did, however, join the 4×400 and helped the team, which also included Julius Nierras, to win a Gold  Medal.

In that team, Deborah Samson held the Philippine women’s pole vault record for many years.

 

The revival of Fil-Heritage Athletes in the National Team

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There has been a deluge of Fil-Heritage athletes representing the Philippines. This is nothing new. 

The revival really came in 2013 when Eric Cray contacted me after he had been largely ignored by the PATAFA on their old multiply site in 2012.

I contacted the aging Benjamin Silva Netto, the secretary General of PATAFA, to seek his help with Eric.

After persuading Eric, I wasn’t trying to scam him.

He finally presented me with a copy of his Filipino passport I passed onto the PATAFA.

Doing all this before I even started working for the PSC.

I took a real risk helping Eric Cray.

I didn’t have the resources to back him.

And I knew it would be a huge blow to my reputation if this didn’t go well. 

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Hit and Miss

In fact, several things could not have gone well.

He could have flopped and not performed well.

Doing my research, I could see Eric’s best time of 50.46, passing the Philippine 400m Record.

One thing I noted with Eric is compared to any other FIl-Heritage athlete I worked with. Eric had the biggest culture shock.

He was born in Olongapo but had not been in the Philippines since he was 3 years old. He really did not have any memories of the place.

And he was very uncomfortable with his surroundings.

I admit those early days were very tough for Eric and me.

And involved a lot of shouting matches between him and me.

Me and sports officials. And Eric and sports officials.

At stages, Eric probably felt like just jumping back on the plane and going back to the United States.

Leaving this terrible situation, he was clearly not very well prepared for.

Fortunately, we had some backing from the PSC to help later on, even though it was still a struggle to keep everyone happy.

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The Pioneer

It was really Eric that paved the way. He went onto win 4 SEA Games titles becoming the greatest Hurdler in SEA Games History, an Asian Championships medal, Break the national record of Renato Unso several times from 51.26 to eventually 48.98 from 2013 to 2016, and also not just an Olympic qualifier but made the semi-final in the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Not to mention his records in other events. Including his EPIC 100m Gold Medal at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore in 10.25.

Which I will never forget for the rest of my life. 

I left the PSC in 2015, having helped Eric. Trenten Beram was the last Fil-Heritage athlete I lent my assistance to but then had to pass the responsibility onto PATAFA as I no longer had the resources to help with his passport at that stage.

I feel that Eric Cray really was the pioneer here. He really paved the way for giving opportunities for a group of Fil-Heritage athletes to represent the country. 

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And the Rest

Jessica Barnard (2013,2015 3k Steeples phi record), Caleb Stuart (phi/sea record Hammer 2015)

Donovant Ariola Grant (2015 Long Jump phi indoor record), Kayla Richardson (2015 100 phi jr record, 200, 2017 4×1, 2019 4×1), Beram (2017 200 phi record/400), Kyla Richardson (2017 4×1, 2019 4×1 phi record ), Zion Nelson (2017 4×1), William Morrison (2019 Shotput phi/sea record), Carter Lily (2019 800, Nat Record), Natalie Uy (2019 Pole Vault), Robyn Brown (2019 400H, 4×4), Knott (2019 100,200 SEA/Phi record). Along with others who set Phi and Phi Junior Records. I would have found it difficult if Eric Cray had not paved the way.  

Knott even said in an interview with Pinoyathletics co-Founder Airnel Abarra. Eric Cray helped her a lot with moral support and guidance in the early days. Along with her 2 coaches Griffin and Buzzichelli. 

In Conclusion

Encouraging open discussion and allowing everyone to have an opinion is encouraged by Pinoyathletics.

Ridiculing someone because of their origins is a personal attack.

While I do respect well-researched arguments, I draw the line at personal attacks.

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Ranking List Criteria (top 20) (Might be updated soon)

Women’s/ Mens *TO BE UPDATED.

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Fil-Heritage Program

At the last SEA Games Fil-Heritage (Filipino blood athletes), two new faces ended two very long droughts in athletic events.

Olongapo has born Eric Shauwn Cray, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. Became the fourth Filipino ever to win the SEA Games title in the 400m Hurdles. He ended a gold-medal drought of 28 years, restoring the historic 400m Hurdle title made popular by Renato Unso in the 80s to the Philippines.

Cebu-born Jessica Lyn Barnard, a graduate of Long Beach State in Los Angeles, became the first Filipina ever to medal in the Women’s 3000m Steeples in the process of jogging to a new national record of 11.04.84.

The success of Barnard, 23, and Cray, 25, brought honor to the Philippines. In 2013 we saw the emergence of a new breed of athletes, both local and Fil-heritage.

Through the ranks, these fresh faces helped fill the void left by the Athletes of the famous ‘Go Teng Kok’ army, who are one by one retiring due to age.

While the contribution of Fil-Heritage athletes in athletics is nothing new.

Some of the names listed below brought the sport to milestones

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Fil-American Miguel White 400 Hurdles (1936 Olympic bronze medalist one of only two Olympic medalists in athletics).

White even died fighting for the Philippines against the Japanese in World War II.

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Fil-Mexican Josephine Dela Vina (1966 Asian Games Champion and 1973 Asian Track and Field Champion, one of only 3 athletes to win both, and the longest-serving record holder since 1965 junior record Discus and 1971 senior record in Discus).

Dela Vina’s throws are still good enough to win the SEA Games today, and they were done over 40 years ago.

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Fil-American Edward Lasquete, an Olympian and three times SEA Games gold medalists from 1991 to 1995 in the Pole Vault, is the most successful in recent memory. 

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Perona Sacrifices his 400 spots to help the Team.

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Kashus Perona, also of Long Beach State, helped the Philippines won the gold medal in the 4x400m in 2005; he teamed with arguably the greatest all-round 4×400 relay team in the countries history.

He teamed with three athletes who were SEA Games 400m Champions Ernie Candelario (2001, 2003), Jimar Aing (2005), and Julius Nierras (2007).

Perona could have been a SEA Games champion himself but, in true sportsmanship, ended up conceding the spots in the individual events to the others.

Perona had actually beaten Candelario and Aing at the 400m in the 2004 National Open and had the best time of 46.21, which ranks second on the all-time lists.

Deborah Samson won silver for the Philippines in the Pole Vault in 2007 and still holds the national record.

While many Fil-Heritage athletes have since expressed interest, it’s a meticulous process that requires thorough analysis making sure they can at least win a medal at SEA Games.

In the past, there have been Fil-Heritage athletes who were sent and failed to bring back any medals at entry international level aka.

SEA Games level and some who gave much higher expectations than they ended up capable of.

Now Another athlete has emerged who can win an event we have never won before at SEA Games. Stay tuned more on this athlete tomorrow……………..

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Fil-Heritage athletes that currently hold Phi Records

As of 18th October 2020,

By Andrew Pirie ATFS Vice President

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MENS

1. Eric Cray
   1. Outdoor 100m, 400 Hurdles I
   2. Indoor 50m, 60m, 200m, 60m Hurdles
2. Trenten Anthony Beram
   1. Outdoor 200m 
   2. Indoor 400m
3. Carter Lilly
   1.  Outdoor 800m
   2.  Indoor 600m, 800m, 1600m
4. Caleb Stuart Hammer
5. William Morrison
   1.  Outdoor Shotput
   2. Indoor Shotput
6. Tyler Ruiz Indoor High Jump
7. Donovant Ariola Indoor Long Jump

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WOMEN’S

1. Kristina Marie Knott 100m/200m
2. Kayla Richardson (400m)
3. Daniela Quintero Indoors 600m
4. Natalia Quintero Indoors 1000m
5. Jessica Lyn Barnard
   1. Outdoor 800m, 3000m Steeples
   2. Indoor 800m, 1500m
6. Robyn Lauren Brown (300 Hurdles Indoor)
7. 4x100m Team Knott, Kayla, Kyla, Zion
8. Natalie Uy (Pole Vault Indoor & Outdoor)
9. Marissa Kwiatkoski (Triple Jump)
10. Josephine Dela Vina (discus)

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JUNIOR MEN

1. Luis Juico (High Jump)
2. Manuel De Guzman (60m, 200m indoors)

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JUNIOR WOMENS

1. Princess Joy Griffey  (60m indoors)
2. Kayla Richardson
   1. Outdoors 100m, 400m
3. Kyla Richardson (200m Indoors)
4. Daniela Quintero Indoors 600m
5. Natalia Quintero Indoors 1000m
6. Marisa Kwiatkowski (Triple Jump Indoor & Outdoor)
7. Josephine Dela Vina (discus)
8. Cerah Moren (Javelin)

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Related articles

• Fil-Am Eric Shauwn Cray delivers needed gold for PH in hurdles competition.

Some memorable achievements from the Fil-Heritage Group in the last few years (not updated).

Eric Cray – SEA Games 400 Hurdles Gold Medalist (broke a 28-year drought), NR in 110 and 400 Hurdles, NIR 60m, 60 Hurdles, and 200m, Asian Champs Finalist, Asian Indoor 60m 5th place, qualified for Asian Games & SEA Games 400H, National Champion 2013 110H, 2014 100m

 

Jessica Lyn Barnard – SEA Games 3K Steeples Bronze Medalist (first ever in this event), NR in 3000m Steeples, considering event change for SEA Games.

 

Princess Joy Griffey – Qualified for Asian Games & SEA Games 100 and 200m dash (silver std), National Champion 2014 100m & 200m dash.

 

Kayla Richardson – Qualified for World Juniors 100 and 200m dash (first Filipino athlete ever to hit IAAF std for this meet), finalist Asian youth games 100m. SEA Games silver and bronze standard in 100 and 200m.

 

Zion Corrales-Nelson – Qualified for World Juniors 200m and 400m dash (second Filipino athlete ever to hit IAAF std for this met), 400m National and National Junor Record (youngest athlete currently to hold a senior NR at age 15), Bronze for Philippines Asian Olympic Youth Festival 200 and 400m dash.

 

Tyler Ruiz – National Champion in the High Jump 2014. Played SEA Games. His best performance before getting a phi passport is equal to the NR in this event. 2.11m so far this year. Needs 2.13 for SEA Games High Jump.

 

Paris Pijuan – Improved to 4.90m. Qualified and participating in the Asian Juniors. Needs 5.00m for SEA Games Pole Vault.

 

Donovont Ariola – has registered windy 7.54 this year. Requires 7.53 for SEA Games Long Jump.

 

Cerah Moren – improved Javelin to 42.09m at 15, the youngest member of the Fil-Heritage group. Phi

JR Record is 45.43m.

 

Alyana Nicolas – 3.39m this year. 3.47m last year. Vault.

 

Jonelle Halog – came off injury 11.08s so far this year. 10.90s last year.

I think that’s all out of the group that has passports.

Fil-Heritage

Pinoyathletics announces the end of its 5-year Fil-Heritage Athletes and Coaches Support group.

I am now way too busy looking into another project right now.

Members of the group can now join the ‘pinoyathletics’ group with the rest of the athletic community.

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