The Philippines received four additional taekwondo berths for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya and Aichi, strengthening the country’s medal prospects in one of Asia’s toughest sporting competitions.
![The Philippine taekwondo squad concludes the SEA Games with a total of two golds, six silvers, and six bronzes. [POC Media Pool]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ManginTaichana-gold2-400x200.jpg)
Kenneth Riley Buenavides and Merica Lilyn Chan earned silver medals as the Philippine taekwondo team wrapped up the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, contributing to a six-silver finish alongside two golds and six bronzes.
![Macario celebrates after clinching the Philippines’ first gold medal of the SEA Games. [POC Media Pool photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SEAG-Poomsae-Gold-Justin-Kobe-Macario-3372-400x200.jpg)
Justin Kobe Macario opened the Philippines’ campaign with a breakthrough gold in men’s freestyle poomsae, delivering the country’s first top finish of the SEA Games.
![Arven Alcantara [photo credit: Jun Lopez FB]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/79228118_10158337822423690_7583249194744283136_n-e1695821655628-400x200.jpg)
After producing the country’s first medal, taekwondo suffered big losses for the third straight day in the 2023 Asian Games.
![PH Taekwondo Kyorugi team in training [photo credit: Philippine Taekwondo Association Facebook]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/380660068_1301224510522795_4651258810693879023_n-400x200.jpg)
Filipino Taekwondo jins failed to hit their stride on the third playing day of competitions in the19th Asian Games.
![Kurt Barbosa [photo from Kurt Barbosa OLY Instagram]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/286195998_3216383108646806_315145271631078618_n-e1695651047417-400x200.jpg)
The Philippines lost another top medal hopeful after Tokyo Games veteran Kurt Barbosa dropped his opening round match to Uzbekistan’s Omonjon Otajonov at the start of taekwondo’s Kyorugi (free sparring) event in the 19th Asian Games.
![Taekwondo jin King Patrick Perez of the Philippines [PSC photo release]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Patrick-King-Perez_-Taekwando-Poomsae05_psc-poc-mediapool-400x200.jpg)
King Patrick Perez took the bragging rights as the first medal winner of Team PH by taking the bronze in the men’s individual poomsae in the 19th Asian Games on Sunday