Figure Skating in the Philippines

[moonvine]

Brandon James BALDOZ
Paolo BORROMEO
Hayden Isabel BALUCATING
Samantha Leyla MASCARINAS
Hayden Isabel BALUCATING
Samantha Leyla MASCARINAS

 

[ladyjane]

Good for you @moonvine!

 

[Marirue]

When it comes to Philippine single skaters, it's the men who tend to stand out more artistically than the women (Sofia Frank is an exception performance-wise) despite of limited resources and limited tech content due to lack of funding.

In my observation with Bella & Sasha (Pairs) which also applies with Earl Jesse Celestino (Edrian's kid brother) & Aurea Cincon-Debout (Ice Dance Novice for Canada unless they change to the PH Fed) that they (Bella & EJ) are more likely get complementary with their foreign partners. I have high hopes for paired categories especially with Ice Dance. I also remember that Sofia's younger sister wanted to for the Philippines in the pairs category: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2SaJ-wiKcs

Earl Jesse Celestino/Aurea Cincon-Debout FD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTOg5kTkqNM&t=134s

 

[4everchan]

I am a big fan of Edrian, great skating skills. I hope he gets some of the technical content necessary to get his tech minimums and qualify for worlds... If I recall correctly, he reached the TES for the SP but not the LP. ... there is no word so far that Jesse would skate for the Philippines though it's highly possible. I would suspect that they would skate for Canada until senior ranks... and evaluate their options then.

 

[Marirue]

I am a big fan of Edrian, great skating skills. I hope he gets some of the technical content necessary to get his tech minimums and qualify for worlds... If I recall correctly, he reached the TES for the SP but not the LP. ... there is no word so far that Jesse would skate for the Philippines though it's highly possible. I would suspect that they would skate for Canada until senior ranks... and evaluate their options then.

I agree on that Jesse will skate for Canada as a Junior unless their plan is to qualify for the Olympics which most likely to be on 2030 since 2026 is too close for comfort.

 

[Marirue]

I am a big fan of Edrian, great skating skills. I hope he gets some of the technical content necessary to get his tech minimums and qualify for worlds... If I recall correctly, he reached the TES for the SP but not the LP. ... there is no word so far that Jesse would skate for the Philippines though it's highly possible. I would suspect that they would skate for Canada until senior ranks... and evaluate their options then.

Edrian Skating Skills Appreciation

 

[4everchan]

yup... that's my boy i hope i see him again at ACI or if ever he showed up at CQE.

 

[Marirue]

I wonder how Sofie's up to...

 

[Marirue]

I bet there are people who couldn't resisted his face.

 

[Marirue]

I bet there are people who couldn't resisted his face.

This..

 

[moonvine]

I wonder how Sofie's up to...

She is so adorable, I cannot even.

 

[4everchan]

This..

Seeing skate live, you get to see how good he is. Unfortunately, judges will not reward him until he is consistent with his elements. I felt like last year was a good comeback for him and i hope he will build on it and qualify for "home" worlds.

 

[Marirue]

Looks like Chris Caluza seemed happy

 

[moonvine]

Looks like Chris Caluza seemed happy

Yay!!! He looks really happy.

 

[Marirue]

Looks like both Bella and Sasha are in pairs summer training camp in Samsun, Turkey with other pair teams which rather surprising but then Turkey is one of the favorite tourist destinations among Russians.

 

[4everchan]

Edrian will be competing at CQÉ (august 10-13 in Pierrefonds, QC)
I will be there

 

[Marirue]

Edrian will be competing at CQÉ (august 10-13 in Pierrefonds, QC)
I will be there

That's nice! I hope that he had improved his tech content for a bit.

And I almost forgot that the PHSU did some improvising with the harness despite it is situated in a mall:

 

[Marirue]

who is her mother in this industry? (I'm asking seriously, I don't know her)

Sofia's mom is Precious Tongko who is a Filipina beauty queen and 1990 Binibining Pilipinas Maja International which she is quite prominent in the Philippines since beauty pageant in there is so alive and thriving. I remember that she is also a model during her heyday which Sofia got her looks from her mom.

 

[Marirue]

oh, she really is a beautiful woman. when Sofia switched to Philippines, I wrote here somewhere that she was the best transfer of the season. I still think so, although at the time I thought the Fed had a good eye. but why does her mom (uh, it's not good)... so why does Precious Tongkoso much influence? (I'm not saying it's bad, I don't know the conditions)

It is something to do with the Philippine Law which despite being half Filipino and born and raised in the US most of her life that she can compete for the Philippines because she is half Filipina thru her mother (same situation with Michael Christian Martinez who is half Filipino Japanese but born in the Philippines). It is not just apply with Sofia and Natasha (she said she wanted to compete for the Philippines under pairs category) but also applies with foreign born Filipinos as well such as Isabella Gamez, Christopher Caluza and the Celestino brothers (Edrian Paul and Earl Jesse).

Another factor would be under the leadership of Nikki Cheng since she took the mantle from Josefina T. Veguillas (she died from cancer in 2020), Veguillas' predecessor was also her husband Manuel Veguillas (who passed away for some time ago) which is these two did something funny about with MCM. Ms. Cheng had alot of things in her plate.

In Ms. Cheng's interviews that she believed that the built and stature of the Filipinos have is well suitable for figure skating (Men's, Pairs for the case of the girl's and Ice Dance) despite of being of a tropical country and Philippines ranked as the country with 5th shortest people in the world with the average of 156.41 centimeters (Man: 163.22 centimeters/Woman: 149.6 centimeters) which they can kiss their Basketball and Volleyball dreams goodbye.

 

[Marirue]

the 3rd paragraph is just a joke, isn't it? i didn't know basketball was banned in the philippines. I will read on everyone you named. I didn't think that Sofia ended up in such a complicated place. but I love how proud she is. thanks for all the info

Your Welcome and my country needs to get our act together, I don't think that basketball was banned (unless that you're being sarcastic which I get the certain gist since we did not have a face to face conversation) but it is so popular in the Philippines which other foreign sports fans baffled of all the sports that Filipinos can excel with excellence why does it have to be both basketball and volleyball (it needs naturally tall players) which these are popular pastimes (it is like the rough equivalent to India's love for cricket) majority of my countrymen either didn't know or they didn't want to face the facts of our physical aspects and attributes (Filipinos are the 5th shortest people of the world).

Right now my country is hosting the FIBA world cup along side with Japan and Indonesia which Manuel V. Pangilinan a well known businessman who administered the games in the Philippines (I remember that he is the one who gave Michael Martinez $10,000 in his participation in the Sochi Olympics which that amount is considered just mere change compare of him plunging more than 23 million in US dollars from his own pocket to revive Philippine Basketball after its suspension because his love of that game). I just hope that his efforts just burn it to the ground for his lack of foresight.

As for the Veguillas couple, I would like them to stay away from the rink for dropping the ball on Martinez.

Regarding with Sofia, I cannot say that she is on a complicated situation but there certain things that it needs to resolved for in order to reach her full potential as a skater and the current president of PHSU as I observed didn't have much political willpower as the current president of the Philippine Gymnastics Association (the one who handles Gymnastics Star Athlete Carlos Yulo) when gathering the much needed financial support but she'll do her best whatever she can to rebuild.

For the 3rd paragraph joke, ask the Estonian Fed.