By Maria Romina Austria

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Team Philippines snared 52 of 88 gold medals in the 11th BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area) Friendship Games that ended here Thursday.
Team A (Davao Region) was the winningest of five Philippines delegations and overall, finishing with a 31-39-22 gold-silver-bronze tally.
De La Salle swimmer Philip Adrian Sahagun starred for Team PH-A by sweeping all his five events — boys’ 200 Individual Medley, 4×100 freestyle and medley relays, and 200m and 100m backstroke.
Also bringing pride to the region are trackster Milchay Moreno and swimmer Lora Micah Amoguis, who had two golds and a silver; and karateka Jamie Danielle Nirza finished with a gold and a silver.
Malaysia B (17-16-19) came in second; Indonesia (14-8-6) was third; and Team PH-E or Puerto Princesa fourth (13-8-11).
University of the Philippines swimming standout and this city’s pride, Quendy Fernandez, 19, was the most bemedalled with five golds (girls’ 50m, 100m and 200m back, 4x50m medley and freestyle relays) and two silvers (4x100m medley and 4x100m free).
All delegations clinched at least one gold medal — Team PH-B or General Santos City/Sarangani province (6-6-10), Brunei Darussalam (3-2-8), Malaysia A (2-4-3), Team PH-C or Bangsamoro (1-3-4) and Team PH-D or Palawan province (1-2-10).
On Wednesday afternoon, Team PH-E conquered esports event Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, winning 3-1 over Team PH-D.
Malaysia and Team PH-A took the bronze.
At Palawan State University gym, Indonesia’s men’s and women’s sepak takraw teams beat Team PH-A squads.
Philippine Sports Commissioner Walter Torres delivered the message of Chair Richard Bachmann at the closing ceremony at Balayong basketball covered court, thanking the country’s EAGA neighbors for sending their athletes.
Malaysia was also announced as the next host of the biennial meet.
A dinner and party for all delegates followed.
The Philippines is encouraging investors to look at Philippine EAGA routes as potent connectivity and investment jump-off points.
In August, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Memorandum Order 29 that grants travel tax exemption to travelers departing from all international airports and seaports in Mindanao and Palawan.
They must have confirmed connecting flights to any of the EAGA nations within 24 hours on the same day.
The travel tax exemption is effective until June 30, 2028, unless sooner revoked.
The granting of travel tax exemption is consistent with the strategies identified under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, relative to the promotion of tourism and reduction of barriers to trade and investment.
The BIMP-EAGA Games was first held in 1996 in General Santos City to help promote and preserve each member’s culture and heritage.
The Covid-19 pandemic halted the biennial tournament in 2020.
Brunei hosted the 10th edition in 2018, which a Malaysian contingent ruled (23-17-15).
Among the 10 teams that year, the Philippines’ Mindanao (10-12-13) and Palawan (3-2-4) teams placed fourth and eighth, respectively. (PNA)