TABUK CITY, Kalinga (PIA) — Veteran wheelchair racer Jerrold Pete Mangliwan of this city has been named the Philippine flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the 13th ASEAN Para Games, scheduled from January 20 to 26, 2026, in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
A proud son of Kalinga, Mangliwan will lead Team Philippines in the biennial regional meet, marking another milestone in his long and distinguished international career.
Mangliwan is one of the country’s most decorated para-athletes, a three-time Paralympian who has represented the Philippines in the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. He is a mainstay of the national para-athletics team, competing primarily in the wheelchair racing events.
Throughout his career, Mangliwan has consistently delivered medals for the Philippines in the ASEAN Para Games, particularly in the men’s 200-meter and 400-meter T52 races. He has also secured podium finishes in the Asian Para Games, further cementing his reputation as one of the country’s top performers in para sports.
Mangliwan said he is deeply honored by the selection and vowed to carry the Philippine flag with pride and honor.
The Philippines is set to send 216 athletes to the 2026 ASEAN Para Games, competing in 16 of the 19 sports on the program. These include para-athletics, para-swimming, para-badminton, para-shooting, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, para-powerlifting, wheelchair tennis, boccia, blind football (5-a-side), cerebral palsy football (7-a-side), goalball, wheelchair fencing, para-archery, para-table tennis, chess, para-cycling (road and track), and tenpin bowling.
This time, Team Philippines will not field athletes in blind football (5-a-side), wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair shooting. **RGA- PIA CAR, Kalinga
