62. Hurdler Supreme of the 1950s: FRANCISCA SAÑOPAL

The best and most successful Filipina hurdler of the 50s decade , was without a doubt, the Ilongga all-around athlete FRANCISCA SAÑOPAL. Born on 1 Jan, 1931 in the small barrio of Montinola, in San Joaquin town, Francisca, as a teen, was drawn to the different disciplines of Athletics, competing in throwing events, the sprints and relays, and the short hurdles.

These achievements would pave the way for her trailblazing international stints, competing in 2 editions of the Asian Games and the Olympics. She was a product of the Cebu Institute of Technology, that was renowned for its excellent women’s sports programs, producing a pool of runners, jumpers and throwers of world-class calibre, Some of its outstanding athletes include Asia’s fastest, Inocencia Solis, top broad jumper Visitacion Badana, and the young discus thrower, Josephine dela Viña.

She made her presence felt as a sprinter in the National Intercollegiate, Intersecondary, and Women’s Track & Field beginning in 1954, when she won the 100 meter dash. The next year, Sañopal took the limelight from national record holder Manolita Cinco of the University of Southern Philippines, when she broke her record by 0.2 seconds  at the 1955 National Open Track & Field Meet. The two would become dominant names in women’s hurdles for the next few years—and also the fiercest rivals.

Francisca Among the First Filipina Olympians

This led to her selection by the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation to the 1956 Philippine Olympic Team—a historic and unprecedented one as it marked the first time that Filipinas will compete in the world’s premiere and biggest sporting competition. Also chosen to go to Melbourne for the Summer Olympics were her worthy competitor, Manolita Cinco and two swimmers, Jocelyn von Giese, and 13 year old Gertrudes Lozada, who turned out to be the youngest athlete of the games.

Coached by Jose Ravello, Sañopal and Cinco were actually entered in the 100 m. dash and the 80 m. low hurdles, but it was decided that they had better chances at the hurdles so they did not go thru with the sprint heats. There were only 22 athletes from 11 country participants, with the Philippines as the lone Asian entry.

 In the qualifying heat for the hurdles, Sañopal ran in Heat #4—the last heat that only had 5 participants. It was won by Australian Norma Claire Thrower (10.8 secs.), followed by the Russian Galina Bystrova (10.9 secs.), the French Marthe Lambert, (10.9 secs.), the German Maria Sander (11.1 secs). Sañopal was 5^th and last with a time of 11. 8 secs. Cinco fared no better, timing in at 12.1 secs. in placing 7^th and last in Heat#3. The Australian legend, Shirley Strickland won the 80 m. hurdle with a new Olympic record of 10.7 sec. trailed by Gisela Kohler of Germany (10.9 secs.) Thrower, who topped Sañopal’s heat, placed 3^rd in 11 secs. flat.

 Overall, Sañopal ranked 17^th from among the 22 athletes, while Cinco was second to the last. The Melbourne Olympics were a good experience for the 2 hurdlers, and upon returning home, the inspired Sañopal lost no time in training for the next important races schedules for 1957.

Hurdling for Honor, Among Others

It was at the 1957 National Intercollegiate, Intersecondary and Women’s Track and Field Championship that Sañopal would serve notice of her significant improvement and unparalleled athletic versatility. Held from 23-24 February 1957 at the Rizal Track-Football Stadium, Sañopal was entered by her school in 2 track races (the 80 m. hurdles, and the 100 m. dash)  and 2 throwing events (javelin throw and the shot put). She reached all the finals of those events, garnering various degrees of success.

As expected, she ruled the 80. m. low hurdles, winning the Gold in 12.4 secs, followed by schoolmate, Lilia Heramis in 12.5.  Manolita Cinco of USP settled for 3^rd, also with  12.5 seconds.

In the century dash, Sañopal placed second to the seasoned Inocencia Solis, clocking in at 13.3 secs., just 0.1 behind Solis. Up and coming sprinter Rogelia Ferrer of Manila Central University  was 3^rd in 13.4 seconds.

She then moved to the field events, where she threw the Javelin to a distance of 112’ 7 3/8” to claim Gold, with  Presentacion Juele of MCU a distant second with her 108’ 11 ¼” effort. Sañopal relegated the 1954 Asian Games bronze medalist Vivencia Sabido of CIT, who managed only 108’5”.

But she was not done yet—in her last event, she put the shot at a distance of  28’6” , good for 4^th place behind USP’s  Gloria Villanueva ( 33’ 6 1/8”), CIT’s Perla Pimentel

( 31’9”) and the comebacking Vivencia Sabido (29’ 1/8”).

 Most Outstanding Athlete of 1957

In 1957, the 2-day National Track & Field Championships were held in the first week of March. It proved to be the best season for Sañopal as she outclassed competition, capturing 3 Golds: first, for her pet event, the 80 m. hurdles, timing in at 12 secs. flat, pushing Cinco to 3^rd. Her 2^nd Gold was in the Javelin which she heaved at distance of 127 ft. 8 5/8 in., a full 9 inches farther than Corazon Barredo of the Bureau of Education.

Her 3^rd and last Gold was the women’s 4 x100 m. relay, where she and teammates  Lucrecia Casorla. Inocencia Solis, Visitacion Badana smashed the 50 sec. barrier, setting a new record of 49.6 secs. This was one of only 2 records set in the meet, so it was a very special win for the Cebu Tech amazons.

As a bonus, the sturdy Sañopal added a Bronze (13.3. secs.) to her medal harvest after placing 3^rd to Inocencia Solis (12.4 secs.) and Rogelia Ferrer (12.9 secs.)  in the 100 m. dash. For these extraordinary feats, Francisca Sañopal was singled out and acclaimed as the Most Outstanding Athlete of the National Open meet, and was honored with a trophy by P.A.A.F. meet officials.

Milestone Triumphs at the Asian Games

Though exalted as the most exemplary athlete in the country for 1957,  there was still that yearning for Sañopal to see how far she could push herself, by testing her limits against the best in the world. The Olympics had given her that glimpse, but she was still so inexperienced then, she needed more exposure to more intensive competition. In 1958, another opportunity opened, with the staging of the third Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan. 

At 27,  Sañopal was at the peak of her strength and power. She was entered in her favorite event, the 80 m. hurdles—along with Manolita Cinco-- as well as the relay races. The Philippine women’s team made an auspicious start when Visitacion Badana won the Long Jump Gold in the first day of the athletic competition.

Seven finalists entered the stadium for the finals of the 80 meter low hurdles that fateful day to get into their positions At the sound of the gun, 2 Filipinas ran the best race of their lives as they left their starting blocks to clear the hurdles before them en route to honor and glory for their country.

The highly vaunted hefty Japanese Michiko Iwamoto and Francisca Sañopal ran stride-for-stride, clearing the hurdles with precision all the way to the finish, and both crossed the line with identical 11.6 secs. –a new Games Record. The judges however, awarded Iwamoto the Gold medal based on the photo finish. Sañopal got the Silver, though Cinco somehow eased the loss by scooping the Bronze with her 12.1 secs. run.

Sañopal’s final race was the 4 x100 m. women’s relay.  Again, the strong Japanese team were figured to win. The strategy was to put the 2 fastest Filipinas—Inocencia Solis and Rogelia Ferrer---as the lead runners. Youngest member Irene Penuela will then take over and pass on the baton to Francisca Sañopal, known for her strong finishing kick. With the Japanese ahead, the Filipinas maintained their 2^nd place position against the fast-catching Indians, with Sañopal as anchor. Japan won the Gold as expected, while the Filipinas secured the Silver with a new Philippine record of 49.0 secs, bettering their 3rd place finish in the last Asiad. The dethroned Indians came in 3rd place.

Francisca Sañopal would return to the Asian Games and run the same events a second time—but this time, with biggest difference. The event was the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the setting was the National Senayan Stadium where all athletic sports were contested.

In the 80 m hurdles, she had to run against the strong Japanese Olympian, Ikuko Yoda who won the race in 11.6 secs. Only split seconds later, Sañopal and another Japanese, Kiyoko Shimada, crossed the finish line with the same time of 12 secs. This time, Sañopal was awarded the Silver, for a rare back-to-back finish.

The best race of her career was saved for last—the 4 x100 m. relay. This event has been monopolized by the Japanese women for so long, but little did they know that the Philippine quartet had something in their sleeves. The 4 women included 2 tried and tested veterans—Solis and Sañopal—with 2 young, brilliant sprinters: Aida Molinos and the stellar Mona Sulaiman.

The women were strategically arranged from the one with the slowest time, to the fastest, hence: Molinos, Sañopal, Solis and Sulaiman. With excellent running and precise baton passes, the Filipina squad matched the Japanese with every stride resulting in an exciting photo-finish.

When the times were shown on the screen,  the Philippines completed the race in 48.67 secs, a new national record, with the Japanese registering 48.74 secs.—just a mere  .07 secs. away. The Filipinas had won the Gold! The Indons came in 3^rr in 50.71 secs., a cause for celebration for the host country.  

The victory was a fitting punctuation  to Sañopal’s sensational athletic career. After a jubilant welcome for the returning heroes, the self-effacing 31 year old Sañopal faded quietly from the limelight. In 2014, when a rare gathering of former Olympians organized by the Philippine Olympians Association (POA) only her rival Manolita Cinco, was there to share her reminiscences of their glory days.No more was heard about Francisca Sañopal, not even her passing—the day she crossed over her last hurdle to the great beyond—and to immortality--as the most accomplished Filipina hurdler of her time.

SOURCES:

The Filipino Athlete (Official Publication of the P.A.A.F.), 1957 National Intercollegiate, Intersecondary and Women’s Track and Field Championship, Apr. 1957, p. 8

The Filipino Athlete (Official Publication of the P.A.A.F.), 1957 National Track & Field Championships, May 1957, 3, p. 3-7

The Filipino Athlete (Official Publication of the P.A.A.F.), C.I.T. Takes Women’s Title, June 1958, p. 8-13

 Francisca Sañopal Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisca_Sanopal

Athletics at the 1958 Asian Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1958_Asian_Games

Athletics at the 1962 Asian Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1962_Asian_Games

Athletics Podium, https://athleticspodium.com/champs/asian-games/1958-asian-games

“Progress in Sports”, Progress, 1955

1956 Official Olympics Program, Melbourne, Australia

55. SALOMA BROTHERS: The Slugging Brothers of the Boxing Ring

On August 9, 1970, three boxers debuted together at the Araneta Coliseum and created a buzz with their awesome performances in the ring. But more amazing was the fact that the three were real-life brothers: Eduardo (Eddie), Jose Maria (Joe), Ricardo (Colly) Zanadrin Coloma, collectively known as the Saloma Brothers.

The Saloma Brothers came from a large family of 10 children from Iloilo City. Bantamweight Eddie, the eldest of 7 brothers explained the reason for their shared fraternal interest in pugilism: “Boxing is our first love,” he says, “It’s in the family’s blood. I have an uncle who is in the US Navy who won trophies as an amateur in the United States. If my younger brothers who are still in their knee pants grow up, they too, will become boxers.”

 24 years old in 1970, he remembers being only 16 when he started boxing professionally in Iloilo, Davao, and Cotabato. He never stopped schooling even while he boxed, and became a bookkeeper in Iloilo after finishing his Commerce degree. A southpaw,  he has already fought 30 times and lost twice and drew one. He won most of his fights by T.K.O. and his last 3 fights in Manila (before he fought in the recent bout) were won by T.K.O.

However, in his Araneta Coliseum outing against the sly Tom Rico, another toprated bantamweight contender,  lost in a questionable decision that was roundly booed by the crowd. But Eddie took it all in stride simply saying that boxing should not be fought the way Tom Rico did, in which he kept shoving Eddie with against the ropes, putting him  (Eddie) at a disadvantage. One aficionado even remarked that the next time Eddie fights Tom Rico he would “win without a fuss.”

Younger brother, Joe, 20, an Electrical Engineering student at the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology and University of San Agustin, was a featherweight and was known for his powerful “atomic punch,” which gave him a record of 28 wins, 1 loss, at his peak.

Hoping to make a name in bigtime boxing, he was matched against Fil del Mundo, a rated featherweight from Laguna, and a favorite to win the bout. True enough, he dealt Joe telling blows that caused his brow to bleed profusely. The two exchanged blows amid the pandemonium in the stadium, each boxer neither giving nor asking for any quarter. Then it happened. Barely 2 minutes before the round ended, Fil del Mundo, for all his ruggedness and ring know-how, hit the deck in the twinkling of an eye, caused by flashy Joe’s killer “atomic punch,”

In his Araneta Coliseum duel with the more experienced Arturo Eracho, Joe sustained another injury that threatened his bid. But Joe came back from the 5^th round to the last to beat Eracho, dealing him with series of “very clean punches”,  as described by Manila Times day editor, O.O. Sta. Romana. The more gleaming and potent  ”clean punches” that the newsman spoke of turned the face of Eracho into a bloody mess, and Joe won the bloody fight by unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Colly (Ricardo) is a high school graduate and has had 22 fights in his credit prior to his last one at the Araneta Coliseum in which he knocked out Jun Martin in a dramatic fashion on the fourth round. He never lost in any fight and last February won the amateur flyweight championship of the Philippines “Class C”. He turned pro at the age of 16. Ambition: to be a world champ and a lawyer.

The young boxers are managed by Mamerto Besa, businessman and sports promoter, whose craving desire is to produce a world champion from among his wards “before I retire.” Some of his successful boxers which he developed were Bert Somodio, former lightweight king of the Philippines, Randolf Masala and Tiny Palacio,

Besa says he has every reason to look forward to the day when the Saloma brothers would grab a world title. “First,” he says, “they are dedicated boxers—they take interest in their profession with whole heart; second, they are well-discipline for they behave properly and don’t indulge in any vices; and third, they are efficiently trained and managed. I, myself devote my full attention to their welfare…”

Such a set of high standards that characterize the pugilistic ventures of the Saloma Brothers would therefore make one expect that their best is yet to come. Through the 70s, the Salomas were names to be reckoned with, fighting in Guam, Korea, and the U.S. Joe had his last bout in 1973, while Eddie and Colly continued their international quests until 1977.

 (This article was condensed from P.A. Zapanta’s “Up and Coming: Slugging Salomas”, published in The Sunday Times Magazine, Pictures by Dominador Suba. 11 October 1970, p. 35-37.

WHERE ARE THE SALOMA BROTHERS NOW?

A surprise e-mail to this writer was received from Joe Saloma in 18 May 2017 who managed to read a short article I have written  about the slugging brothers for the popular website, FilipiKnow, included in my list of “Sports Legends Who Proved Filipinos Are Kickass Athletes.”

In it, he wrote: “It's an honor to be part of the FilipiKnow Greatest Filipino Athletes. It's been over four decades when we were in the peak of our boxing career. Thank you for believing in us. God is so good for giving us a wonderful life after ending our boxing career in the Philippines.  Because of our hard work and determination, we were blessed with good life, family, and successful careers.”

Joe provided updates about himself and his acclaimed brothers,  Eddie and Colly who are now U.S.-based. while he lives in Guam.

Joe is currently a resident of Agana, Guam.  He retired from the U.S. military with over 22 years of active service and presently working with the Guam Department of Corrections.

Eddie studied at NW Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. He is now a Licensed Acupuncturist and Physical Therapist at the Oriental Acupuncture & Therapy Clinic, Inc., practicing in El Paso, Texas,

Colly is a resident of Virginia and also retired from the U.S. military with over 20 years of active service.

CREDITS:

MANY THANKS to Mr. Joe Saloma for the e-mail and the updated info about him and his brothers.

Photos by Mr. Domonador Suba, STM

FB pages of Jose Marie Saloma, Eduardo Saloma and Colly Saloma.

27. Her Race is Run: IRENE PENUELA, Relay Specialist, Silver Medalist, 1958 Tokyo Asiad

Nearly forgotten, the name IRENE PENUELA came to fore when her daughter, Lyn Majaducon sounded a call for financial help for her mother who was battling ovarian cancer. It turns out Irene Penuela was a former national athlete, who, at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, chased sporting glory—and won the Team Silver Medal in the 4 x 100 M. Women’s Relay.Together with her team mates, top sprinter Inocencia Solis, Rogelia Ferrer and Francisca Sanopal, the Philippine team placed 2^nd to the hometown Japanese quartet, a no mean feat in the region’s biggest, and most highly-competitive sporting event.

As is the case with veteran athletes past their prime, Penuela’s story is the same: after bringing pride to the country, they are left in oblivion, neglected and forgotten. Professional athletes in massively popular sports, like basketball and boxing,  have better chances of parlaying their fame to something more lucrative. On the other hand, amateur athletes from less-funded sports like sprinter Penuela, sadly have little or no support.

Which is why, when Penuela’s Asian Games achievement came to people’s attention via that appeal that came with a photo of her running in that historic relay, the memory of that long-ago victory rallied grateful sports groups and personalities to help the now-old and bedridden athlete.

Irene Penuela was born on 6 April 1938, to parents Jesus Penuela and Alicia Esporton originally from Jaro, Iloilo. Small, slim and standing at only 5'2", the young Irene took to running in her elementary school years where she often represented her school in meets. It was in her high school years at Dumangas High School (formerly Iloilo High School), that Penuela took running seriously. Her teachers knew they had a talent in their hands so she was always fielded in regional events, winning sprints at the West Visayas Athletic Association (WVAA)  Meets.

Penuela qualified as a member of the WVAA team that went to the premiere Bureau of Public Schools Interscholastic Athletic Association (BPSIAA) Meet,  a predecessor of today’s Palarong Pambansa organized back in 1948. It was held in Tagbilaran, Bohol, from Feb. 1 to Mar. 1, 1958. The scrawny teen served notice of her presence when she reached the finals of all her events:  3^rd in the 100 m. dash behind the East Visayan Concordia Avenosa, 4^th in both the 200 m. dash and 1^st in the 4 x 100 m. relay, turning the tables on their East Visayan opponents.

Penuela’s podium wins opened wide the doors of the 1958 National Open Track and Field Championships held just a week later, a prelude to the 1958 Tokyo Asiad. Now representing the Bureau of Public Schools (BPS), Penuela was entered in the 200 m. dash. 

Among the finalists was the national record holder Inocencia Solis, 6 years her senior, and Negros Occidental hurdler/sprinter Rogelia Ferrer, a ’54 Asian Games medalist. Unfazed, Penuela took her place in the cinder tracks and bolted from the blocks at the sound of the gun. When Penuela crossed the finish line, she was shocked to learn that she had placed third behind Solis and Ferrer, with a remarkable time of 26.6 secs., just 0.1 sec. from Ferrer, and 0.2 sec. from Solis.

When the composition of the 4 x 100 m. relay women’s team for the 1958 Tokyo Asiad was announced, Penuela was even more aghast when she saw her name included along with Inocencia Solis, Rogelia Ferrer, and Francisca Sanopal. Sports pundits were expecting either Visitacion Badana or Lucrecia Casorla to complete the quartet as they had been in the 4 x 100 relay team with Solis and Sanopal that smashed the 50 sec. barrier in the 1957 National Open with a new Philippine record time of 49.6 seconds.

But starting 1957, Visitacion Badana was peaking as the country’s best women jumper, the only one to break a national record in that years’ National Intercollegiate Track and Field Championship. Officials may have decided to keep her for the event where she excels best (Indeed, she would score the 1^st gold in the Running Broad Jump at the Tokyo Asiad). In the case of Casorla, she was more of a hurdler, but Sanopal and Manolita Cinco were already the dominant performers in that field.

Thus, all thing considered, officials put their bets on Penuela. It’s true that she never placed first in her events, but her runner-up clockings were just a few ticks away from the winners’ times. Who knows, the idea of running in an international event could even fire this promising athlete to go beyond her limits and win! On the 3^rd week of May, Irene Penuela arrived in Tokyo, Japan to run the biggest race of her life at the Third Asian Games.

In the finals of the 4 x 100 m. relay held at the National Stadium on 29 May, 11:30 a.m, the Indian runners returned to defend their title won in Manila 4 years before. The Japanese squad, however, were the crowd favorite to win the race. The Philippine girls were not ruled out either, as Solis had claimed the Gold in the century dash earlier, installing herself as Asia’s fastest woman.

The plan was for barely-rested Solis to be the lead-off runner, and followed by the Rogelia Ferrer. Penuela, the team’s youngest runner was sandwiched between the more experienced Ferrer and Francisca Sanopal, the hurdler-sprinter known for her strong finishing kick. Running second, Ferrer passed the baton to Penuela who ran the 3^rd leg against the formidable Ikuko Yoda, a future 1964 Olympian hurdler. She held her own as well against the fast-catching Indians, remaining  in 2^nd place as she handed the baton to Sanopal.

The Japanese sprinters (Sakura Fukuyama, Yoshie Fujii, Ikuko Yoda, Yuko Kobayashi) retained their slim lead until the finish to win Gold (48.6 secs. a new Games record), with the fighting Filipinas bagging Silver (49.0 secs. flat, a new PH record, Solis, Ferrer, Penuela, Sanopal), thus bettering their 3^rd place position in the last Manila Asiad. The dethroned Indians ( Christine Brown, Violet Peters, Stephie D'Souza,Mary Leela Rao) were pushed into 3^rd place (49.4 secs.).

To Penuela, the Silver around her neck as she stood on the podium, glittered like Gold—for the 4 x100 m. relay was her one and only event, in her first and only international outing; it was, the biggest win of her running career. In Athletics, the Philippine team hauled 11 medals, 3 of which were Gold, 4 Silvers and 4 Bronzes. Of the 3 Golds, two were won by women athletes. The total medal harvest in Athletics put the Philippines in 3rd place behind Japan and Pakistan.

Japan was a good experience for her, for the new culture she was introduced to, for the sportsmanships fostered, and international friendships she forged with athletes from around Asia. 

Penuela returned to the Philippines to resume her life as a student athlete. She finished her Physical Education course at the Central Philippine University, in Iloilo. She continued her medal-winning ways collecting 11 Gold, 9 Silvers, and 9 Bronzes in post-Asiad meets in the Philippines. Her athletic career lasted only for 9 years, a short but fruitful one.

After 1958, she was married in civil ceremonies to Franquilino Majaducon of Jaro. By 1960, the growing Majaducon family would move to General Santos City, in brgy. Apopong, where she would remain for the rest of her life. They would have 6 children:  Erlien (a special child), Franklin, Gilbert, Elleen, Aileen and Arlien.  The 2 youngest daughters also became outstanding athletes in athletics and swimming.

As a new wave of stronger, faster runners emerged led by the Mona Sulaiman, Penuela went into coaching, mentoring pools of athletes for various national competitions and championships. She made history again in 2005 when she became the oldest female marathon finisher of that year’s Milo Marathon, at the age of 67.

In 2022, Penuela was stricken with ovarian cancer, and her grateful adoptive city of Gensan, accorded her not only financial assistance but also recognized her significant achievements that elevated Philippine sports and gave pride and honor to her country.

Two years after, she took a turn for the worse, which prompted her daughter Lyn to make an appeal for help in settling her medical bills. The response from the sports community was overwhelming, but, sadly it came a bit late for the ailing Irene. On 9 July 2024, Irene Penuela died peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. There is no greater glory than running her final race, a journey to immortality.  

SOURCES:

1958 3^RD Asian Games, Tokyo, Japan Official Report

Athletics at the 1958 Asian Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1958_Asian_Games

 1958 Asian Games, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Asian_Games

 The Filipino Athlete, Official publication of the Phil. Amateur Athletic Federation (P.A.A.F) 1957-1958 issues.

 “PH Asiad medalist passes away, family asks for burial assistance”, by Randy Caluag, The Manila Standard, 9 July 2024.

 “Former Asian Games Silver Medalist’s Daughter in dire need of financial aid for mother’s burial and funeral service “, posted on Reboot TV Official  FB Page, 12 July 2024.

 Telephone interview with Lyn P. Majaducon, daughter of Irene Penuela, 29 Apr. 2025.

18. Asia’s Fastest Woman of 1958: INOCENCIA SOLIS

She was just 5 feet 2 inches on her bare toes, but on the cinder track, INOCENCIA S, SOLIS stood taller, stronger, faster on her feet. Throughout the postwar years, she was a stand-out track star, specializing in the sprints, relays, and even broad jump. In all her Philippine representations in 3 consecutive Asiads, she came home with medals in all 3 colors. So formidable was she, that her records endured for years,  taking over a decade for emerging athletes to break her sprint clockings.

Born on Holy Innocents Day (28 Dec. 1932) to Victorio Solis and Leonarda Silomenio, Inocencia grew up with a farming family that valued hard work. She was a product of local schools—New Lucena Elementary School and Santa Barbara High School—where she was exposed to athletics, while dreaming of becoming a teacher someday.

At the 1950 National Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association Meet (NISSA), Solis, coached by Apolonio Japitana, came home with 3 Golds in record times in the 100 m., 200 m. dash, and the running broad jump event. The 18 year old teener’s rise to athletic prominence had just begun.

Cebu Institute of Technology, which has a powerhouse roster of nationally-ranked student athletes, took an interest on Solis and offered her a college scholarship. She  accepted and began her Elementary Education course, while she began her athletic training under new coach Fructuosa Soriano.

In the next few years, Solis began stamping her class in elite athletic meets like the PRISAA Meet and the National Open in 1953. She proved her worth when she qualified to be part of the national team for the second Asian Games to be held in the Manila capital, Philippines from May 2-5, 1954.

She served notice of her potential when she became one of only two female Filipina athletes to win a medal for an individual event, scoring a Bronze in the 200 m. dash (26.5 sec., new PH record)) after 2 Japanese (Midori Tanaka and Atsuko Nambu, Gold and Silver respectively). (Incidentally the other Filipina individual Bronze winner was her Cebu schoolmate, Vivencia Subido in Javelin). Solis also earned a Team Bronze with Rogelia Ferrer, Manolita Cinco and Roberta Anore (50.4 secs.)

Solis continued to make news in the local athletics scene with the holding of the National Open Championship in athletics in 1957. There, as a top member of the crack  CIT team, she swept competition away in the sprints, winning Gold in the 100 and 200 m. dashes, with clockings of 12.4 and 27 secs. flat, respectively. Then, she teamed up with Visitacion Badana, Lucrecia Casorla and Francica Sañopal to win the 4x100 m. relay race in a new record of 49.6 seconds---the first time that Filipinas broke the 50 sec. barrier for that event, and of only 2 track events broken in the meet. 

As a tune-up to the Asian Games of 1958, Solis bannered the CIT team at the 1958 National Open Track & Field Championship held at the Rizal track-and-football stadium in Manila. The event was spiced by the presence of international entries like Nationalist China, Clark Air Force Base, the Fifth Air Force, and Tachikawa Air Base. Solis swept the 100 m. and 200 m. sprints, and snagged a Bronze in the 4 x 100 m. relay with teammamtes Visitacion Badana, Lucrecia Casorla , and Francisca Sanopal. 

Fresh from her triumphs at the National Open, Solis went to the 3rd edition of the Asian Games in Tokyo brimming with extra-confidence, and it was there that she shone the brightest.At the finals of the 100 m at the National Stadium, Solis was unheralded, based on her poor showing in the qualifying heats. All eyes were on Sakura Fukuyama and Yuko Kobayashi of Japan, But she stunned the crowd when she hurtled off the blocks and crossed the finish line first—in 12.5 seconds, a new Games Record, relegating the 2 Japanese to 2^nd and 3^rd.

Thus was Solis crowned Asia’s fastest in 1958. As a bonus, the quartet of Solis, Rogelia Ferrer, Irene Penuela and Francisca Sanopal nabbed the Silver in the 4 x100 m. relay. The Philippine Sportswriters Association acclaimed her as 1958 Athlete of the Year.

Solis would return to her last Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 1962. By then, she was 30 years old, and had given way to an emerging track star, the 19 year-old Mona Sulaiman. The veteran Solis teamed up with Aida Molinos, Francisca Sanopal, and Sulaiman to rule the 4 x 100 m. relay—contributing a precious Gold to the Philippines’ medal harvest.

A little over a week after the Games, Solis, representing the Bureau of Public Schools Interscholastic Athletics Association (BPSIAA), established a new Philippine record in running Broad Jump at the National Open Championships on 12 March 1954, with a distance of 5.209 meters (17 ft. 1 1/8 inches)

She was also a dominant force in the tour of Formosa after the Asian Games, where she won 5 sprints and took 2 gold medals in the broad jump, a fitting punctuation to her incredible athletic journey.

Solis pursued a teaching and coaching career in Cebu in the late 50s, then moved to Manila in the 60s to work with the city government of Caloocan. She helped coach the women's athletic team to the 1970 Asiad in Bangkok. Nothing much was known about Inocencia Solis after that, but in 1998, her names surfaced when she was awarded by Pres. Fidel V. Ramos  the 1998 Distinguished Filipino Woman Achiever in Sports Philippine Centennial Celebration.

On 4 November 2001, Solis passed away at the Iloilo Mission Hospital due to diabetes complications. She was 69 years old. In 2016, she was accorded the ultimate honor of being inducted to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

SOURCES:

1955 PROGRESS Magazine Supplement

Athletics at the 1954 Asian Games, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1954_Asian_Games

Athletics at the 1958 Asian Games, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1958_Asian_Games

“Solis, former Asiad sprint queen, dies”, by Nerio C. Lujan, The Philippine Star, https://www.philstar.com/sports/2001/12/13/143437/solis-former-asiad-sprint-queen-dies

7. Reflections of a Life in the Fast Lane: HAYDEE COLOSO-ESPINO, Asia’s Swim Queen

In her time, she was hailed as the country’s greatest Filipina swimmer. She swam for the Philippines in 3 editions of the Asian Games, collecting 10 medals, in all colors. At age 18, she held 5 Philippine swimming records, 4 of them for individual events, In 1960, she qualified for the Olympics, competing against the world’s best in Rome. She was such a prolific producer of medals in the pool that she was dubbed as Asia’s Swim Queen, a title that HAYDEE COLOSO-ESPINO embraced and proudly wore all her life. After all, no Filipina swimmer has yet to surpass her colossal triumphs in the water, the lone Filipina triple gold medalist in swimming at the continental Asian Games.

Haydee was born on 28 August 1937 in Dueñas, Iloilo, the daughter of Atty. Lorenzo Coloso & Alicia Lanestosa Coloso. She was not exactly to the water born; at age 10, she came close to drowning when a boatload of picknickers she was with, capsized. As a precaution, her father gave her swimming pointers “so I won’t drown helplessly”, she recalled in an interview. From frolicking on the beach, she developed a deeper interest in swimming and began taking formal lessons.

By the time she was 13 and in high school, Haydee was competing and winning in national meets. She became a star swimmer of  Iloilo City College (now University of Iloilo), ably coached by Mr. Leon Tirol. Her rigorous training consisted of two hours of swimming before dawn and two more hours at sunset. She was soon surprising her coach and mentors with her fast clockings. Her best time in her pet 100 meter freestyle event qualified her for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, but at age 15, she was deemed underaged for international competitions.

Nonetheless, the aquatic feats of the young teen caught the attention of sports officials from Far Eastern University which boasts of one of the best women’s swim teams in the country. Haydee thus moved to Manila to take up Physical Education at FEU and joined the swim team coached by Mr. Freddy Cruz and Mrs. Dolores Alforte, who also acted as the girls’ chaperone. Under the guidance of her coach, she improved her times significantly in inter-collegiate swimming championships, and started amassing medals for her school, to the delight of her mentors.

Haydee even put her swimming prowess to good use by moonlighting as a stunt swimmer. In 1953, she doubled for Nida Blanca for the actress’s  swimming scenes in the 1953 movie “Hiyasmin”. Indeed, more exciting times ahead awaited this talented Ilongga who was now making a splash in the big city. With more stiff competition to contend with, Haydee was pushed to give her best, and her hard work paid off when she broke 2 national records. For the 100 meters free, she clocked 1 minute 11 seconds. This led to her being named to the Philippine Swimming Team for the 2nd Asian Games in Manila.

1954 was a banner year for Haydee as it was her first time to compete under the Philippine flag. She was entered in her favorite 100 meter freestyle event. Bolstered by the confidence of breaking 2 Philippine records, she vanquished the top Japanese bets, Tomiko Atarashi and Olympian Shizue Miyabe, to win Gold with the time of 1:09.7 min., shattering her personal best.  She did so in the last 5 meters of the race, mustering up strength to pip them at the finish, thrilling the hometown crowd, and her mother Alicia, who fainted in disbelief at her come-from-behind victory.

She returned to the pool to win the 100 m. butterfly Gold with a Games Record of 1:28.3 min. She was trailed by teammates Norma Yldefonso (daughter of legendary Olympic medalist swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso) and Sandra von Giese for a rare 1-2-3 all-Filipino finish. At the 4 x 100 m. freestyle finals, she snagged her 3^rd medal—a Silver for the Philippines—shared with Sonia von Giese, Gertrudes Vito and Nimfa Lim behind the Japanese quartet.

Suddenly, Haydee Coloso became the toast of the country, and the Philippine Sportswriters Association acclaimed her as the Women’s Swimmer of the Year. The teener was as much thrilled to receive the award as meeting then undefeated heavyweight boxing legend Rocky Marciano, who was invited to grace the affair. Haydee would go on to win the same award for the next 2 years.

As these significant moments in her sporting life were happening, Haydee’s love life was also unfolding. In Manila, she had settled in a boarding house beside Philippine Women’s University along Taft Avenue, just a short commute to FEU. As luck would have it, a fellow Ilonggo was boarding there as well, reviewing for the upcoming bar exams.

Young army captain Rodolfo Espino, son of former mayor Marcos J. Espino of Leganes, struck up a friendship with Haydee, which soon blossomed into a real romance. On 22 May 1955, Haydee Coloso failed to come home, and her disappearance was reported by her father, Atty. Coloso. It turned out that Haydee and Rodolfo eloped, much to the initial shock of their parents, prompting them to charge their daughter with parental disobedience, as she was only 17. Eventually, young couple's love prevailed, and after their secret marriage, all the hurt was forgotten, their impetuousity forgiven.

The collegiate swimmer, now a young wife,  resumed her swimming career and whipped herself back into shape daily at the Rizal Memorial pool. At the start of 1955, the prodigious swimmer held 5 Philippine national records: 100 m. freestyle at 1:09.5 mins. (1st heat, 2nd Asian Games-Manila, 5 May 1954); 200 m. freestyle at 2:45.5 mins. (National Open Championship, Manila, 9 Jan. 1954); 400 m. freestyle (National Collegiate Championship at 5:51.8 mins. (FEU, Manila, 17 Dec. 1953); 100 m. butterfly at 1:27.0 mins. (National Open Championship, 7 Jan. 1954), 4 x 100 m. relay at 5:15.6 mins. (with Sonia von Giese, G. Vito, N. Lim, 2nd Asian Games, May 5 and 7, 1954).

In 1956, Coloso-Espino competed at the National Swimming Championships in March where she swam the 400 meters freestyle. She was upset by the young 13 year old sensation Gertrudes Lozada, who erased Espino's record of 5:30.0 mins. to 5:27.7 mins. Coloso-Espino, however, beat her in their next matches, the 100 m. freestyle and the 100 m. butterfly. She was all set to represent the country at that year’s Melbourne Olympics, but this did not materialize as that same year, Haydee became pregnant with her first baby, Daisy. Only 2 Filipina swimmers went to Melbourne, her FEU teammate Gertrudes Lozada, and  Jocelyn von Giese, of U.E.

 By the time the 1958 3^rd Asian Games were announced to open in Tokyo, Japan, Haydee was back in fighting form. Her stint at the games in Tokyo proved to be her most productive yet, winning 4 medals: Individual Silver for the 100 m. free (1:06.4 min.) and 200 meter freestyle (2:32.2 min); Silver in 4x100 m. free (4:50.4 min), and a precious Gold in the 4 x100 medley relay, where she anchored the team in a new games record of 5:22.2 mins. In one rare moment, Haydee recalled, the Philippine delegation came face to face with Emperor Hirohito of Japan, who had invited the athletes in the spirit of peace and goodwill.

1960 would prove to be a historic milestone for Haydee as she finally realized her dream to be an Olympian. The Philippines sent a delegation of 5 women athletes, 3 of whom were swimmers: Sandra von Giese, Gertrudes Lozada and Haydee Coloso-Espino, who, at 23 was the oldest member of the team.

Arriving in Rome, she was starstruck to see world-class athletes—from American heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay, and fellow swimmers like the celebrated Olympic multi-medalist Dawn Fraser of Australia, who practiced alongside her in the training pool. During the qualifying heats, she was placed in Heat 4, against the American champion freestyler Chris von Saltza, who would later place 2nd to Fraser and win 3 Gold medals. Haydee clocked 1:07.8 in the 100 m. free and placed 6th in heat 4, failing to advance to the semifinals. Overall, she placed 25^th in a field of 32 swimmers.

Of her first and only Olympic experience, she reflected: “At least, hindi naman ako last! My trip to Rome was not without its high points. We visited many churches and, being from a Catholic country, we were given a special audience by Pope John Paul XXIII after officiating Mass at Castle Gandolfo. That was a historic occasion, and the news landed in the papers back home”.\\

She returned to the country a proud and fulfilled Olympian, and went on to continue with her studies and training. After finish her Physical Education course, she was immediately taken in by her alma mater, FEU, to handle P.E. swimming classes. She would also take assignments in Lyceum and Araullo High School. Weekends were devoted to training at the Rizal Stadium pool.

In 1962, Haydee was called again to lead the Philippine swimming campaign at the 4^th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia from 24 August to 4 September 1962. At age 25, she would bring home 3 medals to solidify her reputation as Asia’s premiere Swim Queen –a Team Silver for the 4 x 100 m. freestyle (shared with Corazon Lozada, Gertrudes Lozada, and Connie Paredes), a Team Bronze for the 4 x 100 medley relay (with Tessie Lozada, Gertrudes Lozada and Dolores Agustin), and an Individual Bronze for the 100 m. women’s freestyle.

 The 4^th Asiad would be the last international swimming event she would compete in as a Philippine national athlete. After all, the young mother’s priorities had shifted to her growing family. She would have 7 kids in all: after Daisy came Debbie, Dennis, Dindo, Dino, Dwight and Daphne. She retired from competitive swimming to focus on raising her kids and establishing her teaching career at Far Eastern University.  But her love for the water never waned, she continued to swim at the Rizal pool whenever she could. Second son Dindo seemed to have inherited her swimming genes as he became an accomplished swimmer, with breast stroke as his forte.

 As a swim teacher, she kept an eye on promising swimmers and it is a little-known fact that she discovered young William “Billy” Wilson, who, at age 18, would go on to rule the 200 m. men’s freestyle event at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, India, swim in the 1984 L.A. Olympics, and become a bemedalled SEA Games swimmer. Haydee also chaperoned the Philippine swimming team to several international meets and was sent to the U.S. to attend a swimming seminar in 1985.

Haydee had a long and fruitful career in education, teaching continuously in Far Eastern University, her alma mater, until 1993. That same year, the family migrated to Canada. She would return to the Philippines for good in 2007 and settled back to her home province of Iloilo.

In 2016, Haydee Coloso-Espino, the country’s greatest Filipina swimmer, received the highest accolade by being inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame, the first Filipina swimmer to be installed in the hallowed list.

Looking back at her glorious career and the rewards of swimming, she said: “I am glad I have contributed something to Philippine sports”. At the same time, she pondered,  “I wonder…had the Incentive Act been given in my time, why maybe, I could have been richer than Hidylin Diaz! Now there are only 17 of us pensioners alive, with a small monthly pension of Php 5,000. I hope the incentive act will be improved. That's the irony of life. Just giving out of my sentiments. Anyways thanks just the same. Thanks for the recognition of being in the "Hall of Fame"

Haydee continued to be active despite a mild stroke she suffered in her 80s. She used a walker to get around Iloilo, and discovered the wonders of technology, including cellphones and facebook, where she would post pictures of her family, her daily activities, her travels and nostalgic photos of her wonder years.  “At least, I still have use of my fingers, and I have textmates to share stories with!”, she quips with a tone of gratitude.

Just about to weeks from her 84^th birthday, the greatest Filipina swimmer of all time passed away on 12 August 2021 in her home province, surrounded by her loved ones and family. The feats of Haydee Coloso-Espino, whether in, and out of the water,  remain unsurpassed, and her life journey stands as a testament to the spirit of a Filipina, empowered early by the love of her sports,  to give her best every day, test her limits, and then exceed them. All these she accomplished in the multiple roles she chose to assume: as an athlete,  an educator, a wife,  a mother.

Haydee Coloso-Espino found triumphs amidst her trials, successes amidst her losses, and the perfect balance that allowed her to live a long, purposeful and peaceable life. Her story should thus inspire the next generation of Philippine swimmers to dream beyond big, by putting country first before personal glory. Medals will tarnish, and records will fall, but the nobility of purpose which she pursued with all vigor and heart, is for her, a reward more fulfilling, more enduring. Her legacy she left behind is sure to live on and on.

SOURCES:

Progress 1955, Year End Report on Philippine Sports

Series of FB interviews via FB messenger with Mrs Haydee Coloso-Espino, between 28 Aug. 2017 to 26 November 2018.

Interview with Mr. Dwight "Ike"  Espino, son of Mrs. H. Espino

Photos from Mrs. Haydee Coloso-Espino Archives, used with permission. All others, Author's Collection.