With more than 10 million Filipinos living and working abroad, there is no absence in their contribution to the country as an economic churner, thanks mainly to money that they send back to their loved ones. Remittances are just a fragment of a bigger Filipino diaspora effect, the other being sports and their thrust to promote an active lifestyle.
To see a 𝐾𝑎𝑏𝑎𝑦𝑎𝑛 doing well in life outside the Philippines is already a proud moment in its own right. For years, OFWs have been regarded as the country’s “𝐵𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑎𝑦𝑎𝑛𝑖,” living, breathing heroes who are making a mark, making their name, and raising the flag across the globe.
While they are known to be at the frontlines in their profession, OFWs are also involved in sports, making them instrumental in the growing fitness culture of the Philippines. With running and multisport activities such as triathlons gaining ground across the archipelago, their names in international events like the New York City Marathon, various Ironman competitions, and the savage 490-kilometer Pheidippides Run in Athens, Greece further bolster the colors of the country and is inspiring Filipinos to follow suit.
𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
Overseas Filipinos, especially those who are into fitness, are most likely to join running events whenever or wherever they are available. The United States, Canada, and Australia are just some of the countries with well-established races that gather athletes from all over the world.
This also sets the stage where Filipinos can show the world the undying “If they can do it, I can too” battle cry. It’s Pinoy Pride rolled into one and creates a ripple effect within the community to start living healthy, may it be in the form of running or other sporting activities.
The same can be said when they return home and engage in the various running events in the country. For one, they bring their passion for the sport and share it with friends and family, giving them a glimpse of what their life is when they swap their uniforms for running shoes and don their race bibs.
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨
Next on their list are endurance sports such as ultramarathons and triathlons. This particularly bodes well for Filipino athletes who are looking for a new challenge to test their discipline, mental fortitude, and physical prowess. Joining these races exposes them to world-class competitions and players that will push them to their limits.
Just like running, joining local races in the Philippines inspires local joiners. They serve as a focal person and ambassadors not only of the sport but as Filipinos who have made it through hard work, sacrifice, and lots of training.
𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬
The influence of the Filipino diaspora does not only end in sports but a nudge at our cultural identity. Overseas Filipinos are torchbearers of what it is to be someone who has ventured outside their motherland, took the chance to improve their lives, and can finally see and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
