Barong Goals: Team Philippines Arrives in Style at the Asian Games Opening

The Asian Games are officially on. Team Philippines marched at the opening ceremony in Nagoya on Saturday in a "Malaya" barong by Francis Libiran, with boxer Aira Villegas and weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos carrying the flag.

Kulay News TeamEditorial Team

Sep 19, 20261 min readUpdated Oct 12, 5:14 PM

A traditional Japanese castle under a blue sky — The 20th Asian Games opened in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Key Facts

The 20th Asian Games opened on September 19 in Nagoya, Japan.
Aira Villegas and Albert Ian Delos Santos were the flag bearers.
More than 400 Filipino athletes are competing.
The team wore a "Malaya" barong designed by Francis Libiran.
The Games run until October 4.

Let the Games begin!

The 20th Asian Games officially opened on Saturday, September 19, at Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, and Team Philippines showed up looking sharp.

The fit

The delegation wore a "Malaya" barong with a matching cap by designer Francis Libiran. According to him, it features "symbols that speak of who we are." Barong in Japan? Iconic.