ILOILO City – Iloilo is set to mark a groundbreaking moment in Philippine sports as 21-year-old Angela Joy Marie “Dayday” Bermejo of Miag-ao becomes the first Ilongga ever to represent the country in track cycling at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Bermejo will compete in the Scratch Race on December 18, 2025 at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, a milestone that positions her as a trailblazer for Western Visayas and Philippine cycling.
Bermejo’s rise is remarkable. Originally a taekwondo athlete, she shifted to cycling during the pandemic and quickly emerged as a standout performer. She won a silver medal in the 2024 National Road Championship in the Under-23 time trial and placed fourth in both the criterium and road race events.
Her performances led to her recruitment into the Standard Insurance Philippine Women’s Continental Team, paving the way for international stints in Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and Thailand.
At the SEA Games, Bermejo joins an elite Philippine Track Cycling Team that includes Prince Asas of California / Pampanga and Andrei Tudor Corpuz of Cavite (Points Race), and Steven Tablizo of Quezon City (Keirin).
The squad recently wrapped up a two-week camp at the Tagaytay City Velodrome, training with Standard Insurance riders under former SEA Games medalist Jan Paul Morales.
The cyclists will intensify preparations following their Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test at Sparkhub Indoor Cycling and participation in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Anti-Doping seminar.
Coach Virgilio Espiritu expressed measured optimism about the team’s chances, noting they aim for a respectable finish against regional powerhouses Malaysia and Thailand.
The Philippines last enjoyed strong track cycling results in the 2011 SEA Games, bagging 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Bermejo, a product of the Iloilo City Sports Academy Cycling Team under coaches Alfred “Pido” Gargollo and Teessai Blanco, has already attracted praise from the local government.
“Let’s all send our loudest cheers and best wishes to the incredible Angela Joy Marie ‘Day-Day’ Bermejo as she makes history! Day-Day is the 1st Ilongga cyclist to join the exhilarating world of Track Cycling at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games 2025 in Thailand! This is a massive moment for Iloilo City and the entire Philippines,” the Iloilo City Government wrote on Facebook.
Bermejo’s debut signals not only her personal breakthrough but also the growing visibility and promise of Ilonggo athletes in elite international competition./PN
