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Over the years, top Filipino athletes have been given the chance to represent some of the world’s biggest brands.
The Philippines is no stranger to delivering on the international stage — from Alex Eala’s rapid rise as a tennis star, to Carlos Yulo and Hidilyn Diaz delivering Olympic gold medals for the country.
But over the years, Filipino sporting excellence has gone beyond wins and medals. Some of our top athletes have also exhibited massive star power, enough to be major ambassadors of the world’s most recognizable brands.
Here are five of them.
Alex Eala
Filipina ace Alex Eala has been supported by Nike since 2019, with Alex wearing their latest tennis gear in WTA tournaments. It’s a win-win situation for both parties, given that Alex’s popularity continues to surge across international audiences.
As a reflection of their growing partnership, Alex recently visited the Nike Headquarters in Oregon, where she was treated to a special exhibit of her career milestones. Prior to this, the Swoosh also gave Alex a custom Sampaguita hair tie for her Wimbledon debut in June, followed by a Nike By You collection featuring the national flower.
Manny Pacquiao
At his peak, Manny Pacquiao was one of the world’s biggest sporting names — a reputation that led to a long-time partnership with Nike.
Pacman was picked up by the Swoosh in 2006, beginning a relationship that included his own logo, and branded merchandise such as shirts and sneakers. Though the partnership suffered a messy divorce, it cannot be denied that Pacquiao was one of Nike’s biggest ambassadors during his prime.
These days, Pacman has been wearing shoes from Chinese brand Anta, even rocking one of their boxing shoes in his comeback fight against Mario Barrios last year.
Kiefer Ravena
As a testament to his skill and reputation, Kiefer Ravena became Jordan Brand’s first Filipino ambassador back in 2021. At the time, he was only the third Asian athlete in the roster, along with current Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) star Guo Ailun.
In case you missed it, Kiefer was part of the Jumpman’s Board of Greatness assembly last year in Athens, Greece. It was here that he rubbed shoulders with Michael Jordan himself, along with other Jordan brand ambassadors such as Luka Doncic, Maya Moore, Jalen Hurts, and many more.
Prior to joining the BoG, Kiefer was also given Player Exclusive sneakers by the Jumpman — a custom Jordan 39 that includes his personal logo, and a color scheme inspired by the Philippine flag.
Kevin Quiambao
Former La Salle ace Kevin Quiambao made history with adidas last year, becoming the first Filipino athlete to have a PE with the Three Stripes. In collaboration with toy artist Quiccs, KQ released a neon-themed version of the Adizero Select 3.0, which symbolizes the basketball star’s vision for the Filipino youth.
Coming in a bright pink base, the “KQ63” also features neon green accents, along with co-branded details between KQ and Quiccs’ signature toy robot character. Prior to its formal reveal and release, the shoes were teased by Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green during a Filipino Heritage Night game against the Utah Jazz.
Miguel Tabuena
Last but not least is Filipino golfer Miguel Tabuena, who has been a brand ambassador for Lexus Philippines since 2020. That partnership reached new heights last year, when Miguel ruled the inaugural International Series Philippines at the Sta. Elena Golf Club. Weeks after the victory, they personally awarded Miguel a brand-new Lexus LBX.
Banner images from Alex Eala on Instagram.