Philip Delarmino was just a poor boy from Iloilo and for him to earn money to buy food, he has to search in trash bins and look for something that he can sell. His life changed for the better after he learned Muay Thai. To date, he is the National Team Captain of the men’s team of the Muay Thai Philippines. He has represented the Philippines in different international competitions that were held outside the country.
Philip Delarmino was still very young when his father got sick and eventually went blind. His father used to be a pedicab driver and the young Philip, wanting to help his father, also tried to drive a pedicab. He was just a small kid at that time and the job proved to be hard for him.
He then turned to be a scavenger so he can help his family put food on the table. When he grew up, he got interested in Muay Thai. Together with his brothers, they would watch bouts that were held in their hometown. Since they have no money for training, they can’t approach the coaches. They got contented watching the athletes and practice at home. They would, later on, join as underdogs in Muay Thai during town fiestas.
They would get paid with Php150 per match regardless if they win or not. Winners, on the other hand, got paid with Php500 so the boys became more interested in Muay Thai because, for poor boys like them, it’s already a big amount. He won the Muay Thai national competition at 16 yrs. old.
He was then sent to represent the Philippines in international competitions. He won a silver medal in the SEA Games in Myanmar and in 2017 he won the same at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. He is now aiming for gold in the 2019 SEA Games that will be held here starting November 30.
(source)