Yulo’s gold haul: Gimme 5!

He matched the five-gold medal haul recorded by Rolando Albuera, who achieved the feat in the Jakarta 1979 SEA Games where the Philippines collected a total of 24 gold medals and finished fourth overall.

Filipino-american Aleah Finnegan was responsible for two gold medals in women’s team and vault—as well as a silver medal in the balance beam, losing to Malaysia’s Rachel Yeoh Li Wen (12.567-12.467).

Also contributing to the country’s coffers was dancesport with four gold medals after being limited to one last Sunday, as well as bowler Merwin Tan who ruled the men’s singles and ended an 11-year golden drought by the keglers.

In athletics, 110-meter hurdler Clinton Kingston Bautista added a gold to the country’s campaign.

Tan, a 22-year-old left-hander, came from behind to rule the men’s singles event at the Royal City Hanoi Bowling Lanes, rolling a six-bagger in the sixth and last frame to beat Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand and Ryan Leonard Lalisang of Indonesia.

Tan finished with a total score of 1292, his bid immensely helped by a 294 in the sixth frame after scoring 234 in the fifth frame that bumped him up to No. 3 overall. Larpapharat and Lalisang were relegated to silver and bronze, respectively, with scores of 1286 and 1221.

Elsewhere in the games, Gilas Pilipinas escaped with a thrilling 76-73 win over perennial rival Thailand at the start of regular men’s basketball at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium.

The Thais made a game of it throughout, trailing by just six at the 36-42. Nakorn Jaisanuk missed what could have been a game-tying three-pointer in the Thais’ last possession.

The Gilas women had an easier time, handily beating Indonesia 93-77.

Billiards great Efren “Bata” Reyes, still a big hit with Vietnamese fans, advanced to the semifinals of the men’s one-cushion carom singles, beating Suriya Suwannasingh of Thailand 65-58.