PROMISING Filipino gymnast Karl Eldrew Yulo claimed five medals at the Pacific Rim Championships held in Cali, Colombia.

Yulo claimed two gold medals and three silver medals as he led the attack of the Philippine gymnastics team, which collected eight medals in the competition.

Yulo, brother of two-time Olympian and world champion Carlos, topped the floor exercise and vault contests.

The 17-year-old, who emerged as the most bemedalled in Batang Pinoy last year with seven medals, finished second in the individual all-around, still rings, and pommel horse to complete his five-medal haul.

Yulo's mother Angelica went to Facebook to express her pride in her son.

She also thanked all the people behind the scenes who made her son's victory possible, including Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion and Yulo's coach Reyland Capellan.

"Yaaahhhooooo.. You're undeniably strong and a beast at a very young age. First time to compete at the world stage, and yet you've finished with flying colors," said Angelica in a post.

John Ivan Cruz, Juancho Miguel Besana, and Ancilla Mari Manzano are the three other medalists on the Philippine team, which includes Yulo's sister Elaiza.

Cruz snared a gold medal in the vault, and Besana bagged a bronze. Manzano took the bronze in the women's vault.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Martin Romualdez congratulated fencer Samantha Kyle Catantan for qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"It fills my heart with immense pride to congratulate Samantha for her historic achievement in qualifying for the Paris games at the young age of 22. This is an impressive feat from our kababayan (countryman). You can always trust a Filipina to proudly carry our nation's flag," Romualdez said.

"Considering Samantha wasn't even born when the last Filipino fencer competed in the Olympics, her journey to the games is nothing short of legendary. This is a joyous milestone for her, her family, and the entire country. Samantha, you are more than an athlete; you are an inspiration," Romualdez said.