November 12, 2025 | 5:01pm
MANILA, Philippines — The freshly dropped episode of the much-talked about “Physical Asia” series drew knee-jerk reactions from many of its Filipino fans as it brought a news many viewers did not want to know.
Team Philippines bowed out of the intense reality TV competition where the best athletes and physical fitness enthusiasts try to outlast and outwit each other in every quest. The format saw eight countries, including the Philippines, fighting over various strength and endurance challenges.
The latest episode saw newly introduced team member Justin Hernandez, a CrossFitter, battle it out with contestants from Australia and South Korea in Group A. At the end of the sack throw challenge, Hernandez failed to outlast his Korean opponent, Amotti, who was the champion of the second season of “Physical 100”. The latter is the main show from South Korea from where the regional format took inspiration from.
Hernandez’s short stint in the show followed the exit of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as seen in the fifth episode due to other “obligations” he had to attend to. The Filipino boxing icon was tapped as the team’s captain. He was replaced by national rugby player Justin Coveney.
Apart from Coveney, Querubin, Hernandez and Striegl, Team Philippines was represented by Olympic athlete Robyn Lauren Brown and CrossFit champion Lara Liwanag.
The Philippines joins Turkey, Thailand and Indonesia among the eliminated countries.
‘Honored and privileged’
Coveney, Striegl and Querubin all thanked their fellow Filipinos for watching the show and for cheering them on in every quest.
“Maraming salamat to all our Filipino supporters and to everyone around the world who cheered us on throughout this journey! We fought with pride and with heart and we hope we have made you all proud,” Coveney wrote on his social media accounts.
Ray Querubin shared the same sentiments, adding that he and his teammates learned a lot in their short time together. He also stressed about the power of a team relying on unity, rather than “muscles.”
“It’s a great honor to represent our country in Netflix: Physical Asia. We’ve learned a lot during this competition, understanding our own strengths and weaknesses while building a strong team. We have witnessed blood, tears, pain, and success. The real power of a team isn’t in muscles — it’s in unity. Team Philippines, Laban Pilipinas!” Querubin wrote.
Striegl, who recently trended for his impressive endurance and mental fortitude during the hanging challenge, described his participation in the show as a “rollercoaster and an absolute adventure”. He also called his teammates as “the best”.
“It was an honor and privilege to represent the country and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported our team. To my teammates, you’re the best. I hope we showed the Filipino fighting spirit to the very fullest. Laban Pilipinas!!” Mugen wrote.
“Physical Asia” has three more episodes to drop before its scheduled finale’s release on November 18.
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