“It’s in unity” - Team Philippines’ Ray Querubin finds pride in teamwork despite elimination from Physical: Asia
Team Philippines’ Ray Querubin reflects on teamwork and unity in Physical: Asia, highlighting collaboration, athlete support, and lessons learned despite the team’s elimination from the competition.
Physical: Asia Team Philippines (Image via Instagram/@netflixph)
Team Philippines’ participation in Netflix’s Physical: Asia ended after a dramatic elimination, but team member Ray Querubin highlighted the value of collaboration throughout the competition.
In an Instagram post on November 11, 2025, Querubin wrote,
"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!"
He added that the team had learned about their strengths and weaknesses, built cohesion, and faced challenges together.
The post featured photos from the show and tagged fellow Philippine athletes Manny Pacquiao, Lara Liwanag, Robyn Brown, Justin Coveney, Mark Mugen, and Justine Hernandez.
Team Philippines values unity as a key strength despite elimination from Physical: Asia
Elimination against South Korea
Team Philippines became the third team eliminated from Physical: Asia after losing to South Korea in Episode 7.
Newcomer Justin Hernandez represented the team in the sack throw event against South Korea’s Amotti and Australian competitor Eddie Williams.
The event required participants to lift and throw increasingly heavy sacks over a line.
Despite several attempts, Hernandez was unable to complete the throw successfully.
The episode documented the final moments of the competition, showing that as time ran out for Team Philippines, Amotti and the rest of Team South Korea celebrated, marking their "victory".
The failure to surpass South Korea resulted in the Philippines’ exit in the middle of the Group A competition. Hernandez later reflected on the effort, saying,
"I actually don’t have any regrets because I know that I did my best. But what I couldn’t handle, and what was really hard for me to handle was letting down my team."
Team cohesion and support
Following the elimination, team members provided support for Hernandez. Team captain Justin Coveney and Mark Striegl consoled him immediately after the match.
Coveney acknowledged Hernandez’s contribution:
"Justin really showed how much of a beast he actually is, and again epitomizing what that Filipino fighting spirit is. I have a great sense of respect and pride, not only for Justin, but for all the athletes of Team Philippines."
Querubin emphasized the lessons learned from teamwork in his Instagram post.
In the post, he explained that representing the country in Netflix's Physical: Asia was a "great honor" and described how the team gained insights into their individual strengths and weaknesses while working together to build a strong, cohesive unit.
In addition, he pointed out the importance of working with the best athletes in the Philippines, emphasizing the shared work and dedication that were the main features of the team’s journey during the contest.
Even after the departure of Manny Pacquiao, the original team captain who had to go because of other commitments, the unity of the team was still there.
Performance history in the competition
Before facing South Korea, Team Philippines had survived an earlier elimination against Thailand. In that match, they succeeded in the Death Match, maintaining their standing in the tournament.
Episode 8 later featured the elimination of Turkiye from Group B, thus they were recapped as one of the teams that had left the tournament alongside the already eliminated Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines teams.
Episode 9 highlighted the ongoing competition among three teams: Mongolia, South Korea, and Australia, competing in the 1,200-kg pillar push.
This sequence of events showed that Team Philippines participated in multiple challenges and was able to advance past several rounds before their eventual elimination.
The athletes acknowledged both their achievements and setbacks in the competition while highlighting collaboration as central to their experience.
