LA UNION, Philippines — Jose Virgil Perez, owner of Barbells and Brew Elyu Strength Lab, the first powerlifting gym in La Union, captured four gold medals and the Masters 1 (M1) Best Lifter award at the East Asia & Southeast Asia Sub-regional Combined Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships 2026 in Hainan, China, held March 26–30.
Representing Team Philippines, Perez competed in the Masters 1 division (ages 40–49) under the 93-kilogram weight class.
He topped all three events with a 230-kg squat, 132.5-kg bench press, and 240-kg deadlift, for a 602.5-kg total. The performance earned him overall first place in his division.
Perez’s international victory highlights the growing presence of powerlifting in La Union and brings recognition to the province’s strength-sports community.
