By Richard Ian Bert C. Bolosan

In the endless scroll of Palarong Pambansa highlights flooding TikTok, one quiet video of a young man entering Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium during the opening program of the Palarong Pambansa stopped me in my tracks.

The phrase “Every athlete’s dream- Palarong Pambansa is flashed  all over the clip but the caption hit like a punch to my heart that says Buti nalang hindi ako sumuko (I’m glad I didn’t give up).

In that single sentence was a world of pain, persistence, and quiet triumph. It wasn’t just a post—it was a reminder of why Rafael Depio Guinto, an 18-year old runner from Columban College Inc. of Region 3 fight for his dreams.

Before Rafael set his foot to this year’s Palarong Pambansa, his road was paved not with applause but with silence, self-doubt, and aching perseverance. He had tried and failed to qualify three times—each attempt carving deeper the wound of a dream delayed.

He started with high spirits. In 2022, a glimmer of hope arrived when he clinched two gold medals in the 5000m and 1500m runs at Batang Pinoy. It was his moment, a breakthrough, a signal that he was ready for the national stage.

Naturally, all eyes were on him in 2023 but surprisingly he failed to win in the regionals.

The following year, he ran with the weight of expectations and the silent prayers of those who believed he would finally wear his region’s name at Palarong Pambansa. He Won Gold in 800m run but fate had one more test—he missed the qualifying spot by just one slot. One heartbeat. One breath. And with it, the will to continue began to slip away.

“I wanted to quit,” he admitted later. “I thought maybe the dream wasn’t meant for me.”

But the soul of an athlete is not easily silenced.

In 2025, against the ghosts of his past defeats and the echoes of “almost”, he ran again—this time not for the crowd, not even for redemption, but for himself. At the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association Meet, he finished with silver. It wasn’t gold. But it was enough. Enough to qualify. Enough to prove that pain has purpose and perseverance pays off.

“Buti nalang hindi ako sumuko sa pangarap ko. Yung iba, madali lang makapasok  sa Palarong Pambansa, pero  ako dumaan muna sa butas ng karayom bago ko masungkit ang pangrap ko”, he recalled.

He didn’t bring home a medal at his event-200m run from this year’s Palarong Pambansa. The podium remained untouched, but for him, the real victory was simply being there—standing shoulder to shoulder with the country’s best, wearing his region’s colors with pride, and finally living the moment he had once only dreamed of.

His story—raw, unfiltered, and achingly human—touched thousands. A simple video, captioned “Buti nalang hindi ako sumuko,” rippled through TikTok like a quiet anthem of resilience. It amassed 18.6k  likes and over 135.3k views—not for a record-breaking time, but for the timeless message it carried.

He may not have stood on the winners’ podium, but he stood for something far more enduring. Hope. Grit. The quiet power of not giving up when the world gives you every reason to.

Rafael’s Palarong Pambansa race may be over, but his journey is far from finished. With eyes now set on the collegiate track, he carries more than just the lessons of the past years—he carries the fire that kept him running through every loss and every heartbreak, Because in the end, his greatest victory wasn’t measured in seconds or medals.

It was measured in hearts moved, spirits lifted, and dreams reignited—all because he didn’t stop and that is Rafael D. Guinto’s real gold.