New national treasure

Back home, Filipinos also stayed up late until the organizers finally declared that the match would resume the following day. Their sleepless night, however, was so worth it as the next day Eala rallied back in the last two sets to shock Pegula — the world’s No. 3 player — with a heart-stopping victory.

Her win was so overwhelming that Senate impeachment court presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero took a few minutes to commend her for her victory before formally opening the day’s trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Scores of politicians, athletes, and fellow Filipinos flooded social media with congratulatory messages to the latest toast of Philippine sports.

A few days later, the action shifted north to Toronto, Canada. Eala, the new queen of professional tennis, was accorded rock star treatment as Filipino fans filled every seat of Sobeys Stadium, leaving organizers with no choice but to move her Round of 64 match against world No. 71 Alycia Parks to the 10,000-seat Center Court due to huge demand for tickets.

At the fan zone, food stalls paid homage to Eala’s Filipino roots by serving hot bowls of chicken adobo. Not surprisingly, the world-famous adobo was gone in a couple of hours.

Even Eala was overwhelmed by the tremendous support she was getting. After scoring a three-set victory over Parks — her tormentor in the Australian Open last January — she took the microphone to address the crowd in Filipino, showering them with the warmth of home despite living in cold, lonely North America.

Eala is not just writing yet another triumphant chapter in Philippine sports history; she is giving this exhausted populace a reason to unite and cheer together, even if just for a fleeting moment.

At this point, someone like Eala is what Filipinos need. With the toxic news about corruption, the high cost of fuel, crime, traffic, poverty and other social ills, and with the political climate getting hotter, she is the balm for our endless ache.

Sports is the ultimate equalizer. What Eala is doing — uniting this fragmented nation, giving Filipinos around the world a feel of home — was what eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao did in his prime.

Back then, time stood still whenever Pacquiao stepped into the ring. Crime plummeted, political bickering paused, and 110 million Filipinos bonded over every jab and left straight. Pacquiao’s fights provided a temporary relief from poverty, political instability and social unrest. That’s the reason he was branded a “national treasure.”

Now, Eala is stepping into that light. When she fought back from being down in her finale against the very dangerous Pegula, she wasn’t chasing a boost in her ranking or the handsome cash reward — she was carrying this nation that was starved for a victory, for a feel-good narrative.

Filipinos erupt in joy every time she displays grit and tenacity on the court. With every rally won and point earned, Filipinos forget about fuel prices, flood control probes and political trials as they celebrate her conquest of the global stage.

Eala’s heroics could not have come at a better time. Her exploits remind us of what we can be when we are not pulling each other down — world-class, resilient and unbeatable.

That is why this country needs more Alex Ealas. Like Pacquiao before her, we need our new national treasure to deliver the kind of good news that lifts the Filipino spirit.

Politicians and social problems will always divide us, but Filipino athletes like Eala have the unique power to heal. Even if for only a few days, her victories remind us that unity is still possible.

In a nation battered by political bickering, poverty, corruption, and various social issues, Eala proves the Filipino can win and shine bright on the global stage through hard work, grit and determination.