Toyota honors Yulo, Gawilan at Nagoya celebration
Toyota Motor Asia celebrated the achievements of Filipino athletes Carlos Yulo and Ernie Gawilan at its One Team Asia event in Nagoya, Japan, while unveiling a regional music collaboration featuring Filipino indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben.
The event brought together athletes and musicians from across Asia following the conclusion of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games.
Yulo secured two gold medals in the men's floor exercise and vault at the Asian Games, delivering the Philippines' first two gold medals of the competition.
Para swimmer Gawilan, meanwhile, captured his third consecutive Asian Para Games gold in the men's 400-meter freestyle S7 event and added a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley SM7.
The Filipino athletes were among seven Global Team Toyota Athletes representing six Asian countries recognized for their performances.
Other honorees included Thai badminton champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Indonesian para cyclist Muhammad Fadli Imamuddin and Singaporean para swimmer Toh Wei Soong.
Alongside the sporting celebration, Toyota unveiled "New Day Rising," a collaborative track developed under its Move Your World Beat initiative.
The project brought together seven musicians from across Asia, including Ben&Ben members Miguel and Paolo Benjamin, Singaporean singer-songwriter Shye, Malaysian musician Belle Sisoski, Pakistani artist Natasha Noorani and Thai-Italian singer Valentina Ploy.
The track combines musical elements from the participating artists, incorporating sounds sampled from Toyota vehicles.
Toyota also launched "Move Your World Beat: Volume 1," featuring the artists' individual compositions.
Preston Tan, vice president of Toyota Motor Asia, said the initiative reflects the company's commitment to supporting athletes and creative talents beyond their individual achievements.
"At Aichi-Nagoya 2026, we witnessed remarkable achievements from our athletes, each driven by their own ambitions and determination to push beyond their limits. Their journeys remind us that progress is personal, and every achievement has the power to inspire others," Tan said.
Toyota said the program forms part of its broader efforts to promote inclusivity, creativity and community engagement through sports and music.