#InquirerSeven Most Fist-Pumping Stories of Pinoy Pride of 2014

MANILA, Philippines –  With 2014 slowly moving over to usher the new year, INQUIRER.net looks at all the triumphs of Filipinos around the world that brought pride to the country.

This fourth of seven #InquirerSeven listicles remembers the seven Most Fist-Pumping Stories of Pinoy Pride of 2014.

Read the full list of the Inquirer #BestOfSeven 2014 Yearender special.

MICHAEL MARTINEZ WINS HEARTS AT OLYMPICS

Despite being the Philippines’ lone entry in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and finishing 19th out of 24, 19-year-old Michael Martinez won the hearts of many Filipinos for his gutsy and passionate performance.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• Sochi Olympics: Martinez ends up at 19th but gains attention of nation, world
• Lone PH bet Martinez stands tall at Sochi Winter Olympics
• Michael Martinez conquers Sochi with gutsy performance in Men’s Free Skating

FILIPINOS RETURN TO STAGE ‘MISS SAIGON’

Following in the footsteps of award-winner Lea Salonga, Filipinos took to the stage in the 2014 revival of “Miss Saigon”: Filipino-American Eva Noblezada played Kim; Jon Jon Briones played The Engineer; and singer Rachelle Ann Go stunned the audience as world-weary bar girl Gigi.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• The heat’s still on in the new ‘Miss Saigon’
• Filipino ‘Engineer’ a ‘sleazier’ smash hit in Miss Saigon revival in London
• Rachelle Ann Go living her dream as cast of ‘Miss Saigon’

THE HEART OF GILAS PILIPINAS

It was a bittersweet year for Gilas Pilipinas; they didn’t win medals during the Fiba Basketball World Cup and the Southeast Asian Games this year, but they won the hearts of Filipinos with their passion for the game and puso, or heart.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• FIBA 2014
• Philippines climbs to world No. 31 in latest Fiba Rankings
• Gilas: The Road to Spain

PHILIPPINE ARENA IS THE ‘WORLD’S LARGEST’

With a seating capacity of 55,000, the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan is touted as the world’s largest multipurpose arena. Built by the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Arena is the centerpiece of a 140-hectare tourism zone called Ciudad de Victoria.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• ‘History to be made’ at ‘jaw-dropping’ Philippine Arena
• More than 50,000 jam PH Arena for PBA opener
• Concerts we’d like to see at the Philippine Arena

FILIPINO PEACEKEEPERS PULL ‘GREAT ESCAPE’

Fighting off more than a hundred Syrian rebels for several hours while being surrounded and running low on ammunition, 40 Filipino peacekeepers pulled off the “greatest escape” in Golan Heights last August. Their UN commander drew flak for previously ordering the Filipinos to surrender.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• Filipino peacekeepers pull off ‘greatest escape’ from Syrian rebels
• PH troops repel Syrian rebels
• ‘7 hours of fighting enemy is cowardice?’

RISE OF PINOY ‘MAINDIE’ FILMS

This year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Festival drew more aspiring actors and crowds while Filipino filmmakers received critical acclaim in film festivals around the world, from Lav Diaz at the Locarno International Film Festival to young Mikhail Red at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• The road to Cinemalaya Year 10
• When X means Cinemalaya
• Mainstream filmmakers embark on the Cinemalaya adventure

‘LET IT GO’ COMPOSER IS FILIPINO-AMERICAN

Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez won the Best Song Award in the 2014 Academy Awards and were also included in Time’s Most Influential People list for a singular achievement: Their song “Let it Go” in the animated feature film “Frozen” became a worldwide phenomenon, continuing to trend months after its release in November 2013.

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY:

• Fil-Am composer wins Oscars’ best song for Frozen’s ‘Let It Go’
• Composer of ‘Let It Go’ among Time’s Most Influential People
• Fun, music-filled morning with Fil-Am Tony, Grammy winners