“My ancestors were warriors … We’re naturally fighters; it’s just innate.” Islay wears an ALEXANDER WANG dress. Photographed by Renzo Navarro for the February 2025 Issue of Vogue Philippines
At 24, Islay Erika Bomogao ranks as the International Federation of Muaythai Associations World No. 1.
In the country’s 300 years under Spanish rule, the mountainous region of the Cordillera was never conquered, never subjugated. The primary reason: its inhabitants, the fierce and legendary Igorot people. A warrior class so formidable, they handily routed Spanish lieutenant Mateo de Aranda’s troops when he ventured into their territory in the Igorot revolt of 1601, a quest to convert them and seize the Gran Cordillera Central’s gold deposits, which ended in defeat.
The fighting prowess of the Igorots was on full display as well during World War II, in General Douglas MacArthur’s accounts of Igorot soldiers mounting US Panzer tanks as they guided them through the jungle, decimating Japanese infantry in hand-to-hand combat. “For sheer breathtaking and heart-stopping desperation, I have never known the equal of those Igorots riding the tanks,” MacArthur intoned as cited in a newspaper article published in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette in 1942.
It’s a history that Filipino Muay Thai athlete Islay Erika Bomogao is very familiar with and proud to embody, carrying her heritage on her battle-toned shoulders every time she steps into the ring. “My ancestors were warriors, and when the Spaniards went to the Cordilleras, they weren’t able to penetrate because my ancestors fought them off. We’re naturally fighters; it’s just innate.”
That fighting spirit is awakened each match, as she goes toe-to-toe with opponents who often underestimate her 5’0” frame. “I love the rush,” she says, describing the moment she stares her rival down. “I love the feeling of getting punched and punching back. When I get punched…” she trails off, in an almost dream-like state. “You know how it is? It’s like…” she forms her hand into a fist before responding: “‘Okay, my turn.’”
The irony about Bomogao herself is that she is friendly and easygoing, even somewhat of a pacifist away from the ring. Growing up in a close-knit family with an older brother and sister, she claims she never got into fights as a child, even though she enjoyed playing in the streets and “didn’t go home until my mom called me. I was that type of kid.”
“Being an Igorot means being resilient, tough, a warrior.”
Her dad, however, is extremely health-conscious, so being mindful of nutrition and her body was something that came naturally. “In Baguio, we have a lot of vegetables, so I’m really used to eating vegetables.” An aunt encouraged her to take swimming lessons at the age of 7, and while it was an outlet for her athleticism, it was a sport at which she never excelled. “I won competitions, but I wasn’t really the best… I don’t think it was for me.”
All that changed when she discovered martial arts. She started training in Wushu, Jiu-Jitsu, and Pencak Silat before being recruited to join the Muay Thai national team after scouts noticed she topped each match, bringing home a slew of gold medals in competition. By then, she was already 16, considered an advanced age within the sport. “Here in the Philippines, a lot start as early as 7 years old, so when I started it was a bit late for me already,” she notes.
Focusing on Muay Thai, though, brought a new appreciation for its brutality and artistry. “I think it’s the most beautiful martial art. It originated in Thailand and it’s infused with so much culture. It’s not just fighting; there’s also an artistic side. And the values Muay Thai instills: respect, tradition, fair play. It’s not just punches, it’s not just kicks, what makes it unique,” she adds, are the very things that make it lethal: “there are elbows, and there are knees.”
Consistency, discipline, and having “the right people with me,” as she puts it, pays off, as over the years, Bomogao began to build her legend, becoming the first junior athlete to win gold when she was still in the youth division and taking home gold again in the ’22 SEA Games. “I’m the type of person who sets goals and does everything to achieve them. I kept myself resilient throughout the years, stuck to my regimen, and trained really well, so it wasn’t surprising for me, really.” Upon winning the World Championships in ’23, she became the first Filipina World Muay Thai champion and clinched the coveted no. 1 spot in her division worldwide at the International Federation of Muaythai Associations or IFMA. “It feels awesome and super overwhelming to be the first of something. I’m able to inspire my fellow Filipino athletes, especially the younger ones, to dream big and reach what I’ve reached, or even surpass me.”
Her meteoric rise has had its share of setbacks: tough losses here and there, a bad back, and a permanent injury on her dominant hand, her right wrist. But what sets her apart is her ability to fight through, revealing she competed with a misaligned ankle in the most recent World Championships in Greece. She religiously kept up daily online training sessions with the national team even throughout the pandemic. “I train when I’m sick! I go running even when I have a cold.”
Through it all, Bomogao knows she has a secret weapon in her arsenal that none of her competitors can claim: her Igorot heritage, and the inestimable advantage of a childhood spent in the mountains, acclimated to the loftier altitudes and thinner air that has built up her lung capacity and endurance. “Being an Igorot means being resilient, tough, a warrior,” she says. It’s no coincidence that her coaching team is from Baguio as well. Even Manny Pacquiao has been known to bring his training camp to Baguio when preparing for a match. “The high altitude plays a part; it gives you a really nice gas tank,” she says, one that has fueled her to go all the way.
By NANA CARAGAY. Photographs by RENZO NAVARRO. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Beauty Editor JOYCE OREÑA. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Makeup: Apple Faraon. Hair: Mong Amado. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Production Assistant: Divine Lorenzo. Photographer’s Assistants: Alexis Wang, Dom Pamatmat. Shot on location at The Lab.
