In Focus: Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez of The Amazing Race Asia 2

In the team's profile, Rovilson was quoted as saying this: "We promise you the most animated, exciting, lovable, huggable and most fun team on The Amazing Race Asia." Now that the race is officially over, it is good to note that these two delivered on their promise. Not only were they the most animated, exciting, lovable, huggable and most fun. They were also, in my opinion at least, the most consistent and most sportsmanlike. They never bickered with each other and were out to really have a great time (how about dancing on a pole to earn some extra cash?). They treated each task as an opportunity to test their character rather than see it as another chore. I even have the feeling that they had the most fun in the race. No wonder a lot of people were rooting for this dynamic duo!!!

Watching the finale last Thursday was a harrowing experience for me. Rushing from work and being the first to arrive home, I immediately turned on the TV. I was just in time for the show, yey! For the next hour, I watched, mesmerized and forgetting to eat dinner. I was glad that they were leading for most of the race. Maybe, just maybe, they really have a good shot at winning the prize. I remained hopeful despite the gnawing feeling that the Singapore team would win (I knew it the minute I saw their Sony commercial). Then the Roadblock came. I was screaming at the top of my lungs out of frustration as Rovilson struggled to match the flags. I was putting myself in the shoes of these two and wondered how excruciating this must be for them. My heart literally ached as I saw the gym buddies and the sisters finish the task and hurriedly scrambled to the final pitstop.

However, in a rare display of magnanimity despite the inevitable loss, Marc and Rovilson ran with the Philippine flag in tow. When they reached the pitstop, the two gleefully jumped and shouted the usual, "Base!!!". After Allan Wu announced that they finished third place, the two humbly said, "We'll take it!", hugged and congratulated each other for a job well done. Allan even praised the two by saying, "No team was even near the caliber of you two."

This was the scene that will really stick in my memory. Despite being heartbroken with the sudden turn of events, I felt proud with how Marc and Rovilson finished the race. They were proud to represent the Philippines. They even sported the flag on their bags. It could not get more nationalistic than that. They wanted everybody to know that Team Philippines was a force to reckon with, and I think everybody acknowledged that. It is ironic how these two can represent this country so well, even better than the full-blooded Pinoy. Marc is an Aussie with no trace of Filipino blood and Rovilson is I think a Filipino-American. To a certain extent, they are giving something back to the country that has been so good to them. Perhaps Filipinos can learn a thing or two from these buddies.

They may not have ended up as the grand prize winners of the race, but what matters more is how they were able to, and I shall quote Marc this time, "play the game the way our parents raised us to play the game of life." In a country whose citizens are pining for new heroes, these two inspire us to not only give but also be the best that we can ever be. At a time when it seems that there is nothing that the Filipino can be proud of, their victory can be considered a remarkable milestone. To Marc and Rovilson, thank you for making the Filipinos proud once again.