Eric Buhain

Eric Reyes Buhain (; born April 12, 1970) is a Filipino former competitive swimmer and politician who served as a Member of the House of Representatives for Batangas's 1st district from 2022 to 2025.

He won several medals in the Southeast Asian Games from 1985 to 1993, and participated in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics. He later became a sports administrator. During the Arroyo administration, he served as chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, chairman of the Games and Amusements Board, and an executive director of the Bureau of Immigration.

Career Competitive swimming Eric ventured into swimming not because he dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal, but because of his doctor's advice to improve his lungs. Eric was born with primary lung complex. He enrolled in a two-week swimming program at the age of seven. Yet his training was breached by another illness, hepatitis. However, this didn't stop him; a year later he was training again and taking the advance course in swimming, the competitive course, at age nine. It was at this age that he got into the varsity swimming team of De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and vowed to win a gold medal in the sport.

By 1981, he was a member of the Philippine Team and swam in the 400-meter individual medley at age eleven. But it was in his first Southeast Asian Games in 1985, held in Bangkok, Thailand, where he snatched the gold in the same category at the age of fifteen. He participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics and was also chosen as the country's flag bearer for the opening ceremonies.

In the 1989 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Buhain broke one of the existing SEA Games swimming records. In the 1991 Southeast Asian Games, where the Philippines was the host, he made a huge contribution to the gold medal record of the host country by winning most of the events in swimming. He was chosen to represent the Philippines in the 1992 Summer Olympics. He didn't win any medals in that sporting event.

Even though he won several gold medals in the 1993 Southeast Asian Games, Buhain decided to retire from his swimming career. He was disappointed by the poor government management that led to a mediocre performance of the Philippines team in that sporting event.

Sports administration Buhain spent his early career in sport administration as the national training director of the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) and president of the Professional Swimming Coaches Academy of the Philippines (ProSCAP).

In 2023, Buhain was elected as general secretary of Philippine Swimming (later Philippine Aquatics)

Politics In the 2022 elections, Buhain is a candidate for representative of Batangas' 1st district, the seat his wife is scheduled to vacate. He ran against his sister-in-law, Lisa Ermita, and won. He sought re-election in 2025, but lost to Leandro Leviste. He is being implicated in the anomalous flood control projects in his district during his term.

Personal life The oldest child of former Bacoor, Cavite municipal vice mayor Cecilia Reyes-Buhain, Buhain finished his elementary and secondary education at the De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Ayala Alabang. In 1991, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in finance at La Salle University in Philadelphia, United States.

Buhain is the husband of former Representative Eileen Ermita-Buhain of the 1st district of Batangas, and the son-in-law of former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

Buhain is the older sibling of Camille Buhain-Javier, one of the three women-lawyers behind the Filipino YouTube channel, The Soshal Network.

Electoral history

Honors and awards

Philippine Sports Hall of Fame: 2021 PSA Athlete of the Year: 1987, 1991