Ernie Gawilan

Ernie Agat Gawilan with underdeveloped extremities resulting to him lacking both legs and an underdeveloped left limb due to surviving an attempted abortion and poor pre-natal healthcare in the Marilog District of Davao City. He was orphaned at the young age after his father left him. His mother died of cholera when he was still five months old and his father left Ernie and his mother after the patriarch discovered his mother's infidelity. His grandfather took custody of him until when Ernie Gawilan met businessman Vicente Ferrazzini when he was nine years old. Ferrazzini convinced Gawilan's grandfather to send him to Davao City proper in a training center for the handicapped.

In the city, he reside at the Our Lady of Victory Training Center with other handicapped youth under the custody of the Maryknoll sisters of St. Dominic. Gawilan studied Holy Cross of Sasa for his high school studies and finished at least his second year studies. on May 5, 1991

Ernie Gawilan was brought to Samal Island in 2000 where he worked as a housekeeper of another training center operated by nuns. It was at this place that Gawilan took up swimming. Gawilan formalized his qualification to the Olympics when he took part in a review classification race in the 2021 World Para Swimming World Series in Berlin which was held on June 18, 2021. Asian Para Games Gawilan with his medals which he won at the 2018 Asian Para Games. Ernie Gawilan has competed in the Asian Para Games. At the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea, he won three bronze medals, the most among the Philippine delegation.

On October 24, 2023, Gawilan won a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in the men’s 400m freestyle-S7 event ahead of Toh Wei Soong. On February 21, 2024, Gawilan and Angel Atom "secured slots for the 2024 Summer Paralympics, through the Minimum Qualifying Standard" said the Philippine Sports Commission.

ASEAN Para Games At the 2015 ASEAN Para Games in Singapore, Gawilan satisfied the Olympic qualifying time of 4:48.29 after he won a gold medal at the men's 400-meter freestyle S8 event with the time of 4:48.49. The feat qualified him for the 2016 Summer Paralympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro. The result was also an ASEAN Para Games recording beating the former record result of 5:03.09, as well as Gawilan's previous personal best of 4:53.67. The performance was followed by another gold at the men's 200 individual medley event. Before winning a gold medal at the games, Gawilan clinched the silver medal at the men's 100m freestyle event.

At the 2025 ASEAN Para Games in Thailand in January 2026, Gawilan won a gold medal at the men's 200-meter freestyle S7 event, setting up a new games record of 2:26.08. This surpassed the time set by Thai swimmer Sittichai Somyut at the 2008 ASEAN Para Games.