MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines collected 3 gold medals in taekwondo, karate and swimming at the 2009 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, as the country continues its quest to improve its standing in the biennial event.

Miguel Molina, the Best Male Athlete of the 2007 SEA Games, scored his second gold medal in the 200-meter men’s individual medley at the National Sports Complex.

The win is Molina’s successful follow up to his first place finish in the 400-meter individual medley Thursday.

Taekwondo jin Tshomlee Go, who represented the Philippines in the Beijing Olympics, also scored a gold medal in the featherweight division (over 63 kilograms) by defeating Le Huynh Chau of Vietnam.

Karateka Marna Pabillore also won first place by beating Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Hai Yen in the women's Kumite (55 kgs) finals.

Silver, bronze finishes

The country also scored silver and bronze medals in swimming, karate and taekwondo.

Filipino tanker, Charles Walker, won a silver medal in the 100m freestyle event at the National Sports Complex, while taekwondo jin Eunice Alora also finished second in the women’s bantamweight division (over 49 kgs).

Alora defeated Malaysian jin Nurul Naria in the semi-final round before bowing to Sarita Phongsri of Thailand in the finals.

Karatedo’s Rolando Lagman Jr. and Lutche Metante also scored second-place finishes in their respective divisions.

Lagman was triumphant against Yuttana Klamprabud of Thailand in the men’s Kumite (75kg and below) before losing to Inkathep Saythansavanh of Laos in the finals.

Lutche finished second to Jamalliah Jamaludin of Malaysia in the women’s Kumite (68kg) after getting past Sengdaly Kiettisack of Laos in the semis.

Olympian diver Rexel Ryan Fabriga settled for third place in the men’s 10m platform.

The Philippines now has 7 gold, 10 silver, and 7 bronze medals. However, it remained at 6th place behind Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The Philippines is trying to improve its 6th place finish in the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand SEA Games where it hauled 41 gold, 91 silver and 96 bronze medals.