MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines Women's National Team is no longer heading to the Asian Games simply hoping to make an impression.
The Filipinas return to the continental stage as a team with a Southeast Asian Games gold medal, a second consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup qualification and a growing expectation to compete with Asia's best.
When the Filipinas made their Asian Games debut in 2023, reaching the quarterfinals was already a significant achievement. Three years later, the target has shifted. The Philippines want to go further and use the tournament to find out just how close they are to the teams they once watched from afar.
Their first World Cup qualification proved they could reach the global stage. A second straight qualification showed it was no fluke. Their SEA Games gold medal showed they could win.
Now comes the harder part: Competing consistently at a higher level.
Few members of the squad have as much perspective on that journey as head coach Mark Torcaso.
The former Western United coach in Australia's A-League Men took charge of the Philippines in August 2023 and immediately guided the Filipinas to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, a month later. Their run ended in an 8-1 defeat by eventual champions Japan -- a reminder of the gap that still existed between the Filipinas and Asia's elite.
Three years later, Torcaso returns to the tournament with a more experienced team and a much clearer idea of what the Asian Games can offer.
"I've been here for three years almost, and understanding what Filipino football is about, what players are about, this is a different Asian Games for us, and obviously, we've got a World Cup as well that we're going to," Torcaso said at the team's media availability on Thursday.
"This Asian Games is all about our preparation for the World Cup."
Captain Hali Long along with experienced campaigners Katrina Guillou, Olivia McDaniel, Carleigh Frilles and Jaclyn Sawicki give the Filipinas a strong veteran presence at the Asian Games.
There are notable absences, however, with the tournament falling outside the FIFA International Match Window and limiting the players Torcaso can call upon.
Jessika Cowart, Sara Eggesvik and Chandler McDaniel are unavailable because of club commitments, while Angela Beard was ruled out after suffering a minor injury.
"Unfortunately, [Beard] got a small injury, and hopefully, she'll be available for the next camp in a couple of weeks' time," Torcaso said.
"It's nothing severe.
"There are a lot of players, experienced players that aren't here, but the girls have got a strong sense of belief of being stronger, just being stronger, getting better, always getting better."
The absences have opened the door for a younger group of players, with Aiselyn Sia, Téa Pidding, Megan Murray and Mallie Ramirez among those given an opportunity to establish themselves at senior level.
For Torcaso, the priority is to make the most of that opportunity while still setting a higher target than the previous Asian Games.
"We want to try and be better than we were the last Asian Games," he said.
"We're going to test our young players to build for the ultimate goal of the World Cup, and we're using the Asian Games as an opportunity for our team to grow to be ready for the World Cup."
If Torcaso views the Asian Games through the lens of the 2027 Women's World Cup, Sawicki sees another change in the Filipinas: How the rest of Asia now views them.
When the Philippines reached their first Women's World Cup in 2023, they did so as one of the tournament's surprise packages.
The underdog label, however, is becoming increasingly difficult to apply.
The Filipinas now enter the Asian Games on the back of back-to-back World Cup qualifications and a first SEA Games gold medal.
"The biggest thing is the perception of us has changed a little bit," Sawicki told ESPN in an exclusive interview.
"We're no longer seen as underdogs in Southeast Asia."
That changing perception brings a different challenge.
The Filipinas are trying to show their recent success can translate into sustained competitiveness against Asia's leading teams.
For Sawicki, that does not necessarily mean measuring success solely by how far the team advances.
"I think what would show our success isn't necessarily the results on paper, but to show that we at least are competing better," she said.
That means narrowing the gap when the competition reaches the latter stages.
The quarterfinals remain the benchmark from the Filipinas' previous Asian Games campaign. But the real test this time may be whether they can look more comfortable against the teams that have traditionally occupied the upper tier of Asian football.
That changing status also brings another responsibility: Bringing the next generation along.
For Guillou, the chance to share the tournament with younger players who are yet to establish themselves in the senior squad is something the veterans can embrace.
"That's just how it goes in football, but we're excited, we're confident with the group that we're bringing into the tournament," Guillou said.
"We're excited we get to share this also with the young ones and they can come and learn and help them along the way."
Guillou, who like Long has signed with Brisbane Roar for the 2026-27 Australian A-League Women season, has been part of the Filipinas' rise since 2022, experiencing the team's transition from World Cup debutants to back-to-back qualifiers.
The challenge now is to turn those breakthroughs into a higher standard that can be sustained from one generation to the next.
The Asian Games offers the next opportunity to take that step. The bigger test, however, is whether the Filipinas can close the gap to Asia's best - and build a squad capable of carrying that progress into the Women's World Cup.
The Filipinas are no longer simply trying to prove they belong. Now, they have to show they can stay there.
Philippines Women's National Team at the Asian Games
The Philippines have been drawn in Group G and will face China, Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.
The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stages.
Fixtures
Sept. 14: Philippines vs. Uzbekistan
Sept. 17: Philippines vs. Hong Kong
Sept 21: Philippines vs China
Tournament progression:
Quarterfinals: Sept. 25
Semifinals: Sept. 29
Final: Oct. 2
