The first South East Asian Games was held in December 12 to 17, 1959 in Thailand, but the Philippines did not participate until 1977 in Malaysia.
The SEA Games is a biennial sports event, meaning it happens every two years. There are 11 participating nations in the said event, and they are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Liste and Vietnam.
Below is the tally of all the medals from gold, silver and bronze since it joined the SEA Games in 1977.
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 Kuala Lumpur | 31 | 30 | 30 | 91 | 3 |
| 1979 Jakarta | 24 | 31 | 38 | 93 | 4 |
| 1981 Manila | 55 | 55 | 77 | 187 | 3 |
| 1983 Singapore | 49 | 48 | 53 | 150 | 2 |
| 1985 Bangkok | 43 | 54 | 32 | 129 | 3 |
| 1987 Jakarta | 59 | 78 | 69 | 206 | 3 |
| 1989 Kuala Lumpur | 26 | 37 | 64 | 127 | 5 |
| 1991 Manila | 91 | 62 | 84 | 237 | 2 |
| 1993 Singapore | 57 | 59 | 72 | 188 | 3 |
| 1995 Chiang Mai | 33 | 48 | 64 | 145 | 3 |
| 1997 Jakarta | 43 | 57 | 109 | 209 | 4 |
| 1999 Bandar Seri Begawan | 20 | 26 | 41 | 87 | 5 |
| 2001 Kuala Lumpur | 31 | 65 | 67 | 163 | 5 |
| 2003 Hanoi | 49 | 55 | 75 | 179 | 4 |
| 2005 Manila | 113 | 84 | 94 | 291 | 1 |
| 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima | 41 | 91 | 96 | 228 | 6 |
| 2009 Vientiane | 38 | 35 | 51 | 124 | 5 |
| 2011 Jakarta | 36 | 56 | 77 | 169 | 6 |
| 2013 Napyidaw | 29 | 34 | 38 | 101 | 7 |
| 2015 Singapore | 29 | 36 | 66 | 131 | 6 |
| 2017 Kuala Lumpur | 23 | 33 | 64 | 120 | 6 |
| 2019 Philippines | 149 | 117 | 121 | 387 | 1 |
| Total | 1,069 | 1,191 | 1,482 | 3,742 | – |
The Philippines has participated in the biennial game 22 times since 1977.
Below is the all time medal standings of the Philippines and is in fourth place as of 2019.
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Thailand (THA) |
2254 | 1930 | 1943 | 6127 |
| 2 |  Indonesia (INA) |
1824 | 1703 | 1780 | 5307 |
| 3 |  Malaysia (MAS) |
1303 | 1273 | 1685 | 4261 |
| 4 |  Philippines (PHI) |
1067 | 1193 | 1477 | 3737 |
| 5 |  Singapore (SGP) |
947 | 1002 | 1363 | 3312 |
| 6 |  Vietnam (VIE) |
928 | 867 | 990 | 2785 |
| 7 |  Myanmar (MYA) |
564 | 741 | 992 | 2297 |
| 8 |  Cambodia (CAM) |
69 | 115 | 258 | 442 |
| 9 |  Laos (LAO) |
69 | 93 | 319 | 481 |
| 10 |  Brunei (BRU) |
14 | 55 | 163 | 232 |
| 11 |  East Timor (TLS) |
3 | 6 | 26 | 35 |
| Totals (11 NOCs) | 9042 | 8978 | 10996 | 29016 | |