The Philippines competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan with two athletes who competed in alpine skiing.

[1][2] Cousins Juan Cipriano and Ben Nanasca represented the Philippines in alpine skiing.

They were adopted as teenagers by a family in New Zealand and were part of a development team funded by the Swiss government.

[3] To commemorate the first participation of the above Filipino athletes in the first Winter Olympic Games in Asia, a leading Manila film company, Sampaguita Pictures and the Vera-Perez family behind it, filmed a feature film, Winter Holiday, on location in Sapporo and around the Games.

Winter Holiday was a musical film which starred the most popular duo of singing film stars in Filipino movies at that time--Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz; and also the above-named skiers, Ben Nanasca and Johnny Cipriano, in minor roles playing themselves.