The Philippine Olympic Committee fielded a team of 19 athletes, nine men and ten women, to compete in eleven different sports at the Games.

The Philippines left Tokyo with its best Olympic performance ever, bringing home four medals (a record later surpassed in Paris 2024).

[1] Araneta succeeded Joey Romasanta who had been appointed as chef de mission for the same edition of the Olympics by Tolentino's predecessor, Ricky Vargas.

[3] The Philippines also sent five technical officials to the 2020 Summer Olympics: Karla Cabrera (archery), Marilee Estampador (fencing), Len Escollante (canoe), Jercyl Lerin (rowing) and Ferdinand Pascual (basketball).

The Philippines failed attempts to qualify athletes in archery, basketball (including 3x3), cycling, fencing, karate, surfing, and windsurfing.

[6] For the opening ceremony, it was announced on 7 July 2021 that pole vaulter EJ Obiena and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe would be the flagbearers of the Philippines.

[17] Another member of Team Philippines, a foreign coach who arrived in Tokyo was suspected to have contracted COVID-19 after routine testing yielded false positive and negative results.

All athletes except for Hidilyn Diaz (who has made four consecutive appearances since the 2008 Summer Olympics) were first time competitors in the games.

Knott aimed to compete in the women's 200 m, but participated in a number of 100 m races in the run-up to the Olympics due to a dearth of 200 m competitions, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2019 world silver medalist Eumir Marcial (men's middleweight) and 2019 Southeast Asian Games runner-up Irish Magno (women's flyweight) secured places in their respective weight divisions.

[36][37][38] Reigning world champion Nesthy Petecio (women's featherweight) and Carlo Paalam (men's flyweight) completed the nation's boxing lineup by topping the list of eligible boxers from Asia and Oceania in their respective weight divisions after the World Olympic Boxing Qualifier tournament, due to be held in Paris, France, was cancelled.

[39] Quarantine measures imposed in the Philippines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on training, with some boxers reportedly gaining an extra 10 kilograms (22 lb) of weight due a lack of exercise while stranded in their homes.

[40] Eumir Marcial prepared for the Olympics in the United States, while the three other qualified boxers were sent to a training camp in Thailand.

[45] Nesthy Petecio progressed all the way to the gold medal match, but lost to Japanese boxer Sena Irie, winning silver instead.

[53] Nineteen-year-old Carlos Yulo booked a spot in the men's individual all-around and apparatus events by topping the list of twelve gymnasts eligible for qualification at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

Yulo insisted that he was not affected by pressure or nervousness during his floor exercise performance and dismissed reports that he was nursing an injury, which he said he had sustained over three months ago.

Cris Nievarez secured the fourth of five berths available at the 2021 FISA Asia & Oceania Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tokyo, Japan.

Ahead of the opening ceremony on 23 July, Nievarez clocked 7:22.97 in Heat 5 of the men's single sculls event, qualifying for the quarterfinals.

[72] He finished 23rd overall out of 32 rowers after competing in the classification final D.[73] According to Philippine Rowing Association president, Patrick Gregorio, Nievarez's performance was "beyond expectations".

Asian Games champion Margielyn Didal was automatically selected among the top 16 eligible skateboarders in the women's street based on the World Skate Olympic Rankings.

[80] The Philippines received an invitation from FINA to send two top-ranked swimmers (one per gender) in their respective individual events to the Olympics.

[81] Luke Gebbie and Remedy Rule qualified by satisfying the Olympic Standard Time for their respective individual events.

Kurt Barbosa secured a spot in the men's flyweight category (58 kg) with a top two finish at the 2021 Asian Qualification Tournament in Amman, Jordan.

[87][88] Barbosa was drawn to face top-ranked South Korean athlete Jang Jun, who also won gold in the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships, in the Round of 16.

[89] Barbosa lost to Jang, but he could have still played in the repechage to potentially clinch a bronze medal if the South Korean reached the final.

[99][100] Elreen Ando, for her part, finished 7th in her event, but managed to set new Philippine national records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total in her weight class.