THE rewards—monetary or in kind—came in great abundance for weightlifting gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and her fellow Tokyo Olympics heroes, but Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero (1Pacman Partylist) said they fully deserve the blessings.
“The rewards they have received and to be received were for their blood, sweat and tears during their Spartan-like training up to the tournament proper in Tokyo so it’s right and just for them to receive such abundance,” said Romero during a recent House of Representatives ceremony where Diaz and boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial were honored.
“For almost a month, the Tokyo Games heroes and other members of Team Philippines made us extremely proud to be Filipinos,” Romero said. “Time and again, they displayed the indomitable Filipino spirit.”
Besides the additional P3 million cash she received from a “pass the hat” drive initiated by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Romero and other key leaders of the House, Diaz was conferred the first Congressional Medal of Excellence, an award given solely for Filipino athletes who win a gold medal in the Olympics.
Silver medalists Petecio and Paalam and bronze winner Marcial were conferred the Congressional Medal of Distinction.
“I am immensely humbled to have received the Congressional Medal of Distinction, an award that would represent our achievements in the field of sports. I greatly appreciate this honorable gesture from our House of Representatives, specifically Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero. I hope this will serve as an inspiration to all the youths of our country,” Marcial said in his Facebook post.
Petecio, who gamely posed with several lawmakers and their staff, and Paalam also received P2 million each while Marcial got P1 million.