SENATOR Pilar Cayetano on Wednesday lauded world-class skateboarder Margielyn Didal, saying she “represents the country with pride wherever she goes.”
“Madame President, I just want to include in our acknowledgement the fact that Margie [Didal] decided at a very young age to take on a sport that was very new,” said Cayetano, reminding that “she [Didal] did not even have an official coach at the time that she took up skateboarding at.”
“At 12, against the wishes of her parents, [as] she was spending a lot of time on her skateboard, performing stunts. It took a while,” Cayetano said. “It was very difficult for her to continue her passion because like many athletes, even their own families worry for their future, worry for their safety when they embark on this, especially with skateboarding, which is very new, and can be very dangerous.”
Cayetano told the plenary that Didal is still recovering from an injury.
“Is it correct that you now have a titanium piece in your left ankle? Is that [forever in your body]?”
She added: “I am saying that these are the risks that accompany the sport that she has chosen and she has represented the country many times, and I want to say, represented the country very well.”
Didal won gold in skateboarding at the 18th Asian Games in Palembang, Indonesia, and went on to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics that was staged in 2021. That Asian Games gold was one of four titles Filipino athletes won in Indonesia.
Cayetano praised Didal for having a large following in social medial
“This young girl has a following internationally. Her live posts at Instagram immediately gets hundreds of comments from all over the world,” she said. “And she represents us well with pride wherever she goes, not just with her sport, but with her demeanor, carrying the qualities of a Filipino whose great at his/her task but humble, always smiling.
“Even when she did not make it to the podium in the Olympics, she was cheering for her rivals,” Cayetano said. “And so, we are very proud to have Margielyn Didal with us. She is an honor to all Filipinos. She brings us honor, and her spirit as a young athlete shines in everything that she does. She is a Cebuana.”