President also gives Hidilyn fully furnished house and lot in Zamboanga as he congratulates her for Olympic gold medal finish
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte congratulated weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz for winning the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and rewarded her with an additional P3 million, aside from the monetary incentive earlier provided by the government.
President Duterte also awarded Diaz the Presidential Medal of Merit, and gave her a fully furnished house and lot in her hometown in Zamboanga.
A four-time Olympian, Diaz ended the Philippines’s near century-long wait for Olympic gold after the country first competed in the Games in 1924.
During a Zoom call with Diaz, the President urged her to forget the “bad things that happened in the past.”
“The nation is ecstatic about your achievement. Your achievement is the achievement of the Philippine nation,” President Duterte told Diaz. “So we are extremely proud. We cannot express even in the words of an athlete how we should really be shouting hallelujah. Pero salamat naman sa pagtiis mo.”
-Duterte: “Forget what happened in the past”-
“I hope that the years of toil, the years of disappointments and the years na hindi maganda ang nangyari in the past, just forget them.”
The Olympic hero arrived on Wednesday in Manila after claiming on Monday the country’s first Olympic gold in the women’s 55 kgs.
Aside from P3-million reward given by the President, she will receive the P10-million incentive from the government on top of other monetary incentives from private individuals.
“You already have the gold — gold is gold. And it would be good for you to just let bygones be bygones and dwell solely on your victory together with your family and of course with the nation,” Duterte said.
“Now, Hidilyn, the following are what is due you — kasi you are a member of the Armed Forces at alam mo naman may mga housing projects ako for soldiers. So diyan sa Zamboanga mayroon akong projects para sa mga — house and lot sa mga sundalo. So hindi mo na ito kailangan. Well, maybe someday may mga relatives ka, kapatid mo mag-sundalo rin, you might just keep it this time and think of what you should be doing. I am going to give you one fully furnished — furnished na. It’s a house and lot in Zamboanga City,” he said.
Duterte also gave some advice to Hidilyn, adding that her victory was a blessing from God.
“So ayusin mo mabuti ang buhay mo. You have been blessed by God. And this — hindi naman malaki, hindi naman maliit –— this would go a long way to help your family,” he said.
“Alam mo the struggle of life is a long, long process. Maging political ano mo na ‘to. You are
already a celebrity — it’s a political stock so keep note of that. One day you would want to also
to — baka makatulong ka sa country in some other way other than being a soldier.”
-Salute for Hidilyn-
The President also saluted the Olympic gold medal winner.
“It is always the honor that you brought to the country that’s what counts most. So mabuhay ka at ako naman ang magsaludo sa iyo. Yes, ma’am,” he said.
Prior to her win on Monday, Hidilyn Diaz won a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and other members of the President’s cabinet, also greeted and congratulated Hidilyn on her victory. Among them are Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., who was a former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“Bilang isang former Chief of Staff, talagang tuwang-tuwa ako kasi lalo na ‘yung nirerepresent ‘yung Air Force at you’re representing the glory of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of National Defense,” Galvez said.
“Continue your hard work. Alam ko galing tayo sa mahihirap and then your ano your contribution
to the national pride will be forever remembered and cherished. Congratulations!”
(Eagle News Service)
