Duterte gives add’l cash rewards for medalists; other Tokyo athletes to get P200k
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte awarded additional cash incentives to all the Filipino athletes who competed in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, and said that the Olympic medalists would also be receiving the “Order of Lapu-Lapu” for bringing honor to the country.
In his virtual meeting on Monday, Aug. 9, with the four Filipino boxers who represented the country in the Tokyo Olympics, President Duterte congratulated not only the medalists but all the athletes who joined the Olympics. He said that all the Olympians would also be receiving a Presidential citation.
-Snappy salute to PH boxer Olympians-
During the meeting, he gave a “snappy salute” to boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam who won silver medals, Eumir Marcial who won a bronze, and Irish Magno who reached the boxing quarterfinals.
“So, I would like to announce that in addition to what the law gives you the P5 million (for the) silver medalist and the bronze medalist, P2 million, my office, the Office of the President, will grant additional cash incentives to our athletes in the Tokyo Olympics,” Duterte said.
-Add’l P2M for Petecio, Paalam; P1M for Marcial-
“So, Carlo Paalam, silver medalist for boxing, will receive additional P2 million coming from the Office of the President. Nesthy Petecio, silver medalist for boxing, will also receive an additional of P2 million from my office. Eumir Felix Marcial, bronze medalist for boxing, will receive an additional P1 million from the Office of the President.”
“And Irish Magno, Olympic athlete for boxing, will receive 200,000 pesos.”
“Now, you listen very carefully, our other Filipino Olympians will receive 200,000 from the Office of the President, lahat.
“And the medalists will receive the Order of Lapu-Lapu medal. That is [an] honor given by the Republic of the Philippines to those who have excelled in something and brought honor to the country and Presidential citation for all Olympians, sa lahat.”
-PH boxer Olympians, all uniformed personnel –
The Filipino boxers wore their military uniforms when they were presented to President Duterte by Senator Christopher “Bong” Go during the virtual meeting.
Go said that Irish Magno, Tokyo Olympics boxer quarterfinalist Women’s Flyweight Division, is an active apprentice seaman of the Philippine Navy, and the pride of Iloilo, while Eumir Marcial, Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Men’s Middleweight Division, is a newly promoted Sergeant of the Philippine Air Force, active, and the “Kumo ng Zamboanga.”
Nesthy Petecio, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Women’s Featherweight Division, is incoming Petty Officer 3rd Class of the Philippine Coast Guard. She hails from Davao del Sur.
Paalam, theTokyo Olympics silver medalist Men’s Flyweight Division, was introduced by Go as an apprentice Seaman of the Philippine Navy. He is from Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental.
“Mr. President, nagkatotoo po na ang Mindanao ay land of promise. Mr. President, our Filipino athletes, our Olympians,” Go added.
-Add’l P3M for Hidilyn-
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte also 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. Duterte had his online meeting with Diaz on July 29, a few days after she won her Olympic gold.
(Eagle News Service)
