Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino announced on Sunday that additional cash benefits will be given to the four athletes who won medals for the Philippines during the Tokyo Olympics.
“With some of the savings of the POC, I’m now announcing that the bronze [medalist] will receive from the POC an additional PHP1 million, for the silver medalist, PHP2 million, for the gold [medalist], PHP3 million,” Tolentino said in an online press conference from Tokyo.
This means weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the Philippines’ first ever Olympic gold medalist, will get PHP3 million more, silver medalists Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio of boxing will bag PHP2 million each, and fellow pug Eumir Marcial will collect PHP1 million more for winning the bronze.
The four-medal haul is the most a Philippine team has ever had in a single Olympiad even as it ended up as the top performing country in Southeast Asia this Olympics.
Tolentino also announced that he will also give Paalam, Petecio, and Marcial a house and lot each like how he promised Diaz.
“The two silvers and one bronze, bibigyan ko na rin ng pabahay (I will also give them house and lot),” Tolentino bared.
Upon hearing the news, Marcial said, “Grabe yung blessings at sobrang thankful kami sa Panginoon na may isang ginamit Niyang tao para makatulong sa amin at magbigay ng inspirasyon sa amin. Sobrang saya naming (There are so many blessings and we are thankful to the Lord that He used someone to help us and give us inspiration. We are so happy).”
Tolentino earlier said those who failed to win medals in Tokyo will receive PHP500,000 each from MVP Sports Foundation.
The Philippines was represented by 19 athletes and five para-athletes in Tokyo.
Source: Philippines News Agency
