House honors 22 PH Olympic 'heroes'

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Wednesday conferred congressional medals to gymnast Carlos Yulo and two others for their outstanding performance in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Yulo, who received the Congressional Medal for Excellence for winning two golds, spoke for the Filipino Olympians as he expressed in Filipino the gratitude and appreciation for the support that was given to all of them.

Boxers Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio, who won one bronze medal each, received one Congressional Medal of Distinction each.

Paris Olympians pass by Roxas Boulevard to greet their compatriots during the Heroes' Parade, August 14, 2024. Photos by Rio Deluvio

They were also given cash gifts, with Yulo's totaling P14,010,000—P3 million for each gold win and an additional P8,010,000 from lawmakers.

Villegas and Petecio were given P1 million each as promised by the House. On top of that, lawmakers gave the two Olympic boxers P2.5 million each.

The remaining 19 of the 22 Filipino athletes who competed in the 2024 Olympics received P500,000 each at the House reception.

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«We recognize that the journey to Olympic glory is paved with countless hours of training, sacrifices, and moments of doubt. But you persevered. You kept your eyes on bringing pride and glory, and your hearts filled with the hopes of our people. And for that, you have become more than just athletes; you are our heroes,» Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said.