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| Eumir Marcial could not help but be thankful to God after hearing a new set of bonuses for winning an Olympic medal. Reuters (file photo) |
MANILA--The Tokyo Olympics might be closing in a while, but the blessings keep on coming for the Philippine team's medalists.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino announced on Sunday that the four athletes who established the Philippines' best Olympic finish ever will get each an additional cash reward aside from what has been pledged before and during the games.
"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 another PHP2 million, 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 give Paalam, Petecio, and Marcial the same reward he previously gave Diaz.
"The two silvers and one bronze, bibigyan ko na rin ng pabahay para mabigay nila sa kapitbahay nila," 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 namin."
The entire boxing delegation, featuring flag bearer Petecio, will attend the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later Sunday at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.
Those who are still in Tokyo at the end of the Olympiad will fly home on Monday.
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