Philippine Airlines (PAL) granted weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz a lifetime of flight miles for winning the country’s first Olympic Gold.
Specifically, the flag carrier granted her free 80,000 free miles per year for as long as she lives.
This is equivalent to five economy round trip domestic flights, or two round trip economy regional flights, or one round trip economy international (Transpacific) flight per year.
The award was PAL's way of honoring her exemplary achievement.
"She's not only the first Filipina Olympic gold medalist, but also our first Forever Flyer," declared PAL President and COO Gilbert Santa Maria.
"It has long been our mission to support outstanding Filipino athletes to enable them to showcase their skills to the world," he explained.
"Hidilyn's life journey exemplifies hard work, determination and powerful faith, all of which led her to her Olympic victory and the new world record she set," Santa Maria pointed out.
In recent years, PAL either sponsored or assisted the travel of 300 young, underprivileged, Filipino athletes, performers and other artists representing the Philippines in global competitions.
This was done through the PAL Foundation's #RPRSNTPinoy program which aims to inspire a new generation of Filipinos to aspire for excellence, pursue their dreams and contribute to their communities.
Now, Diaz has become the pioneer member of PAL's new "Forever Flyer" program which the flag carrier is rolling out in the coming months to enable more travelers to "Fly for Life".