Movie actor-turned-Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez, through a House Resolution (HR), has expressed the lower chamber’s sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family of Asian track and field legend Lydia de Vega-Mercado.
De Vega-Mercado, dubbed the “Sprint Queen of Asia,” passed away at age 57 on Wednesday, Aug. 10 after a four-year battle with breast cancer.
Thus, Gomez filed HR 218 “Expressing Heartfelt Sympathy and Condolences to the Family of Lydia de Vega-Mercado.”
“De Vega-Mercado, also known as ‘Diay,’ one of the greatest athletes that the country has ever produced, was dubbed the Sprint Queen of Asia,” HR 218 read.
“She brought home a total of eleven (11) medals from the Southeast Asian Games, including the gold medals for the two hundred (200) and for the four hundred (400) meter events, which featured record-breaking performances, during the 1981 SEA Games which was held in the Philippines,” Gomez’ resolution continued.
“She brought home a total of three medals (3) from the Asian Games, including two (2) gold medals for competing in the 100-meter dash in the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games and 1986 Seoul Asian Games, respectively, wherein she clocked in 11.53 seconds in the latter competition,” it added.
De Vega-Mercado, from 1982 to 1990, was considered as one of the fastest women in Asia. She represented the Philippines in two Olympics, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
“She was an unstoppable force in women’s athletics not just in Southeast Asia but in Asia as a whole...her legacy has left a mark in Philippine track and field history and continues to serve as an inspiration for aspiring athletes,” concluded Gomez in his resolution.