On behalf of a grateful nation, President Marcos welcomed home the Filipino athletes who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and two of his sons, he rolled the red carpet as the Olympians walked up to the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace to receive tokens of appreciation from a citizenry still basking in the afterglow of their lofty achievements.

Leading the Olympians were Carlos Edriel P. Yulo, 24, who brought home two golds for floor exercise and vault; boxers Nesthy Petecio, 32, bronze medalist in women’s 57kg; and Aira Villegas, 29, bronze medalist in women’s 50kg. They are the new Philippine athletic heroes who will inspire the young to dream, aspire, persevere, and succeed in sports and other endeavors. The stories of their lives – how they began, trained, hurdled many obstacles, and competed in the Olympic stage in front of the whole world are the stuff that make legends.

The Chief Executive, joined by Philippine Olympic Committee head Abraham Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann, handed framed citations to each Olympian, who also received a cash gift of ₱1 million, with their coaches receiving ₱500,000. Then he conferred on double-gold winner Yulo the Presidential Medal of Merit. Yulo also received ₱20 million.

In his speech honoring the country’s athletic heroes, the President commended them for their perseverance and sacrifices. He said earning the right to compete in the Olympics is an “extremely difficult” feat that deserves recognition and gratitude from the Filipino nation – an unprecedented gesture, as previously, only medal winners were duly rewarded.

The mood was jubilant and festive, replicating the scenario whenever heads of state are hosted by the President. Each Olympian was accompanied by family members who also went up to the podium to receive the President’s felicitations.

After the special Philippine Airlines flight that brought them home from Paris taxied toward the Maharlika hangar at Villamor Air Base where state visitors are received, they were hugged by jubilant family members and friends who also accompanied them in the Palace dinner.

The President expressed his determination to put in place a “formal infrastructure” for integrated sports development, with inputs from Carlos Yulo and other Olympians.  He aims to talk to their coaches, and even their parents, to learn more about the challenges Filipino athletes are facing, and to listen to their suggestions on how to get more medals in the future. He acknowledged that achieving athletic proficiency and leveling up to Olympic competitiveness requires an infrastructure of support that, in his view, is not yet in place.

As PSC Chair Bachmann said in an earlier interview, the national budget allocation for his agency was grossly inadequate, needing substantial augmentation from other government sources led by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and from private sector benefactors.

Some Philippine Olympians who are children of Filipino nationals living abroad have benefited from competitive training geared for global competition.

While, indeed, the Philippines posted the best performance in the Olympics among Southeast Asian countries, the potential for loftier achievements goes beyond the country’s number 37 ranking in the medal standings.

The new Olympic motto: Fortius, Altius, Citius – Communiter, or Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together! Says it all. The key word is together. Unity and solidarity of the entire Filipino nation are keys to attaining Olympic excellence.