Yulo gets bonuses; Olympians honored with parade
The country’s Olympians were the toast of the town on Wednesday, when a parade was held in their honor the day after they planed in from the Paris Games to a hero’s welcome.
Massive cheers greeted gymnast Carlos Yulo, who won two gold medals in the glamorous French capital, especially when the parade snaked through the streets of Manila, where the 24-year-old star was raised.
By winning the men’s floor exercises and vault, the diminutive Yulo tripled the country’s overall Olympic gold medal haul to three.
With his medals hanging proudly on his neck, a beaming Yulo flashed victory signs to the adoring crowd who waved Philippine flags and took selfies using the float, adorned with the five Olympic rings, as backdrop.
Giant posters bearing Yulo’s image hung from electric posts on the side of the streets.
“Our victory is the victory of the entire country,” Yulo said when he arrived along with the Philippine delegation on Tuesday afternoon.
The parade officially started at 4:08 p.m. at Aliw Theater in Pasay City before making its way north to Manila.
Alongside Yulo were bronze-winning boxers Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio, track standouts Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, weightlifters Vanessa Sarno, John Ceniza and Elreen Ando, and boxers Hergie Bacyadan, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial.“I’m so happy because little by little, our female boxers are getting more known,” said Petecio in Filipino during Team Philippines’ homecoming celebration at Newport World Resorts late Tuesday evening. “Hopefully it (women’s boxing) gets more support because I’m just blessed to bring a medal home again.”
Lia Orellano, 82, ambled out of her home with the aid of a cane on Manila’s downtrodden Leveriza Street to welcome her former neighbor Yulo.“I’m very happy and proud of what he has achieved. He gave us hope that everyone can be like him from this small street,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP), recalling that when he was little Yulo loved “to do tumblings here even on these dirty streets.”
President Ferdinand Marcos met the 22 Filipino athletes on Tuesday and handed them hefty bonuses.
Marcos gave Yulo a presidential citation and P20 million (around $350,000) on top of the P10 million reward legally mandated for Olympic gold medallists.
“Maybe gymnastics will be more prioritized now. We expect to gain more support for us [in gymnastics],” said Allen Castañeda, Yulo’s coach.
Yulo also earned cash and gift pledges from other government offices and private companies.
“It’s obvious to the people now that if we want to win more medals in the Olympics, individual sports should be given more priority,’’ Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella told the Inquirer.
At Newport World Resorts late Tuesday evening, Tolentino toasted pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who narrowly missed the podium but remains an inspiration to those who want to represent the country in the future. —AFP, ROMMEL FUERTES JR., JUNE NAVARRO INQ
