PH medalist pugs gifted with posh village homes

Boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam stepped on the same medal platform during their respective awarding ceremonies in the recent Tokyo Olympics.

Little did both Olympic silver medalists know that they will be neighbors in a picturesque community in Tagaytay City along with fellow boxer and Olympic bronze-medal performer Eumir Marcial.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino and his brother Sen. Francis Tolentino on Wednesday led the groundbreaking ceremony of the properties awarded to the three medal-winning Olympians in Barangay San Jose.

“They gave pride and honor to the country for their sacrifices. Nesthy, Carlo and Eumir truly deserve this,’’ said Tolentino, who likewise sits as representative of the eighth district of Cavite.

Adjacent to each other, the three houses and lots are all single detached with two bedrooms plus an attic located in an exclusive community called Olympic Lane.

Each unit, which has a lot area of 110 square meters, is estimated at nearly P5 million.

Hidilyn Diaz also got a house and lot from Tolentino after capturing the first Games gold medal for the Philippines.

Their properties were shown to the three boxers after a thanksgiving Mass for Team PH at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Tagaytay celebrated by Cavite Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista with Tagaytay City Mayor Agnes Tolentino in attendance.

“We just worked hard to win those medals without really expecting anything in return. Thank you for recognizing our sacrifices,’’ said Diaz.

Petecio clinched the silver medal in the women’s featherweight division and Paalam won the same medal color in the men’s flyweight, while Marcial placed third in the men’s middleweight.

Together with the golden finish of Diaz, they accounted for the four medals that Team Philippines brought home from Tokyo, the country’s finest performance since joining the Games nearly a century ago.

“We thank the Almighty for our success in the Tokyo Olympics. First and foremost, we look at the medals as gifts from God,’’ said Tolentino.