President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks with Filipino athletes Dottie Ardina, Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Jung-Ruivivar who participated in the Paris Olympics 2024 during a visit at Malacañang Palace. –MPC PHOTO
Updated @ 6:37 p.m., August 22, 2024
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday met with the Filipino Olympians who could not join the Heroes’ Welcome last August 14.
The athletes — golfer Dottie Ardina and gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar — were welcomed at Malacañang Palace.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the five were invited because they “were not able to attend the [homecoming] event[s] last week.”
READ: POC says all athletes invited after PH gymnasts miss Heroes parade
Bianca Pagdanganan was also invited to the event but was not able to attend as she was “training overseas.”
In the meeting with Marcos, each athlete, like the other Olympians, received P2 million — P1 million from Pacgor and P1 million from the Office of the President.
Marcos admits ‘mix-up’ in events
In a chance interview, Marcos admitted that there was a “mix-up” in the homecoming events for the athletes on August 14.
“Maybe you’re wondering why we have an extra event. The other Olympians had arrived because when we had the reception here, they weren’t there. There was a mix-up,” Marcos said in Filipino.
“They were told too late. They weren’t able to go home anymore.”
Marcos explained that the five athletes were invited again to recognize their hard work in the Olympics.
“We’re happy we were able to do something extra for those that did not make it to the first one,” he said.
Malabuyo and Finnegan, who made their Olympic debut in Paris, previously claimed they weren’t informed about the homecoming events, including the Heroes Parade, which was supposed to be for all the Filipino athletes who competed in the Summer Games.
Jung-Ruivivar, likewise, shared on her Instagram page that she was told that the homecoming events were exclusively for the Olympics medalists: Carlos Yulo, Aira Villegas, and Nesthy Petecio.
READ: Levi Jung-Ruivivar ‘hurt’ after missing out on Team PH homecoming
The athlete said she was “really hurt” about missing out on a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
However, the Philippine Olympic Committee maintained that all athletes, including the three gymnasts, were invited to the homecoming events.