4 Filipino Olympic medalists first recipients of Senate Medal of Excellence

Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio poses for a photo with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who won the country’s first gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. PETECIO FACEBOOK

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Wednesday conferred the newly-established Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence to the four Filipino athletes who clinched a medal in the recently-held Tokyo Olympics.

Senators adopted separate resolutions awarding the four Filipino Olympic medalists with the Senate medal during the plenary session.

“For the record, this is historic. They are the first four who will receive, for the first time in the history of the Senate, the Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence. Congratulations to them,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

The medal was conferred to weightlifting champ Hidilyn Diaz, who bagged the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal.

Silver medalists and boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam also received the Senate medal.

Recipients of the medal also included boxer Eumir Marcial, who won a bronze medal in the men’s middleweight at the Tokyo  Olympics.

The Philippines’ four-medal haul in Tokyo was the country’s best output in Olympic history, surpassing the three-bronze record set in the 1932 Los Angeles Games.

The four athletes are scheduled to visit the Senate on Monday, according to Zubiri.

JPV