Paris star. Carlos Yulo and the other members of the national delegation to the Paris Olympics will arrive tonight to a hero’s welcome. REUTERS PHOTO
Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Reichel Quiñones said Yulo, bronze medalists Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio and the other Filipino Olympians would be accorded a “Heroes’ Welcome” when they arrive in the country tonight via a chartered flight from Paris.
A “Heroes’ Homecoming Parade” originally set today would be held tomorrow, Wednesday.
Quiñones said a “simple but meaningful” ceremony would also be held in Malacanang for the arriving athletes, who would be welcomed by the First Family and accorded a dinner reception.
She said Marcos would also present Yulo a Presidential Merit Award and incentives from the Office of the President on top of the P20 million cash reward provided under the law for the two gold medals that he bagged in the vault and floor exercise of artistic gymnastics.
Villegas and Petecio will also receive Presidential Citations for their bronze medals in the women’s flyweight category and women’s featherweight class, respectively.
Under Republic Act 10699, Olympic medalists are rewarded P10 million for the gold, P5 million for the silver and P2 million for the bronze.
Quiñones also said that each athlete is allowed to bring up to four guests for the dinner reception in Malacanang.
She said that as far as she knows, the guests of Yulo are still being finalized and she could not say who was invited.
