TO the victors belong the spoils, and Olympic boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial can expect a house and lot in the scenic city of Tagaytay in Cavite when they get home.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, a Tagaytay congressman and House deputy speaker, announced the rewards for all three boxers in an online press conference yesterday morning from Tokyo.
“All the boxing medalists will get a house and lot in Tagaytay. This is for them to share with their families,” said Tolentino, who also awarded a house and lot in the city to weightlifter Hidylin Diaz, who won the country’s historic first gold medal in the Olympics last July 26.
Petecio, the country’s flag-bearer in the Olympic closing rites yesterday, and Paalam won a silver medal apiece in the women’s featherweight and men’s flyweight finals.
Marcial settled for the bronze, narrowly losing in the middleweight semifinals to Ukrainian Oleksandr Khyzniak, who got humbled in the finals when he was knocked out by Brazilian Herbert Conceicao halfway through the third and final round last Saturday.
The four medals — one gold, two silver and one bronze — was the best performance of the country ever in the Olympics since 1932 and the three medals by the boxers were the best since the 1924 Paris Olympiad.
The Philippine accomplishment surpassed the bronze medal apiece of high jumper Simeon Toribio, swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso and boxer Jose Villanueva in the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
“Pinawisan po ako,” an elated Marcial said after Tolentino’s announcement, bussing Paalam’s cheek in excitement.
“Malaking bagay po ito para sa akin at ng pamilya ko,” said Paalam, who used to be a scavenger in his hometown Cagayan de Oro and lived in a small and crowded shack with his parents close to the nearby landfill in Carmen.
Petecio and Paalam have become multi-millionaires overnight following their silvermedal feats, guaranteed P17 million apiece from the government and private sponsors.
They will receive P5 million each from the Philippine Sports Commission, the MVP Sports Foundation, San Miguel Corp. and P2 million from businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero, a windfall that is expected to grow bigger as other benefactors come in.
Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno, who saw Paalam grow into a world-class athlete, will be among them, as he prepares a red carpet welcome for the returning sports hero.
Marcial, who turned pro last year under the MP Promotions of Sen. Manny Pacquiao and reputedly got a P10 million signing bonus, will get a total of P7 million from the PSC, MVPSF, San Miguel and Romero and another P1 million from the Zamboanga city government for his bronze medal.
Diaz, of course, got the biggest windfall of all, more than P50 million — counting the P15 million from the PSC, P10 million from the MVP Sports Foundation, P10 million from San Miguel, P5 million from businessman Dennis Uy, P3 million from Romero, and other perks.
The other members of the national Olympic contingent are expected to return home at the latest on Wednesday and will undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City as the National Capitol Region remains in lockdown until Aug. 20.
