Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday sought the highest Senate commendation for Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo after clinching two consecutive gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Estrada and Zubiri filed Senate Resolutions 1103 and 1108, respectively, conferring Yulo with the “Senate Medal of Excellence,” the highest expression of national appreciation for being the first-ever Filipino athlete to achieve such a feat in the quadrennial sporting event.
The Philippine Senate Medal of Excellence under Senate Resolution 119 was approved on Aug. 23, 2021. This medal intends to express the nation’s gratitude to outstanding Filipinos for the pride and honor they bring to the country, such as winning an Olympic medal.
Estrada’s resolution noted that Yulo’s achievement at the world’s biggest sporting event should be celebrated by the entire nation as it is a testament to the excellent skill and unyielding spirit of the Filipinos.
“His glorious success is a shining example of what hard work, discipline, perseverance, and commitment to excellence can accomplish,” Estrada said.
Estrada stressed Yulo’s outstanding performances in various international competitions consistently demonstrate his expertise in the sport, prolific artistry, and resilience.
Zubiri said Yulo truly deserves the Senate and the Filipino people’s recognition for accomplishing such a magnificent feat” in winning two gold medals at the Olympics.
With historic Olympic victories, Zubiri said Yulo has become “one of the greatest Filipino athletes of all time.”
Yulo scored the gold medals at the men’s floor exercise and the men’s vault, making him the first double-gold Olympic medalist in the history of Philippine athletics.
The first recipients of the Senate Medal of Excellence were Hidilyn Diaz, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial—medalists at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
“With the Senate Medal of Excellence, we are recognizing Caloy not just for his extraordinary skill and talent, but also for his patriotism. This is our way of thanking him for proudly carrying our flag and showing the world the heart and spirit of the Filipino people,” he said.
Zubiri was also a competitive athlete in his youth, which is why as a senator and a legislator, he co-authored and co-sponsored several measures seeking the development of the country’s athletes and sports programs.
Some of them are Republic Act (RA) 9850, which declared Arnis as the national martial art and sport; RA 11470 or the National Academy of Sports Act, which offers secondary education with a specialized sports curriculum, on full scholarship basis, to young Filipino athletes; and Senate Bill No. 2408, or the Philippine National Games Act, establishing a national grassroots sports program.
