President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday met with Filipino Olympians in Malacañang who missed the welcoming ceremony last week.
“You might be wondering why we have an extra event,” Mr. Marcos said in an interview.
“When we held the reception, they weren’t here. They were traveling, and there was a mix-up. The notification came late, and they couldn’t make it back in time,” he added.
The President emphasized the efforts of all the Olympians should be recognized equally, regardless of their availability for the earlier celebration.
“We said that since they worked just as hard, they should be included in all the honors we’ve given to our Olympians… It’s a shame they missed the parade, but at least they were able to participate in everything else,” Marcos said.
The President honored the exemplary performances of athletes Dottie Ardina (Golf), Aleah Cruz Finnegan (Gymnastics), Emma Malabuyo (Gymnastics), Levi Ruivivar (Gymnastics), and Bianca Pagdanganan (Golf).
These athletes were recognized with Presidential Citations and received P1 million each from the Office of the President and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
