The House of Representatives on Wednesday adopted a consolidated resolution commending and congratulating the Philippine delegation to the 32nd Southeast Asian Games for winning 260 medals and placing 5th in the overall standing.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is the principal author of the resolution, with Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Senior Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Tingog Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre as co-authors.
The Philippines bagged 58 gold, 85 silver and 117 bronze medals, for a total medal haul of 260, in the regional sports competition held in Cambodia last May 5 to 17.
The chamber adopted House Resolution (HR) 1009 in consolidation with other resolutions.
The Speaker and his co-authors said the “remarkable finish of the athletes and the entire Philippine delegation shows the Filipino spirit of rising above arduous obstacles brought by the pandemic and other challenging conditions, and inspires aspiring Filipino athletes to train hard and do their best to become sports heroes in their own fields.”
“It is but fitting and proper to congratulate and commend the indomitable spirit and exceptional performance and achievement of the Philippine delegation, including all athletes, coaches, trainers, and support staff for bringing honor and glory to the country through the gold, silver and bronze medals won in the various sports events,” they said.
They credited the group’s accomplishment to the athletes’ “self-discipline, sheer determination, mental preparedness, and physical agility,” as well as to the support and training extended by a professional group of coaches and trainers.
“The top-caliber athletes and coaches displayed their heroism, sporting prowess and unrivalled sportsmanship during the multi-sports event,” the resolution stated.
It added that the sports competition “promoted the advocacy of the country on gender-equality and paid tribute to women in sports when it fielded an all-female contingent during the opening parade.”
The authors also acknowledged the support lent by the government, particularly the Philippine Sports Commission led by Chairperson Richard Bachmann, and the Philippine Olympic Committee headed by former Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino, and other private organizations and individuals.
They said such assistance allowed the athletes to continuously improve their performance through regular training.
The Philippines had the fifth largest delegation with over 840 athletes, sports officials, coaches, trainers, team managers, and other support personnel.
Besides the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam participated in the competition.
More than 6,200 athletes took part in 584 events across 36 sports.
