PASAY CITY -- Senator Christopher "Bong" Go reiterated his unwavering support for Filipino athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which officially opened on Friday, July 23, and the Paralympics which begin on August 24.
“Ang sports po ay isang paraan para magkaisa tayo at maipagmalaki ang galing ng kapwa nating Pilipino. Umaasa po tayo na maging matagumpay ang ating mga atleta na sasabak sa Olympics. Higit sa lahat, sana ay maging ligtas sila lalo na laban sa anumang sakit,” he said.
Go, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, expressed optimism that the country's athletes will do well and, ideally, bring home the country's first gold medal in this year's edition of the Olympics.
"Ako, ine-expect ko na makakuha tayo ng ginto. Meron tayong ipinadalang 19 athletes sa Olympics at lima naman para sa Paralympics," Go noted.
"Sana po ay manalo. We wish them good luck at ako naman po ay tiwalang kakayanin nating manalo at makakuha ng ating inaasam na gold medal para sa ating bayan. Dito lang po kami full support po kami sa ating mga atleta," he added.
On Saturday, Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio has progressed to the Round of Sixteen of the women's featherweight boxing event after defeating Congolese Marcelat Sakobi Matshu. Meanwhile, gymnast Caloy Yulo officially qualified for the vault finals. Other competitions are still underway.
Recognizing the athletes' dedication to bringing pride and glory to the Philippines, Go said that he will continue to advocate for their well-being in the face of the pandemic. He also stated that he is proud of them regardless of the results of the competitions.
"Isang malaking karangalan na po ang mapabilang sa 24 na atleta na nagre-representa sa bansa sa Olympics at Paralympics," said Go.
"Kaya naman, manalo o matalo, saludo ako sa atletang Pilipino," he added.
Following a request from the Philippine Sports Commission coursed through Go, the Office of the President has approved additional allowance to athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics.
Notably, an additional allowance worth PhP100,000 was granted by the President "as token and to celebrate the achievement" of the athletes who qualified for the Olympics and Paralympics as suggested by Go.
Earlier, initial allowances and provisions have already been given to the athletes and coaches including US$1,000 per person, delegation supply of competition equipment and uniforms, plane tickets, billeting, and delegation uniforms through the efforts of the PSC.
Go has also ensured that adequate funding is included in the PSC's budget to support athletes' preparations for the Olympics and other international events as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. Specifically, he pushed for an additional 100 million pesos to be included in the 2021 budget which was later on increased further to 250 million pesos under the PSC for Olympic preparations. As for the Paralympics, Go earlier supported the allocation of an additional PhP7.945 million budget for their preparations.
The Senator has also successfully appealed to the government to include Filipino athletes and other delegates who will compete or participate in the ongoing Olympics in the priority list for COVID-19 vaccination.
Go has recently also urged promising young Filipino athletes to join the National Academy of Sports Annual Search for Competent, Exceptional, Notable and Talented Student-Athlete Scholars (NASCENT SAS) as the deadline of submission of applications had been extended to July 31.
He has also pushed for legislation to safeguard athletes' welfare as part of the country's sports development programs. Previously, he expressed his support for the establishment of the Philippine Sports Training Center in Bataan.
Go highlighted that together with the National Academy of Sports, both institutions are gifts from the government to national athletes. In June of last year, President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA No. 11470, which established the NAS. Go was one of the measure's authors and co-sponsors. (OSBG)
