By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President Ramon S. Ang personally handed the P10 million check to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz as part of her incentive for winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Games.
The incentive is Ang’s personal gift to Diaz, a Ginebra San Miguel brand ambassador since 2019, for uplifting the Filipino’s spirit in these unprecedented times through her victory.
Aside from the monetary bonus, Ang has also rewarded Diaz two Chick ‘N Juicy chicken rotisserie franchise outlets from San Miguel Foods – one in Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City and the other in Zamboanga City – Diaz’s home city.
“Hidilyn is the country’s trailblazer in our successful Olympic gold medal quest. After years of heartbreaks, she came through for us and we are very thankful as a nation. We encourage her to go for another gold and inspire more athletes to believe that they can achieve more,” Ang said.
“Her victory comes at a very crucial point in our country’s history when we are grappling with a pandemic and a lot of Filipinos are looking for hope as we fight this virus and cope with the difficulties it has brought.”
Apart from Diaz, boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio will also receive P5 million each from Ang for winning silver medals, while P2 million will go to bronze medal-winning boxer Eumir Marcial.
Ang challenged Diaz to shoot for another gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He also encouraged the decorated athlete to use her influence in inspiring more Filipinos to be more disciplined during this time of pandemic by following health protocols and getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Being a world-class athlete takes a lot of discipline and adherence to time-tested rules in order to be the best. Beating this pandemic requires the same. We can all do our share by being diligent with following health protocols, and getting vaccinated. There is a Hidilyn in each one of us and we can all carry the country’s weight on our shoulders through this difficult period,”Ang said.
A longtime supporter of Philippine sports, SMC backed the Philippine team that reaped 149 gold, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
