PLDT Inc (PLDT) and Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) have given Filipino Olympians Carlos Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, and Aira Villegas, and their respective coaches and staff a total of ₱21 million as reward for earning the Philippines its biggest number of medals at the recently concluded Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“The glory and pride that Carlos, Nesthy, and Aira brought to our country with the medals they’ve won in Paris through their training, grit and effort are priceless indeed. We are very proud of them, and we hope to see them compete once again in Los Angeles in 2028―which we will continue to support fully,” said PLDT and Smart Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, who is also Chairman Emeritus of the MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF).
The MVP Group will reward two-time gold medalist Yulo with ₱10 million, bronze medalist Petecio will take home ₱2 million, while Villegas, who bagged a bronze medal in her Olympic debut, will also take home ₱2 million. The Group will also give an additional 50% of these total athletes' rewards to their respective coaches. In Paris 2024, the MVPSF supported 16 out of 22 Olympians through their national sports associations (NSAs).
“The MVPSF will continue to support Filipino athletes in their quest for gold in the Olympics. We’ve seen it happen with Hidilyn Diaz in Tokyo 2020 and now, we’ve seen it happen again with Yulo in Paris 2024. We hope that this will inspire more Filipino athletes to strive for their Olympic dreams in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, as well as encourage our partners in both the private and public sectors to continue supporting our young heroes,” said MVPSF President Al S. Panlilio.
Staunch supporters of sports development, PLDT and Smart together with the MVPSF, have launched many initiatives to help discover, develop, and train Filipino athletes and teams from the grassroots to collegiate, amateur, and professional levels. From basketball to boxing to esports and many others, the MVPSF and the MVP Group have been investing in and empowering 20 National Sports Agencies, backing hundreds of athletes, and contributing to nation-building through sports development, fueling the Filipino dream of producing more Olympic medals for the Philippines.
