Philippine Paralympics team gets heroes' welcome, P1 million each

The Philippine Paralympics team will receive a heroes' welcome at Malacañang Palace on Thursday, September 12, for their participation in the 17th Paralympic Games in Paris.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honored six paralympians during a courtesy call and announced that each athlete would receive P1 million cash incentive and a presidential citation.

Philippine Paralympic Committee president Michael Barredo expressed gratitude to the President for his support, highlighting new stars like javelin thrower Cendy Asusano and swimmer Angel Otom who impressed in their debuts.

The president also met with 'Olympian for Life' awardee Akiko Thomson-Guevara, a three-time Paralympic swimmer and current board chairperson of Special Olympics Pilipinas and president of the Philippine Olympians Association.

Barredo emphasized the importance of establishing a clear pathway for para sports from grassroots levels to elite competition, noting the need to identify potential athletes through local events such as Palarong Pambansa.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann supported Barredo's vision by stressing the need to institutionalize the Para PNG to develop a younger pool of athletes for future selection and increase incentives for Paralympians.