MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Magandang hapon, Malacañang Press Corps, and welcome sa ating press briefing ngayong Lunes, August 12.

Well, after a historic feat at the 2024 Paris Olympics bagging two gold and two bronze medals, our Olympians will be coming home to the Philippines tomorrow afternoon. The athletes will proceed to Malacañang where they will be welcomed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

And to tell us more about the Palace’s preparations for the heroes welcome we are joined by Reichel Quiñones, the Chief of Presidential Protocol and PCO Assistant Secretary Dale de Vera. Good afternoon.

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Good afternoon, Asec. Hi, everyone. I wanna rundown it really quickly because there’s still a lot of moving parts. In general, what will happen is that athletes will arrive in a charter flight at approximately 6:00 P.M. on August 13. They will be received at Maharlika Air Base by their family and only their family because the President asked us to make sure that it was a private welcome. From there, they will proceed to Malacañang Palace where they will be welcomed by the President and the First Lady. After that, they will proceed directly to the ceremonial hall for an awarding ceremony and the dinner reception.

The following day, the athletes will be picked up from their place of accommodations and brought to Aliw Theatre where a motorcade will be held – from Aliw Theater to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. And Asec. Dale, I’ll turn it over to Asec. Dale in a little bit to talk about the specific route that they’ll be taking but there will be a short program at the Rizal Sports Complex just to allow everyone to see them and then that concludes the welcome and awarding ceremonies. Asec. Dale?

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: For the motorcade or the parade, it will be a 7.7-kilometer-long parade that will start from Aliw Theater; and then left turn to Roxas Boulevard; and then right turn to P. Burgos; until it straight ahead to Finance Road; until it reaches Taft Avenue; then right turn to Quirino Avenue up to Adriatico Street; and it will end up at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Any questions from the media? Maricel Halili, TV 5.

MARICEL HALILI/TV5: Magandang hapon po. May we know the reason kung bakit na-move iyong parade to a latter date is it because doon sa conflict lang ng schedule?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Yes. Originally, we had been thinking that they could arrive a little bit earlier but since they are arriving at 6:00 P.M. we thought it would be best to have the parade the next day.

MARICEL HALILI/TV5: And sino po iyong mga inaasahan natin sa program? Will there be a program after the parade, just a clarification?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: At the Rizal Sports Complex just the athletes po. There will be some local government officials welcoming them at Aliw Theater but for the end of the program we wanted them to have that moment to themselves.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Ivan Mayrina, GMA 7.

IVAN MAYRINA/GMA 7: I understand you said that the welcome is strictly for members of the family but we were told that the family of Carlos Yulo were not invited whether in Villamor or in the Palace. May we know why?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Just to be very clear about it, what we actually provided was each athlete was allowed to allowed invite up to four members either from their family, close ones, et cetera, we left that entirely up to them. So, whoever is part of that welcome is who the athletes want to be there.

IVAN MAYRINA/GMA 7: And Malacañang had nothing to do with it?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: No, sir. We told them that they can have plus four and we left that up to them.

IVAN MAYRINA/GMA 7: Thank you.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Chona Yu, People’s Journal.

CHONA YU/PEOPLE’S JOURNAL: Ma’am, may we know kung sino iyong four na in-invite ni Carlos Yulo?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: I think, they are still finalizing the list. I don’t have the names. Sorry, I haven’t personally memorized the names, so hindi ko po maibibigay ngayon.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Anymore questions? Alexis Romero, Philippine Star.

ALEXIS ROMERO/PHILIPPINE STAR: So, overall, how will we describe itong mga welcome rites para sa ating mga Olympians na nag-uwi naman ng karangalan para sa ating bansa?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: The way [unclear] I think from the organized committee is that they want it to be heroes welcome and it’s very much focused on them and what they done to honor the nation.

There will be an awarding ceremony at the Palace to confer certain awards that the President has the rights to give – so, for example, there will be presidential citations for the athletes and I think, for Mr. Yulo a special award.

ALEXIS ROMERO/PHILIPPINE STAR: So, will it be a grand, how would we describe?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: The Presidential Medal of Merit.

ALEXIS ROMERO/PHILIPPINE STAR: How about the events prepared for the athletes, how would we describe them?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: I think, I would describe na a simple but meaningful.

ALEXIS ROMERO/PHILIPPINE STAR: Simple but meaningful?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Yes po.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Aira Panganiban, DZRJ.

AIRA PANGANIBAN/DZRJ: I just wanted to find out what kind of medal or what kind of awards will be given to the athletes both the gold medalist and the bronze. We only have two kinds – bronze and gold? So, what will the President be giving?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Thank you. We’re giving presidential citations to all of the athletes including the two – Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas who received bronze medals. But the presidential citations given to Ms. Villegas and Ms. Petecio was specifically mentioned that they’re receiving them for their bronze medals. Si Carlos Yulo will be receiving a Presidential Medal of Merit.

AIRA PANGANIBAN/DZRJ: Iyong mga nag-fourth place, mayroong mga nag-fourth eh sa golf.

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Kasama, sir, sila sa bibigyan ng presidential citation.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Alvin Baltazar, Radyo Pilipinas.

ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: Ma’am, just to siguro para ma-clarify din, ang nabanggit lang kasi doon sa presidential award baka makalimutan iyong cash incentive. Will there be cash incentive? At saka sinu-sino po iyong entitled doon sa cash incentive kung saka-sakali?

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: The President will be announcing the cash incentives upon the welcome honors for the Olympians.

ALVIN BALTAZAR/RADYO PILIPINAS: off mic.

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: The President will be announcing the figures po tomorrow.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Harley Valbuena, DZME. Microphone please.

HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Hi. Good afternoon po. May we know lang po if magiging present lahat ng Filipino Olympians sa ceremony doon sa arrival po bukas or mayroong hindi makakapunta?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Mayroon pong hindi makakapunta.

HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Sino po kaya?

PRESIDENTIAL PROTOCOL CHIEF QUIÑONES: Again, I don’t have the names kasi something things are still in motion but there are some that are proceeding to other competition from the Olympics.

HARLEY VALBUENA/DZME: Pero lahat naman po ng medalist nandoon? Lahat po nang nagbulsa ng medal?

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Pia Gutierrez.

PIA GUTIERREZ: Sorry po baka na-miss ko, what time po iyong parade on Wednesday?

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: The parade will start at 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday from Aliw Theater.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Daryll Esguerra.

DARYLL ESGUERRA: Iyong cash incentive na i-a-announce ni Presidente, is this a separate one doon sa mandated ng batas po?

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: Yes po. It’s separate from what is mandated from the law.

DARYLL ESGUERRA: From the OP po?

PCO ASEC. DE VERA: Yes.

DARYLL ESGUERRA: Thank you po.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Any further questions? Any more announcements? Okay. If there are no further questions this concludes our press briefing. Thank you so much, Chief of Protocol Quiñones and Assistant Secretary Dale de Vera. Maraming salamat, Malacañang Press Corps.

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