MANILA: From ordinary citizens, government officials to local brands, Filipinos are celebrating gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo’s historic double gold medal win at the Paris Olympics with high praises and pledges of gifts — including a hero’s parade, a new home and a lifetime supply of ramen.
Yulo earned the Philippines its first-ever Olympic medal in gymnastics when he won the men’s floor exercise final at the Paris Games on Saturday, making him only the second Filipino athlete to win an Olympic gold, after weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in 2020.
The 24-year-old scooped his second gold medal in as many days after he soared to the top of the podium in the men’s vault event, becoming the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to win two golds at a single Olympics.
“No words can express how proud we are of you, Caloy. You have achieved gold for the Philippines not once, but twice,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Facebook, using the athlete’s nickname.
“Filipinos all over the world stood united, cheering and rooting for you.”
Before this year’s Olympics, Yulo’s accolades had included winning gold in 2019 and 2021 at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship, five golds at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games and another three at the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championship.
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna said on Monday that the city will hold a hero’s parade for Yulo, the date of which will be announced later.
The Philippine government will hand Yulo 10 million Philippine pesos ($172,750) – a reward promised to any gold medalists.
The House of Representatives has also pledged to give the gymnast an additional 6 million pesos in cash incentives, as the speaker of the lower house, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, called him a “once-in-a-century Filipino athlete.”
He said: “Caloy’s achievements have not only brought glory to the Philippines, but have also highlighted the potential of our athletes to excel in the international arena.
“We will continue to support and invest in our sports programs to nurture and develop more world-class athletes like Caloy. His success is a shining example of hope and a source of inspiration for all of us.”
Private sector companies, big and small, have also announced a flurry of gifts for Yulo, including offers of free lifetime ramen from a Japanese restaurant in Calasiao and free baked mac and cheese for life from a Manila-based eatery.
A real estate firm has promised him a fully furnished, three-bedroom condominium at McKinley Hill, the largest condominium development in the Manila metropolitan area, while a Filipino doctor has pledged free consultation and endoscopic procedures for Yulo when he turns 45, as well as to any patients in need selected by the gymnast.
When he realized he had secured the gold on Saturday, Yulo collapsed to the ground in tears, a scene that has now been replayed millions of times on social media as his name trended on various online platforms over the weekend.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “We are a really small country … so, to be able to get a gold medal for us is big for us — huge. I dedicate this to the Filipino people who supported me.”
Yulo, who trained for seven years in Japan due to a lack of opportunity back home, hopes that his historic win will open the door for Philippine youth to take up the sport.
“Hopefully gymnastics in the country will grow,” he said.
For some Filipinos, Yulo’s historic win has filled them with pride.
“It makes me proud to be a Filipino because he carries the Philippine flag … because the Philippine flag was raised twice,” Joelina Picardal, a 23-year-old office administrator in Manila, told Arab News. “All I can say to him is: Keep it up!”
Carmelita Trinidad, a 77-year-old retiree also based in the capital, said that Yulo’s Olympics performance gave her hope for the younger generation.
“I’m very proud (of him). He also comes from a poor background, but he really persevered,” she told Arab News. “I hope that the young people will also be able to achieve what he achieved.”
