The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, on Tuesday formally conferred the first Congressional Medal of Excellence to weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz after she ended the Philippines’ 97-year hunt for its first Olympic gold in Tokyo last month.

The House also awarded boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Felix Marcial with the Congressional Medal of Distinction for winning two silver medals and a bronze, respectively, for the Philippines in the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The Tokyo Olympic medalists personally received congressional honors from Velasco when they came to the Batasang Pambansa complex.

The Congressional Medal of Excellence is given exclusively to Filipino athletes who have won a gold medal in the Olympics, while the Congressional Medal of Distinction is given to Filipino achievers in sports, business, medicine, science and other fields.

In his speech before the plenary, Velasco commended the Olympic medalists for having “shown the world what Filipinos can achieve, despite facing the most difficult of circumstances.”

Velasco said the determination and fighting spirit of these exceptional Filipino Olympians have inspired countless Filipinos during these trying times.

“You gave us hope. You gave us something to dream about. And in those shining moments of triumph, you have all made our kababayans young and old, residing here or abroad, extremely proud to be called Filipinos,” he said.

Velasco also announced the adoption of House Resolution 198 congratulating and thanking the women and men of the Philippine delegation for their highly successful and historic performance in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, for his part, said these “sports heroes” deserve to be recognized and commended for bringing pride, honor and inspiration especially to young Filipinos who want to excel in their fields.

“Their achievements inspired many to soar to greater heights and achieve great success in life. They have overcome many trials and challenges thru hard work and determination, thereby contributing to, if not restoring, national pride, dignity and self-respect,” Romualdez said. (PNA)