Senate seeks commemorative stamp, public marker for first Philippine Olympic gold

The Senate on Tuesday adopted two resolutions seeking the creation of a commemorative stamp and the erection of a public marker honoring the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal.

Senator Richard Gordon pushed for the approval of the two resolutions shortly after the Senate adopted 12 resolutions honoring and commending Olympian Hidilyn Diaz for her gold medal finish in the weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I have just gotten on the phone with them [National Historical Commission of the Philippines] and they said they are preparing one in fact. So it is for us to make it official by coming out with a resolution and they will issue a special stamp a commemorative stamp in honor of this event,” Gordon said during Tuesday’s Senate session.

He likewise proposed a Senate resolution asking the NHCP to erect a memorial that will commemorate Philippines’ first gold medal win in the Tokyo, Olympics.

He initially wanted a monument for Diaz, however, Gordon was informed that the NHCP rules do not allow establishing a statue in any public place for a living person.

“Now, Mr. President, Section M [of the rules] says national historical monument refers to structures erected as a memorial to great heroes or events in Philippine history declared such by the NHCP,” Gordon said.

“So I would like to move, subject to style, that we pass a resolution asking the Philippine Historical Commission to allow the erection of a marker in a public place commemorating the event where the first Filipina or the first Filipino won a gold medal after 97 years.”

Before they acted on Gordon’s motion, Senate President Vicente Sotto III suggested waiting for the results of the competitions participated in by other Filipinos in the Olympics before approving the measure, saying some of them might also win a gold medal.

“It does not make all the other medalist what we call a second fiddle just because there was a first one. It just so happens that the event was the first. Maybe you might want to wait a little bit for the other competitors to finish their tourneys?” Sotto asked in mixed Filipino and English.

But Gordon said they can file another resolution adding other possible medalists once their competitions are over.

“We’re not doing any statues. We are commemorating or honoring the event where we won the first gold medal to Hidilyn Diaz and if other people win the gold medal, it will be the event, the event that is being honored is the gold medal winners or the gold medal winnings of the Philippines in the Tokyo Olympics,” he explained.

Without objections, the Senate approved both resolutions proposed by Gordon.

Diaz won the country's first gold medal in the Olympics after conquering the women's 55-kg weightlifting event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Monday at the Tokyo International Forum.

She finished with a total score 224 kg, lifting 97 in the snatch and 127 in the clean & jerk to outduel China's Liao Qiuyun for the gold.

Her historic win ended a near century-long Olympic gold medal drought since the Philippines first competed in the games in 1924. — DVM, GMA News