RP bodybuilding officials receive special awards

MANILA, Philippines – Two officials of the Philippine Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (PFFB) became the first recipient of the Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (ABBF) Presidential Silver Medal Award which highlighted Saturday’s National Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships at Onstage in Greenbelt I, Makati City. PFFB vice president Engracio Tiu and secretary general Corina Mojica with no less than ABBF secretary general and treasure Datuk Paul Chua awarding the prestigious medals as a way of recognizing the country’s contribution for the bodybuilding’s development in the Asian region. “The Philippines is a pioneer in bodybuilding and in 1980 hosted the Mr. Universe which was one of the grandest competitions ever and that served as an eye opener for bodybuilding to the world," said Chua. The 78-year old Tiu, a member of the 1952 NCAA title-winning Mapua junior basketball team, has been with the PFFB since 1972 and was part of the 1980 Mr. Universe organizing committee when the country hosted the event. The Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country to host the said event and is the second among Asian countries after Iraq in 1972. Mojica has been the PFFB’s secretary-general for the past year and is credited for keeping the association strong despite the government’s limited financial support. “This is the first time ABBF is giving this award and I truly believe that officials from the Philippines should be its first recipient and I speak from the bottom of my heart," added Chua, also the VP for Asia in the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB). For their part, Tiu and Mojica promised to work harder and hopefully achieve their goal of producing world class bodybuilders in the coming years. The country has produced a number of world class bodybuilders in the ‘60s with Roland Dantes as the most admired being a former five-time Mr. Philippines and a regular fixture in the Mr. Universe and Mr. World contest until the early ‘80s. Dantes, who died last March 16, was also conferred by the IFBB a Certificate of Merit in 1982 and was a recipient of the Gold Medal Award for Bodybuilding by former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. – GMANews.TV