Cebu Pacific to provide free flights to Pinoy team in Tokyo Olympics

Budget airline Cebu Pacific on Thursday will provide free flights to the 19 athletes who represented the Philippines in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Each member of the Philippine delegation will receive 25 flights for free, to commemorate the airline’s 25 years of enabling every juan to fly," said the airline management, in a press statement.

Those who will receive the free flights are: Eireen Ando, Kurt Barbosa, Hidilyn Diaz, Margielyn Didal, Luke Gebbie, Kris Knott, Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno, Cris Nievarez, EJ Obiena, Carlo Paalam, Bianca Pagdanganan, Juvic Pagunsan, Nesthy Petecio, Remedy Rule, Yuka Saso, Jason Valdez, Kiyomi Watanabe, and Carlos Yulo.

The airline tickets may be used for any domestic and short haul destination in the Cebu Pacific network, said the airline management. 

"Each awarded athlete may choose to use these for themselves, or share with the rest of their teammates, families – practically anyone in their support system," the airline company said.

Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing Candice Iyog said athletes deserved free flights after they uplifted country's spirits amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are grateful to them for going above and beyond, and we know they all have respective support teams behind them – this is why we want to have them and their loved ones enjoy free flights from us,”  Iyog said in the same statement.

“We know it takes a village, and all those behind our athletes also poured their efforts into this. Each and every Juan of you deserve to fly,” added Iyog.

Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz took home the country's first Olympic gold medal. -- Consuelo Marquez/BAP, GMA News