ASEAN honors Filipino athletes Hidilyn Diaz, Josephine Medina

MANILA – The Office of ASEAN Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently awarded medals to Olympian Hidilyn Diaz and Para...

MANILA – The Office of ASEAN Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently awarded medals to Olympian Hidilyn Diaz and Paralympian Josephine Medina on behalf of ASEAN, which held a tribute and recognition ceremony to honor Olympians and Paralympians from ASEAN Member States on November 30, 2016 in Jakarta.

“On behalf of a proud nation and the whole ASEAN Community, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to your victory and for bringing pride to the Philippines,” said Assistant Secretary Ma. Hellen De La Vega in her remarks during the ceremony.

Ms. Hidilyn Diaz ended the country's 20-year Olympic medal drought by bagging a silver medal in the women's 53-kg weightlifting division of the 2016 Summer Games on August 07, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

On the other hand, Ms. Josephine Medina, handed the Philippines its first medal in the 2016 Rio Paralympics by winning bronze in the women's individual table tennis. (DFA)