Cebu City to roll out red carpet for SEA Games gold medalist
CEBUANO PRIDE. Mary Joy Tabal kisses the gold medal she won in women’s marathon in the SEA Games. (PHOTO/INQUIRER)
The Cebu City government will be preparing a hero’s welcome for Mary Joy Tabal, the petite runner from barangay Guba, Cebu City who won a gold medal in women’s marathon in the ongoing 2017 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The 28-year-old Tabal delivered the first gold medal for the Philippines in the biennial international multi-sporting meet on Saturday when she clocked two hours, 48 minutes and 26 seconds in the 42-kilometer race.
Cebu City councilor Eugenio “Jun” Gabuya Jr., the deputy mayor for sports, said the city will be rolling out the red carpet for Tabal for bringing honor and pride to Cebu. But no date has been set for the hero’s welcome.
“It depends on her schedule since [we know] she is going to Manila first,” Gabuya said.
It will be a busy schedule indeed for Tabal in the coming days after her victory in the SEA Games.
Tabal’s trainer John Philip Dueñas, who is with her in Malaysia, said they were supposed to fly back to Cebu City today. But they were asked to visit Manila first for a series of appearances.
Tabal, the first Filipina marathoner to compete in the Olympics, also said she was asked by Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (Patafa) chief Philip Ella Juico to stay in Malaysia until Thursday to cheer for the other Philippine team athletes. She said she is expecting to be in Cebu on Friday.
Gabuya said he already asked Cebu City Sports Commission chairman Edward Hayco to start preparing for Tabal’s hero’s welcome.
“We are planning to parade her around the city and have a program at the Cebu City Hall,” Gabuya said.
Gabuya also mentioned about a cash incentive of not less than P100,000 for Tabal through Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
“Aside from the cash incentive that the national government will give to her, the Cebu City government will also give her a reward.”
Tabal is assured of a P300,000 cash incentive from the national government under Senate Bill No. 2898, also known as the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2015.
Time to relax
The news of a hero’s welcome was met with enthusiasm by Tabal.
“I am very happy for the hero’s welcome and I am very thankful for it. I think I deserve it because I sacrificed a lot for this gold medal. And I represented not just the country but Cebu. I proved that we bisayas can do it,” said Tabal.
Tabal said she is already excited to come home to Cebu City. She said she plans to relax and unwind after spending three months training abroad for her stint in the SEA Games.
“I am very tired already. My entire body is aching, I need to relax I guess,” Tabal said.
According to Gabuya, Tabal deserves every bit of recognition from Cebu City since she is part of Cebu City Sports Commission’s (CCSC) grassroots program. She has been training underprivileged kids in her hometown in Barangay Guba for the past two years.
“We required active athletes in Cebu City to render no less than 40-hours to voluntarily underprivileged kids to train them in various sports and Tabal has rendered way more than 40 hours. For that, she is a great example of voluntarism and that’s why we want to give her the much needed support.”