Cebuana Elreen Ando (left) and Nesthy Petecio (right) flank Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade after their oathtaking as new members of the Philippine Coast Guard. | Photo from Arthur Tugade’s Facebook Page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Cebuana Olympian Elreen Anne Ando is now officially an enlisted personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The 22-year old weightlifter who placed seventh overall in the recent Tokyo Summer Olympics in the women’s -64-kilogram division has officially taken oath as a Sea Woman Apprentice Unrated in Manila.
Also, women’s boxing silver medalist Nesthy Petecio joined Ando in the oathtaking ceremony as an enlisted coast guard personnel with the same rank.
No less than Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade served as the presiding officer of the oath-taking ceremony.
“Isang karangalan para sa akin na mapangunahan ang panunumpa ng mga bagong miyembro ng ating Philippine Coast Guard— sina Nesthy Petecio (silver medalist, boxing) at Elreen Ann Ando (7th place, weight lifting), na dalawang natatanging Filipina na sumabak sa 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Alam ba ninyo na sina Nesthy at Elreen ay nag-apply na sa Philippine Coast Guard bago pa man sumalang sa Olympics? At ngayon, sila ay nanumpa na bilang regular na miyembro ng Coast Guard. Ang kanilang pagbitbit ng watawat ng Pilipinas sa Olympics ay isa nang karangalan, kung saan pinasan nila ang pangarap at pag-asa ng bawat Pilipino. Ako ay sumasaludo sa inyo dahil sa inyong dedikasyon at pagbibigay karangalan sa ating bayan,” Tugade said in his Facebook post.
Ando took a short break from training to attend the oath-taking ceremony.
According to Ando’s coach, Ramon Solis, they already started training in Cebu City last August 2 as the former is scheduled to vie in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships in Lima, Peru.
The international weightlifting competition serves as one of the Olympic qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Paris Olympics. /rcg