For achieving another milestone for the country, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada filed a resolution seeking a Senate commendation for the Philippine contingent in the recently concluded ASEAN Para Games for hauling 104 medals exceeding the previous best in the 2009 edition.
“The perseverance, discipline, commitment to excellence, and sportsmanship they have shown during the regional meet and throughout the period of their preparation and training are exemplary values and attributes that the younger generation and all Filipinos could emulate,” Estrada said in Senate Resolution No. 110.
“Their remarkable accomplishments and success in the international sports stage brought honor and pride to the nation, hence deserving of commendation and recognition from the Senate,” he added.
While majority of the 144 para-athletes who participated in the 11th ASEAN Para Games held in Surakarta, Indonesia competed for the first time, Estrada said they delivered impressive performances in their respective fields.
At the conclusion of the regional sports fest, which was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines ranked fifth overall, with 28 gold, 30 silver and 46 bronze medals—the country’s biggest medal haul in the history of the ASEAN Para Games.
The country’s best record of 74 medals—24 gold, 24 silver and 26 bronze—was during the 2009 edition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The ASEAN Para Games is a biennial multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities in Southeast Asia. The 11th edition was held from July 30 to August 6, 2022 and was participated in by 1,648 athletes and 661 officials from 11 countries across the region.
The Solo 2022 Para Games featured 14 sports namely: archery, athletics, badminton, blind judo, boccia, cerebral palsy football, chess, goalball, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair tennis.
“For a triumphant campaign and for delivering the country’s best performance in the biennial regional games, these athletes deserve a commendation from the Senate. We have every reason to be proud of them,” Estrada said.