Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz is trending again on social media as Filipinos recall the reward she received from Phoenix Petroleum Philippines after her historic win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In 2021, Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal, earning millions of pesos in incentives, grants, and other rewards.
Among them was a major perk from Phoenix Petroleum, the country’s third-largest oil company, which pledged a significant reward for bringing pride to the nation.
“After winning the first-ever gold medal for the Philippines at the Tokyo Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz will be given P5 million and free fuel for life,” the company said in a statement at the time.
“A lot of us felt so much pride and joy seeing our flag raised and hearing the National Anthem while honoring the historic win of Hidilyn Diaz,” said Atty. Raymond Zorrilla, senior vice president of Phoenix Petroleum, in 2021. “It’s even more special for us because she is a Phoenix athlete whose tough journey finally gave our country its first Olympic gold medal.”
Netizens recently brought up the “free fuel for life” reward as global oil prices surged amid tensions involving the United States and Iran.
On Monday, oil prices climbed to more than $100 per barrel before easing on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the conflict with Iran could end soon.
In the Philippines, the Department of Energy announced fuel price increases ranging from P17 to P24 per liter for diesel and gasoline.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said several major oil companies agreed to stagger price hikes over several days starting Tuesday to help cushion the impact on consumers. — Photo from CNN
