Carlos Yulo, fellow PH Olympians arrive back in the Philippines after best Olympic campaign yet

Olympic gold medalist and gymnast Carlos Yulo, along with other Philippine Olympians, are back in the Philippines as they arrived on Tuesday with their chosen loved ones welcoming them at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The Philippine delegation arrived via a chartered Philippine Airlines flight from Dubai.

Aside from Yulo, bronze medalists Aira Villegas and Nesthy Petecio, fellow boxers Carlo Paalam, Hergie Bacyadan, and Eumir Marcial, tracksters John Cabang Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman, weightlifter John Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno, and pole vault star EJ Obiena were also on the flight.

Already here in the Philippines were fencer Sam Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, rower Joanie Delgaco, and swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, who were part of the welcoming committee for the delegation that arrived. Five other Olympians — golfers Bianca Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina and gymnasts Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Emma Malabuyo, and Aleah Finnegan — were not present at tonight's ceremonies as they were not yet in the country.

At around 7:07 p.m., the flight carrying the Olympians landed near the Maharlika Presidential Hangar with their loved ones, fellow Olympians, and students from the Villamor Air Base Elementary School cheering them on.

Twenty minutes after, the cabin door was opened and the athletes once again smelled the air of home.

Ando came down the stairs first, followed by Marcial, Paalam, and  Bacyadan. Ceniza followed suit, then Sarno, then the hurdlers Hoffman and Cabang Tolentino. Standing tall as he went down the plane was Obiena, followed by bronze medalist and boxer Villegas.

Holding a Philippine flag, Olympic gold medalist Yulo went down from the plane together with bronze medalist Petecio.

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After meeting with their families, the athletes headed to Malacañang Palace for an awarding ceremony and reception dinner where they were welcomed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

The athletes were given additional cash incentives on top of the law-mandated rewards for medalists, while Yulo also received a Presidential Medal of Merit for his golden feat.

Marcos asked the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to give P1 million to each of the athletes that competed in Paris before saying that his office would match the amount, bringing the total up to an additional P2 million per Olympian.

A Heroes' Welcome parade will be held on Wednesday afternoon from the Aliw Theater to the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The Philippines had its best campaign in the Olympics yet as its athletes brought home two gold medals and two bronze medals.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News