Loved ones, aspiring students greet PH Olympians upon arrival in Manila

Philippine Olympians who represented the country at the 2024 Paris Olympics were given a homecoming welcome fit for a hero as more than half of the 22-athlete delegation arrived in the country on Tuesday night at the Villamor Air Base.

Part of the chartered flight were two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo and bronze medal winners Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas of boxing.

EJ Obiena, John Cabang Tolentino, Hergie Bacyadan, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Lauren Hoffman, John Ceniza, Elreen Ando, and Vanessa Sarno complete the returning athletes.

And greeting them first were their families and loved ones as well as several Grade 4 students from the Villamor Air Base Elementary School, who, according to a report from GMA Integrated News' Mariz Umali, are also aspiring to become national athletes one day.

Philippine Air Force Honor Guards were also part of the welcoming committee.

Olympians who returned to the Philippines earlier also made time to welcome their fellow national athletes. These include rower Joanie Delgaco, swimmers Jarod Hatch and Kayla Sanchez, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, and fencer Sam Catantan.

Golfers Dottie Ardina and Bianca Pagdanganan and gymnasts Emma Malabuyo, Levi Jung-Ruivivar, and Aleah Finnegan are not in the country yet.

—with reporting by Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News