Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace
December 18, 2019

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kamagi Medal to 547 Filipino athletes who represented the Philippines in the recently concluded 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the country.

The Philippines emerged as the overall champion during the prestigious sporting event, besting other Southeast Asian countries with a total of 387 medals at the SEA Games that concluded on December 11, 2019.

In his speech, President Duterte expressed his fervent gratitude to the athletes who have given pride to the Philippines, saying that this triumph showcases the athleticism and sporting prowess of the Filipinos in the whole Southeast Asian region.

He assured the Filipino athletes of the government’s full support for their continued growth and development.

“I am hopeful that this milestone lights the torch for our nations renaissance in athletic glory. I thus encourage everyone present to continue supporting our Filipino athletes who embody excellence, superiority, and teamwork,” the President said.

President Duterte also extended his appreciation to the organizing committees and officials who made the country’s hosting of the 30th SEA Games a success, and encouraged the Filipino people to maximize and harness capacities to build a stronger and prosperous society for the benefit of the next generation.

“Through our distinct brand of Filipino resilience and determination to succeed, the diligence of our organizing committee officials and partners, technical teams, and our athletes, we have ensured that we would host the SEA Games with aplomb,” he expressed.

Aside from the medals, President Duterte handed over the checks to the SEA Games medalists-representatives for their incentives.

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