Olympic village officially welcomes RP Monday

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will officially join the Olympic family Monday afternoon when a small contingent of Filipino athletes and officials hold a simple flag-raising ceremony inside the vast Olympic Village, home to the athletes competing in the 29th Summer Games. The RP tricolors will be raised as the national anthem will be played at a brief rite at 1 p.m., which will be presided by village mayor and Communist Party official Chen Zhili. Philippine Olympic Committee treasurer Julian Camacho, administrative official Moying Martelino, administrative assistant Eleonor de la Peña, archer Mark Javier, shooter Eric Ang, coaches Jennifer Chan and James Chua, wushu bets Willy Wang, Benjie Rivera, Mary Jane Estima and Marian Mariano make up the RP group joining the welcoming ceremony expected to last no more than 30 minutes. “The Philippines is one of several countries holding their respective flag-raising rites [on Monday]," said Camacho who led the country in the delegations’ meeting earlier. After the flag is raised, Chen, a senior official of the Communist Party, will say a few words, shake hands with the Filipino athletes and officials, then present a special gift to Team Philippines as tradition dictates. Camacho said Team RP will also present a special souvenir to Chen. The Olympiad comes off wraps in glittering, lavish rites at 8 p.m. Friday, with 10,708 athletes from a record 205 nations, including 639 from the host nation, competing in 302 events spread over 28 sports. According to Martelino, the assigned units for Team RP in the Village is now ready for occupancy by the main group, which is checking in Tuesday afternoon after a four-hour flight via Philippine Airlines from Manila. Chief of Mission Monico Puentevella and Olympic attache Arturo Macapagal of the shooting association, boxer Harry Tañamor, and swimmer Miguel Molina head the Tuesday bunch leaving two days ahead of another group that includes President Gloria Macagapal-Arroyo, the President’s husband Mike Arroyo, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez. Ang, Javier and their coaches checked in last Thursday, joining Camacho, Martelino and de la Peña in the Village, a 66-hectare complex of high-rise apartments that has practically everything. The village boasts of a library, clinic, swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, jogging tracks, shopping areas, coffee shops, fire station and restaurants. Having balconies overlooking walkway and courtyards, the apartments, modestly-decorated in marble and wood, will be refitted for sale after the Olympics and Paralympics. Others leaving Tuesday are Maristella Torres and Henry Dagmil of athletics, Sheila Mae Perez and Ryan Rexel Fabriga of diving, Daniel Coakley, Ryan Arabejo, James Walsh and Joan Christel Simms of swimming, Hidilyn Diaz of weighlifting, coaches Patricio Gaspi, Joseph Sy, Zhang Dehu, Jason Calanog, Carlos Brosas, Ramon Solis, officials Ricardo Yang, Mark Joseph and doctors Martin Camara, Alejandro Pineda and Orson Odulio. Wang, a former world and Asian champion, Estima, Mariano and Rivera are in Beijing as the country’s entries in wushu which will be staged in the Games as a special event. Medals won in wushu will not be included in the official medal tally of the Olympics. – GMANews.TV