THIS is no ordinary time under no ordinary circumstances.
But it was understandable when social distancing amid the pandemic was overlooked on this night of July 26 when people shouted, cried, and hugged each other inside a modest home in Barangay Mampang, Zamboanga as the entire household witnessed history unfold before their very eyes.
It was exactly a glimpse of what went through at the humble Diaz's abode when its most beloved daughter Hidilyn conquered the biggest battle of her career.
“Maraming tao, sigawan ng sigawan,” said Emelita Diaz, proud mother of Filipino weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who made history when she won the country’s first ever Olympic gold by ruling the women’s 55-kg division in the Tokyo Olympics.
“Ako kinabahan, ninerbyos, pero sobrang saya. Siyempre, naiyak ako,” she related to SPIN.ph.

That has always been the case whenever the 30-year-old Filipina competed on the big stage in the past, more so in the last five years when Hidilyn bagged the Philippines’ first Olympic silver after 20 years during the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games, won a gold in the Asian Games in Jakarta, and went home with her first ever gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Manila.
But this one was truly an exception.
Hidilyn had to train away from her family for more than a year, locked down with her small, compact team in Malaysia when the COVID-19 pandemic surged globally early in 2020 as she prepared for her fourth Olympic stint.
“Kinakabahan siyempre para sa kanya dahil yung sitwasyon sa pandemic. Nakakatakot sir,” said the Diaz matriarch during the time her daughter was left training in isolation in Malaysia, moving from one rented apartment to another due to the government’s changing health and safety restrictions.
Emelita, 58, said the last time she personally saw her daughter was in the 2019 SEA Games when the family watched her compete at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, while a year before was the last time Hidilyn spent time with them in Zamboanga.
It was until the Olympic competition that the large Diaz family finally get to see Hidilyn for a long period of time even just on the small screen.
And she did them truly proud, the way Hidilyn did for the entire Filipino nation on this very memorable moment
“Sobrang saya kami na nanalo siya ng gold, first ever sa Pilipinas. Proud na proud kami para sa kanya. Congrats Hids,” said Emelita, who herself received a lot of congratulatory messages as well following the triumph of her youngest daughter.
Prayers, according to Emelita, help her eased off the tension she felt before, during, and after the competition.
“Sobrang kinakabahan, pero nag-rosary kami. Hindi pa nag-start, nag-rosary na kami, nung start na nag- rosary ulit, tapos nun natapos din,” she added.
Hidilyn immediately called her family moments after she beat reigning Chinese world record holder Quiyun Liao in a tight finish for the gold at the Tokyo International Forum.
“Umiiyak si Hids,” was what Emelita recalled of her initial conversation with her gold medal winning daughter. “Pero konting oras lang (yung usap), nasa venue pa siya nun.”
Although the gold had been safely tucked, Emelita said she still had sleepless night following the golden feat of her fifth of six children by husband Eduardo.
“Wala, hindi ako nakatulog. Ewan ko ba kung bakit. Inaantok ako, pero hindi ako makatulog,” she said, obviously the adrenaline rush in her still on a high after witnessing the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For the exemplary achievement, Diaz is bound to receive a windfall of a lifetime.
As of last count, the Filipina athlete could get as much as P50 million in financial reward, the bulk of which coming from the P10 million incentive each provided by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), MVP Sports Foundation, and San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
A house and lot in Tagaytay along with a condominium unit in Eastwood are also part of the package awaiting the country’s Olympic gold medalist.
Emelita, who had her second dosage of the vaccine a day after Hidilyn’s Olympic triumph, said she’s not aware what the family’s plan will be after the life-changing fortune that came their way.
“Hindi ko alam, si Hids na ang bahala diyan,” said the 58-year-old matriarch, who describes Hidilyn as a good and obedient daughter.
“Mabuti siyang anak. Maliit pa lang, mabuti ng anak si Hide. Masunurin, mabait, tsaka matulungin.”
Hidilyn Diaz family reunion
But the incentives are just secondary. Emelita said all that concerns the family is to finally see Hidilyn after a long, long while.
The younger Diaz is bound to return to the country on Wednesday afternoon, but will have to observe a seven-day quarantine as part of the safety protocols for all arriving passengers.
As of post time, Emelita said they haven’t been notified about their daughter’s itinerary going home.
But given the current situation, she added the family would rather wait for her to travel back in Zamboanga to be with them again.
“Maghihintay na lang kami dito. Iba kasi talaga ngayon ang sitwasyon dahil sa may pandemic,” said Emelita.
The family waited years being away with Hidilyn. A few more days of waiting wouldn’t matter at all before they finally get to be reunited.
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