SWIMMER Ernie Gawilan and archer Agustina Bantiloc will be the country’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony on Wednesday of the 17th Paralympic Games at the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde in Paris.
The Paralympics Games usually follow the Olympic Games after two weeks by tradition.
Besides Gawilan and Bantiloc, the country's other paralympians are track and field athletes Jerrold Mangliwan and Cendy Asusano, swimmer Angel Mae Otom and taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin.
The team's chef de mission is former Olympic swimmer Ral Rosario.
“We had several discussions about who will be the standard-bearers at the opening ceremony and it was decided among us that Ernie and Tina (Bantiloc’s nickname) were the athletes to do it,” Rosario said from the French capital.
“Gawilan has been a bemedalled national para swimmer and role model for our para athletes over the years while Bantiloc is the country’s first para archer to qualify and represent the country at the Paralympic Games,” Rosario said.
Proud moment
Bantiloc, 56, said she was delighted and grateful for getting the distinction of joining Gawilan, a gold medalist in last year’s Hangzhou Asian Para Games, in carrying the country’s colors during the opening.
“Siyempre proud and happy, of course,” said Bantiloc, who will be the first Filipino athlete in action on Thursday in the women’s individual compound event at the Esplanade des Invalides archery range.
Rosario revealed that the country was originally given 15 slots in the opening parade, enough for the entire delegation, “but we received a message last Friday that our allotment was down to 10.”
He said he yielded his slot while national para coaches Joel Deriada and Tony Ong for athletics and swimming, respectively, also gave way so other team members can enjoy the thrill of the opening.
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