Nesthy Petecio reunites with family, receives a warm Dabawenyo welcome

Despite a sleepless night due to a hectic endorsement shoot, Olympics boxing double medalist Nesthy Petecio arrived in Davao City on Wednesday morning, August 21, 2024, feeling fully recharged after reuniting with her family at Davao International Airport. It was a much-awaited reunion, as Petecio had been away for several months, training and preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s 57-kilogram category for the Philippines.

As Petecio emerged from the arrival area, her nieces and nephews eagerly ran to greet her. She shared a long embrace with her mother, Prescilla, before the family posed for souvenir photos with a welcome and congratulations banner they had brought along.

(It feels so good to be back with my family. They’ve been my inspiration since I started boxing. I’m especially happy to see my nieces and nephews because I’ve always enjoyed playing with them)," the 32-year-old Dabawenya said in an exclusive interview with SunStar Davao.

From the airport, the Petecio family headed to Acacia Hotel Davao for breakfast, courtesy of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation, led by City Councilor Kristine Pinky Abdul Mercado, who organized the welcome honors for the Olympic medalist. At the hotel, local and foreign guests and employees eagerly requested selfies, group photos, and more photo opportunities with Petecio.

Following breakfast, a motorcade sponsored by Nestea took place, starting from Acacia Hotel Davao and passing through J.P. Laurel Avenue, Cayetano Bangoy Street, Crooked Road, and San Pedro Street. Along the route, jeepney passengers, pedestrians, motorists, and Dabawenyos on the streets cheered her on, shouting her name and offering their congratulations.

The motorcade concluded at the City Hall Building, where local government employees eagerly awaited her arrival. Petecio graciously posed for photos and signed free Nestea bottles provided by Nestlé Philippines. She also held a media interview in the City Hall conference room.

(I want to thank my first hometown, Davao City. This is where my boxing career started, and I feel truly blessed by the support from Davao City. I’ll always return to my roots. The warm welcome my family and I received was overwhelming)," said Petecio who was born and raised in Davao City before she joined the national boxing team. 

She fondly recalled competing against male boxers at the People's Park when she was 11 during a Mayor Rody Duterte boxing tournament. She expressed deep gratitude to the former Davao City mayor and president for buying her plane ticket to Manila when she was about to join the national team after her championship victory in a national amateur boxing tournament in Cagayan de Oro City, competing under the Calinan boxing team.

Teodoro, Petecio's father, shared his joy with SunStar Davao over his daughter's warm reception from her fellow Dabawenyos.

Lipay kaayo ko sa mainitong pagdawat ni Mayor baste sa akong anak sa iyahang nadawat na bronze medal (I’m very happy with Mayor Baste’s warm welcome to my daughter for winning the Olympic bronze medal)," said Teodoro, a native of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, who first trained Petecio and her brothers in the basics of boxing when they lived in Barangay Bago Gallera, Davao City.

He recalled that Nesthy initially joined her older brother’s boxing training sessions and eventually began competing in local tournaments such as Araw ng Davao, Kadayawan, and Christmas sports festivals.

Teodoro also said that Nesthy tested her skills in the Oplan Kamao program of former Congressman Karlos Nograles before she took her chances in the national competition in Cagayan de Oro City.

Nesthy also shared with SunStar Davao a selfie she took with Mayor Sebastian Duterte during her courtesy call on Wednesday afternoon. MLSA