Thursday, October 29, 2026  ·  Manila
 Breaking News, Special Reports and In-Depth Stories in the Philippines
TSR
Nation

Rewind: Phoenix Petroleum awards Hidilyn Diaz with lifetime free fuel in 2021

Rewind: Phoenix Petroleum awards Hidilyn Diaz with lifetime free fuel in 2021
Share

The situation, in brief

Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz is trending again on social media as Filipinos recall the reward she received from Phoenix Petroleum Philippines after her historic win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2021, Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal, earning millions of pesos…

Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz is trending again on social media as Filipinos recall the reward she received from Phoenix Petroleum Philippines after her historic win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In 2021, Diaz delivered the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal, earning millions of pesos in incentives, grants, and other rewards.

Among them was a major perk from Phoenix Petroleum, the country’s third-largest oil company, which pledged a significant reward for bringing pride to the nation.

“After winning the first-ever gold medal for the Philippines at the Tokyo Olympics, Hidilyn Diaz will be given P5 million and free fuel for life,” the company said in a statement at the time.

“A lot of us felt so much pride and joy seeing our flag raised and hearing the National Anthem while honoring the historic win of Hidilyn Diaz,” said Atty. Raymond Zorrilla, senior vice president of Phoenix Petroleum, in 2021. “It’s even more special for us because she is a Phoenix athlete whose tough journey finally gave our country its first Olympic gold medal.”

Netizens recently brought up the “free fuel for life” reward as global oil prices surged amid tensions involving the United States and Iran.

On Monday, oil prices climbed to more than $100 per barrel before easing on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the conflict with Iran could end soon.

In the Philippines, the Department of Energy announced fuel price increases ranging from P17 to P24 per liter for diesel and gasoline.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said several major oil companies agreed to stagger price hikes over several days starting Tuesday to help cushion the impact on consumers. — Photo from CNN

More on Nation

See all
Marcos’ net satisfaction ratings drops to ‘poor’ in latest SWS survey
Nation

Marcos’ net satisfaction ratings drops to ‘poor’ in latest SWS survey

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s net satisfaction rating fell to “poor” from “neutral” in the third-quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Marcos’ net satisfaction rating dropped to -11 in September 2026 from -7 in June, according to the survey. The SWS said 35% of adult Filipinos…

Magellan may have reached the Philippines because of El Niño — without knowing it: study
Nation

Magellan may have reached the Philippines because of El Niño — without knowing it: study

Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan may have reached the Philippines in 1521 because of El Niño, without him or his fellow voyagers knowing it. A 2021 study by Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick of North Carolina State University and Dr. Richard Callaghan of the University of Calgary examined Magellan’s…

More than one teaspoon of salt increases risk of heart diseases, stroke — WHO
Nation

More than one teaspoon of salt increases risk of heart diseases, stroke — WHO

Cardiovascular diseases remain the world’s leading cause of death—not only in the Philippines—the World Health Organization (WHO) said. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases claim an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, with excessive salt intake identified as one of the key…

‘Very strong’ El Niño may emerge by October, PAGASA warns: ‘This should be taken seriously’
Nation

‘Very strong’ El Niño may emerge by October, PAGASA warns: ‘This should be taken seriously’

Reduced rainfall may be experienced in the coming months as the El Niño phenomenon continues to rapidly strengthen and may persist until the first half of 2027, according to the PAGASA. Ana Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Impact Assessment and Prediction Section, said warming ocean temperatures…

Free newsletter

The Morning SitRep

The day’s most important stories in the Philippines and the world, in one five-minute read. Delivered at 6 AM, Monday to Saturday.

Breaking alerts Special reports first No spam
Check your inbox — we’ve sent a link to confirm your subscription.Something went wrong. Please try again in a moment. By subscribing you agree to TSR’s privacy policy.