Olympians enlisted in PCG: Silver medalist Petecio, weightlifter Ando

The Philippine Coast Guard welcomes Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and Olympian Elreen Ann Ando into the service. PCG

MANILA, Philippines—Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Nesthy Petecio and Olympian Elreen Ann Ando have been enlisted into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, who oversees the PCG, welcomed the two athletes in an oath-taking ceremony on Thursday (Aug. 19).

“Nesthy and Elreen, we welcome you in the ring of public service, especially in taking care of the safety and security of the Republic,” Tugade said.

Petty Officer Third Class Petecio and Apprentice Seawoman Ando have applied to join the PCG before they competed at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. They will be assigned to the Coast Guard Special Service Office, one of the units at the PCG headquarters.

Petecio, who hails from Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, graduated with a degree in Associate Arts of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Baguio in 2019.

She ended up with a silver medal in the women’s featherweight final in the Tokyo games. She won the gold medal at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing in 2019, and ranked second in the women’s featherweight (57 kilograms) division at the AIBA World Rankings.

Ando, who is from Cebu City, is currently taking up Bachelor of Science in Criminology at Cebu University.

She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo for weightlifting. She previously won medals at the Asian Championship and Southeast Asian Games.

TSB