Hidilyn Diaz gets free flights for 5 years from airline firm

MANILA, Philippines – The perks continue to flow for Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

This after AirAsia, a budget airline company, announced it is giving free flights to Asean athletes who won medals in the recent 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The company said Asean gold medalists will enjoy free flights for life, while those who bagged silver and bronze medals will get free trips for five and two years, respectively.

“I was blown away by the performances from Asean athletes,” AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said in a statement.

“They proved we can achieve anything as long as we believe in ourselves and work tirelessly towards our dream. This is the least we could do for them,” he added.

The 25-year-old Diaz became the first Filipina Olympic medalist after her podium finish in the women’s 53kg weightlifting in the quadrennial sports meet. Her performance ended the Philippines’ 20-year medal Olympic medal drought.

In achieving the feat, Diaz received P5 million from the government as mandated by the law. President Duterte sweetened the pot by handing out an additional P2 million.

Additionally, Diaz received an undisclosed amount from Sen. Manny Pacquiao when she visited the Senate recently.

Now, AirAsia said she will be able to fly to more than 120 destinations within the company’s network in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.