DABAWENYO tanker Ernie Gawilan, who will make his first-ever Paralympics debut in Rio on Thursday, will swim not just for flag and country but to also honor the victims of the deadly blast incident at the Roxas night market in Davao City Friday evening.
Gawilan, 25, who hails from Sasa in Davao City, said, "E-swim nako ni sa mga biktima sa pagbomba ug sa siyudad nako (I'll compete for the bomb victims and my city)."
The tragic explosion at the massage area of the night market killed 14 and wounded 67 others.
He bared feeling sad and worried upon learning the bad news as it affected his beloved Davao City.
"Pero kailangan mag-focus lang gihapon ko sa akong dula (But I still need to focus on my competition)," Gawilan told VoxPop Davao in a Facebook chat Sunday.
The Asian Paragames triple bronze medalist said the Rio Paralympics is the toughest and most exciting milestone of her swimming career.
He also said that their target is to book a finals berth, saying, "Kung pagbuot sa Ginoo na makasulod bahala na kung unsa ang resulta sa dula (If the Lord wills that I make it to the finals, it's up to Him whatever the result will be)."
Gawilan said his Rio preparation was different from the regular training program he underwent in past international competitions, claiming he adjusted well and enduring the rigors of it all.
He is upbeat about his Rio stint as it is the fruit of his years of hardwork to qualify in the Games having failed to do so in the last 2012 London Paralympic Games. He shared that he was motivated to give his all when he reports for his daily training.
The lone swimmer among five Filipinos seeing action in Rio is entered in men's 400-meter freestyle, 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke events.
But of the three events, Gawilan trained hardest in 400m freestyle, saying, "Mas bug-at among training karong tuiga. Sa stamina mi nag-focus kaayo kay ang 400m freestyle man gud nako ang naay chance para maka final (We had a more rigid training this year, focusing on stamina as I have the best chance to enter the finals of the 400m freestyle )."
The rest of the Team Philippines are 2000 Sydney powerlifting bronze medalist Adeline Dumapong, powerlifter Agustin Kitan, table tennis player Josephine Medina and athletic wheelchair racer Jerold Mangliwan.
Dumapong's bronze was the one and only medal for the country that first joined the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games.
