Hergie Bacyadan and Nesthy Petecio  during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum in Manila, June 11, 2024. Photo from Rom Anzures, ABS-CBN News.

MANILA — Nesthy Petecio and Hergie Bacyadan are set to represent the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in July.

The duo are two of the five boxers and 15 total athletes who will have already earned their tickets to the Summer Games.

But aside from earning glory for the country, they are also dedicating their campaign on the world stage to the LGBTQ+ community which they are proudly part of.

"Sa Tokyo pa lang po, sinabi ko na noon na proud ako maging member ng LGBTQ+. Inalay ko po sa kanila yung laban ko sa Tokyo," said Petecio, who won a silver medal in the 2021 Olympic Games.

FROM 2021: Petecio honored to represent LGBT community at Olympics

And now that the 32-year-old, Tuban, Santa Cruz Davao Del Sur native is looking to overtake the historic silver finish she had in 2021 — with her becoming the first Filipina boxer to earn a medal in the Olympics — Petecio is hoping to make history anew while representing her community yet again.

"Ang dami ko pong pag aalayan ng laban ko ngayong Paris, kasi parang ito na yung final destination ng career ko, so gusto kong mag exit ng maganda-ganda dito," said Petecio, who is aiming to clinch the country's first boxing gold.

"Proud ako na miyembro ng LGBTQ+!" she exclaimed.

In the Tokyo Games, Petecio was one of three openly gay Filipino athletes, along with boxing teammate Irish Magno and skateboarder Margielyn Didal. According to a list compiled by Out Sports, there were at least 186 publicly out athletes in the Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile, Bacyadan, who will be competing in her first-ever Olympics, is ecstatic to have the chance to represent her community for the first time on such a prestigious stage.

"Yun nga, sa mga kapwa nating [members ng] LGBTQ+ community, proud po na isa ako sa napasama dito sa gaganaping Paris Olympics," said the 29-year-old Hergie, who hails from Kalinga province.

"Kung gaano po kami pa proud sa sarili namin, ganoon din sa kanila. Siyempre, kami yung tinitignan nilang andoon na nagpe-perform na ka-lahi nila."

"Mag pe-perform kami ng mas maayos pa para maiba naman," Bacyadan continued, while also sharing how it is also a motivation for her to give honor to her fellow people from Kalinga.

"Biggest motivation ko is yung family ko, yung tribo ko sa Kalinga, and yung mga taong naniniwala sa akin na kaya kong mag medal dito sa Paris Olympics," Bacyadan ended.