PSA plans a statue of Lydia de Vega at Rizal Memorial track oval

LYDIA de Vega-Mercado, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, athletes the Philippines has produced, will soon have her monument at the exact same place where Filipinos witnessed her golden triumphs — the Rizal Memorial track oval

“We want to put a sculpture, a statue para sa kaniya (for her),” said Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Board Member Olivia “Bong” Coo in yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the PSC building referring to the late former Asian sprint queen.

Ms. Coo, a legendary athlete herself being a former world champion bowler, said they hope to finish everything by October where the agency pays her a formal tribute to Ms. De Vega-Mercado.

She said it was just fitting that the statue will be built at the same area where Ms. De Vega-Mercado staged some of her many epic victories including three Southeast Asian Games gold medals—two in 1981 and another one a decade later. — Joey Villar