THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has donated P500,000 financial support to track legend Lydia De Vega-Mercado who is battling Stage 4 breast cancer.

Officials of PCSO, led by Chairperson June E. Cua and Vice Chairperson and General Manager Melquiades A. Robles, send De Vega-Mercado’s family financial support for her medical treatment at the Makati Medical Center.

Her daughter, Stephanie Mercado de Koenigswarter, received the check on Tuesday during a simple ceremony at PCSO’s main office in Mandaluyong City.

“We immediately extend our support and encouragement to the athlete as she fights Stage 4 breast cancer, the most challenging race of her life,” PCSO said in a statement.

Koenigswater expressed gratitude to the leadership of PCSO for giving much-needed assistance to her mother, who brought pride and joy to the country.

Lydia De Vega-Mercado ran in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea, and became the first person to win back-to-back gold medals in the 100-meter dash.

This propelled her to fame, and she was dubbed Asia’s fastest woman and “Sprint Queen” in the eighties and the first Filipino woman to run and compete in the Olympics.

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Arlene Rivera