In a heartwarming moment during the Olympic athletes’ homecoming parade on August 14, 2024, gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo had a brief yet touching encounter with his father, Mark Andrew Yulo.
The parade, which began at Aliw Theater in Pasay City and concluded at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, provided an emotional backdrop for this reunion.
As Carlos rode in the motorcade, he spotted his father among the cheering crowd. Mark Andrew Yulo, holding a banner that read “Caloy, dito Papa mo!”, was seen enthusiastically waving and smiling from the sidelines.
Carlos, who had been greeting fans from his float, immediately acknowledged his father with a salute.
Caloy while passing in his home place in Leveriza Street:
“Si Tatay?”
“Love you!” https://t.co/oklXSprDpc pic.twitter.com/6XuTwmqNfL
— ᜀ ᜃᜓ ᜐᜒ ᜇ᜔ᜌᜓᜈ᜔ (@iam_jniest) August 14, 2024
Following the parade, Carlos took to Facebook to express his gratitude. In his post, Carlos thanked his father for his support and apologized for not being able to greet him properly due to the large number of fans seeking autographs.
“Maraming salamat Pa, masaya ako nakita kita don nakasuporta! Pasensya na pa hindi ako masyado nakakaway, ang daming nagpa autograph hehe,” Carlos wrote, reflecting on his joy at seeing his father and the overwhelming crowd.
He added, “Kitakits soon pa,” indicating his eagerness to meet again soon.
The reunion was particularly poignant given the recent absence of Mark Andrew and other family members during Carlos’s arrival in the Philippines. This absence was reportedly due to ongoing family disputes involving Carlos and his mother, Angelica Yulo, which led to disappointment among some family members, including his grandfather.
Mark Andrew has publicly called for reconciliation, urging Carlos and Angelica to resolve their differences. “Anak, congrats sa’yo, congrats sa inyo ni Chloe, sana mag-usap tayo, mag-usap kayo ni mama mo kung ano man ‘yung [isyu] pag-usapan natin. Kasi hindi totoo ‘yung mga kumakalat sa balita,” Mark stated.
He added, “Sana po mag-usap-usap kaming family [at] si Chloe para matapos na ‘tong konting [alitan],” expressing hope for family unity and a resolution to their disputes.