THE huge financial reward awaiting Filipino medalists, more so gold medal winner, in the Tokyo Olympics could get even bigger as the Games finally approach.
President Duterte may put in his own cash windfall for any of the 19 athletes who’ll be able to bring home a medal of any color from the 32nd edition of the Olympiad.
So far, a total of P30 million is guaranteed for any Filipino athlete who will win the country’s first ever gold medal, courtesy of P10 million each from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Incentives Act, the MVP Sports Foundation, and San Miguel Corp. under big boss Ramon S. Ang.
And there could be more.
Senator Bong Go said the President is likely to add financial incentives to both the breakthrough gold winner and other medalists.
“I’m sure si Pangulong Duterte handa rin pong magbigay ng insentibo kung makakuha tayo ng medalya. Known naman po ang ang mga Pilipinos na matatapang, magigiting, at lumalaban. Let’s give the best, ang Pilipino lumalaban talaga yan,” said Go in a radio interview.
During the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz received a surprise P2 million bonus from Presidente Duterte after winning the silver in the women’s 53-kg division. The bonus was aside from the P5 million reward mandated under Republic Act 10699, otherwise known as the National Athletes and Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act.
P15M for silver and P6M for bronze
Meanwhile, silver and bronze medal winners will be rewarded P5 million and P2 million, respectively or a total of P15 million for silver and P6 million for bronze.
Go is optimistic about the country’s chances of finally nailing that elusive Olympic gold.
“Ako, ini-expect ko na makakakuha tayo ng ginto. Sana po ay manalo,” said the senator. “We wish them good luck at ako naman ay tiwalang kakayanin nating manalo at makakuha ng ating inaasam na gold medal para sa ating bayan. Dito lang po kami, full support po kami sa ating mga atleta.”
As Senate Sports Committee Chair, Go convinced the government in including Filipino athletes in the priority list for COVID-19 vaccination that included Olympian rower Cris Nievarez, as well as Philippine delegates participating in the Olympics.
The President, according to Go, is not scheduled to travel to Tokyo for the Olympics and instead will lead the entire nation in cheering for the Filipino athletes at home.
A total of 19 Filipinos comprised the Filipino delegation to the Tokyo Games led by Diaz (weightlifting) and world champions Caloy Yulo (gymnastics), Yuka Saso (golf), and Nesthy Petecio (boxing), EJ Obiena (pole vault), Kristina Knott (athletics), Elreen Ando (weightlifting), Jayson Valdez (shooting), Kurt Barbosa (taekwondo), Nievarez (rowing), Juvic Pagunsan (golf), Bianca Pagdanganan (golf), Kiyomi Watanabe (judo), Eumir Marcial (boxing), Carlo Paalam (boxing), Irish Magno (boxing), Margielyn Didal (skateboarding), Remedy Rule (swimming), and Luke Gebbie.
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