Coaches turn to get incentives worth P3.9M

Barring any hitches, Philippine Sports Commission chair William Ramirez yesterday said coaches of the athletes who won medals in the recent Asian Games in Doha, Qatar are set to receive their incentives worth P3.9 million tomorrow in time for the holidays.

"Our athletes have already received their incentives from the President. Now, we have to take care of the coaches," Ramirez said a day after getting a fresh mandate from President Arroyo as head of the government sports body.

Under Republic Act 9064, coaches of medal-winning athletes in international competitions like the Asiad are entitled to incentives equivalent to 50 percent of the cash awards received by gold, silver and bronze medalists.

Boxing had the best record among the national sports associations (NSAs) in Doha, winning two gold medals and two bronzes.

Boxers Violito Payla and Joan Tipon, who won gold medals, received incentives worth P1.5 million from the President last Tuesday at Malacañang, while bronze medalists Godfrey Castro and Genebert Basadre received P300,000 each.

In all, P13.5 million in incentives were handed to all 19 medalists, counting billiards winner Antonio Gabica and wushu’s Renato Catalan.

Under EO 9064, Asiad medalists were supposed to receive P1 million for a gold, P500,000 for a silver and P100,000 for a bronze. President Arroyo, however, increased this to P1.5 million, P800,000 and P300,000, respectively, for the Asiad.

The increase, however, only covered the athletes, according to Ramirez, adding the coaches stand to receive a total of P3.950 million in incentives.

This means boxing coaches Nolito "Boy" Velasco, Pat Gaspi and Roland Chavez, who trained and guided the boxers, will receive P366,666 each.

The rest of the coaches will also receive incentives based on the medal won by their respective wards.

Ramirez’s announcement came as a welcome relief for the coaches who normally receive their incentives at least three months after an international event.

Ramirez also said bowler Biboy Rivera, who won the Masters title in the Men’s World Bowling Championship in Busan, South Korea, last September, will receive P2.5 million as incentive.