No additional bonuses - PSC

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino medalists in the coming Asian Games in Guangzhou, China can look forward to the cash incentives as provided by the law under Republic Act 9064.

But as to the additional cash incentives that were provided to the athletes by former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping, it remains in question.

Richie Garcia, who replaced Angping as chief of the government sports agency, said the PSC cannot just hand out additional bonuses to the athletes unless it is approved by the board.

“The incentives will be there but only those provided under the law. As to the former chairman’s promise of additional incentives, we can only do that through the board’s approval,” said Garcia.

“But if we are to hand them out through a verbal promise, with no proper appropriation, then that will be difficult for us,” he added.

Under RA 9064, a gold in the SEA Games is worth P100,000; the Asian Games P1 million and the Olympics P5 million.

But Angping did the unprecedented during the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games when he doubled the cash reward for every gold medal won by the Philippines, meaning each gold medalist brought home P200,000 each.

Angping, on his final say as PSC chairman, hoped that whoever takes his place would continue what he had started, meaning that gold medalists in the Asian Games in November will receive P1 million from the government and another P1 million from the PSC.

Angping said granting that the country, which won only four gold medals in the 2006 Asian Games, wins more this time, then there shouldn’t be a problem for the PSC to cough up an additional P10 million.

Garcia said he will discuss it with his board also made up of Jolly Gomez, Chito Loyzaga, Akiko Thompson and Buddy Andrada.

Garcia said the PSC under the Aquino administration is looking for ways on how to provide better for the athletes, and one way is the reinstatement of the close to 300 athletes that were dropped from the pool and stripped of their monthly allowances early this year.

“That’s our priority right now, that the athletes get what they deserve. Then we will look into the program,” said Garcia.