MANILA, Philippines – Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Mark Sambar are working for the speedy passage of a bill granting differently-abled athletes lifetime retirement benefits and one-time cash incentives of up to P250,000.
Sambar said the current law has no provisions for incentives for differently-abled athletes and their coaches and trainers.
House Bill 939, filed by Pacquiao and Sambar, seeks to amend RA 9064 to include the para-athletes or athletes with disabilities, coaches and trainers, including their retirement and health benefits.
Under HB 939, Southeast Asian Games winners will receive P200,000 for gold and P100,000 for silver. Asian Games gold medal winners will receive P250,000.
Just like the rest of the national athletes, athletes with disabilities, their coaches and trainers will also be entitled to retirement benefits and Philhealth insurance coverage.
However, athletes with disabilities will no longer be entitled to benefits and privileges in combination with similar benefits under RA 9442, also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.
Under the measure, upon reaching the retirement age of 55, a lifetime monthly pension of at least P20,000 will be given the individual winners or P15,000 to each member of a team.
Winners of both individual and team awards will be entitled only to the individual incentives.
He said the fund shall be drawn from the net cash income of Pagcor to be remitted directly as a special account to the National Sports Development Fund of the Philippine Sports Commission.