PSC: More bonuses due for release

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Sports Commission is working out the release of incentives not only for coaches of medalists in past international competitions but also for athletes in recent competitions whose achievements are not covered by the government’s incentives law.

First up are the cash bonuses for 10 mentors of past achievers dating back to the 1970s, who stand to receive a total of P10.78 million as per R.A. 9064 or the National Athletes Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001.

Sen. Tito Sotto, a former bowler who coached bowling legend Bong Coo to three titles in the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, and Toti Lopa, mentor of 1988 Seoul Olympics gold medalist Arianne Cerdeña, head the list with P1.5 million and P625,000, respectively.

Also entitled to the windfall are Posadas, Marcelo Langurayan, Claro Pellosis and the late “Tatang de Vega” in athletics, Jesus Morales III, Manolo Gabriel and Victor Manuel Veneracion in taekwondo; and Oliver Ongtawco, Delfin Garcia, Johnson Cheng, Jimmy Hizon, Lolita Reformado, Vicente Valdez, Bonifacio Solis, Carlos de Leon and the late Alfonso dela Rosa and Angel Nepomuceno in bowling.

“These are the coaches of past achievers who have so far come to us to avail of the incentives. We encourage others to go to us so we can also help them get what they deserve under the law,” said Philippine Sports Commission chairman Ricardo Garcia.

Sotto and company’s papers have been forwarded to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the mandated source of the bonuses, for processing. The PSC and Pagcor had actually released an incentive amounting to P2.77 million to a first batch of coaches, the mentors of 1996 Olympics silver medalist Onyok Velasco and his fellow boxing achievers.

Meanwhile, Garcia said the PSC is studying possible incentives for medalists of the recent Asian Paragames in Guangzhou, China, as well as the achievers in the 16th Asia Masters Athletics Championships in Kuala Lumpur. The said competitions are not covered by RA 9064 but the PSC board may still reward the medalists on its own.

“We’ll look at what the (previous) PSC (board) handed out to the Paragames medalists as well as the Masters medalists in the past and most likely we’ll match them,” said Garcia.

The Philippines won four silvers and three bronzes in the last Asian Paragames while 1980s javelin queen Erlinda Lavandia and pole vaulters Emerson Obiena and Antonio Chee Jr. led a five-gold harvest in the recent Asian masters trackfest.