Sotto bill to include non-Olympic achievers

MANILA, Philippines - A bill has been filed in the Senate seeking to amend Republic 9064 or the Sports Incentives Act of 2001 and include achievers in annual and biennial world competitions and victorious differently-abled athletes among the beneficiaries.

Senate Bill No. 2947 introduced by Sen. Tito Sotto seeks to give titlists in non-Olympic sports such as Paeng Nepomuceno of bowling and Bata Reyes of billiards their share of bonuses from the government as world champions.

RA 9064 grants P2.5 million to gold medalist, P1 million to silver medalist, and P500,000 to bronze medalist in quadrennial world championships. SB 2947 proposes to take away required “quadrennial” cycle of the world meets covered, making it simply “World Cup, World Games or world-level championships that do not involve the use of handicaps and offer prize money.”

The proposed amendment also vies to redefine who the “national athletes” entitled to incentives are. At present, only athletes in the national pool recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission belong to this category.

SB 2947 aims to include “athletes with disabilities who are recognized and accredited by the National Paralympic Committee Philippines [Philspada] and PSC” and “athletes who are not members of the national training pool but who have otherwise represented the country in international competitions.”

This would apparently benefit the likes of the triumphant but unrecognized Philippine Dragon Boat Federation Dragon Warriors, who copped five gold medals in the world tilt but are not eligible to the bonus scheme.

Under SB 2947, athletes with disabilities will be legally mandated to get the same incentives and benefits due achievers of Olympics, Asian Games, world championships and SEA Games.

For Paralympics, P5 million goes to gold medalist, P2.5 million to silver medalist, and P1 million to bronze medalist; for Asian Paragames, P1 million to gold, P500,000 to silver, and P250,000 to bronze medalist; for ASEAN Paragames, P100,000 to gold, P50,000 to silver and P10,000 to bronze medalist.

The bill also wants to add health insurance benefits to all medalists and lifetime pension to retiring gold medal achievers.

SB 2947, which was filed last Aug. 23 and read on first reading the following day, has been referred to the games, amusement and sports, finance committees.

“The amendments as proposed in this piece of legislation will make our athletes feel, regardless of their physical traits, the importance of the pride and glory they earned for the country every time they successfully carry with them the colors of our nation,” said Sotto.