Sotto bill's omission

Sen. Tito Sotto must be commended for recently filing a bill expanding the coverage of the Sports Incentives Act of 2001 to include top Filipino performers in the Paralympics and non-quadrennial world championships even if the sports are not in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and Olympic calendars.

If the nature of Senate Bill No. 2947 filed last Aug. 23 is non-discriminatory, then Sen. Sotto must be reminded to also provide for mentally challenged athletes who participate in the World Special Olympics held every four years. As it is, the bill proposes to reward medalists in world championships regardless of frequency and outstanding athletes accredited by the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (Philspada).

Although Philspada’s charter encompasses the intellectually disabled, this category of impairment is excluded from the Paralympics which are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Philspada is the National Sports Association (NSA) affiliated with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the IPC.

The Sports Incentives Act of 2001, or R. A. 9064, provides for a P2.5 Million reward to a gold medalist, P1 Million to a silver medalist and P500,000 to a bronze medalist in quadrennial world championships. This disqualifies an athlete like Paeng Nepomuceno who has won the annual World Cup of bowling in 1976, 1980, 1992 and 1996. Nepomuceno is hailed as the greatest bowler who ever lived and his life-sized image welcomes visitors to the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. Although he holds three world records recognized by Guinness, Nepomuceno isn’t eligible for a bonus under R. A. 9064 because the titles he has captured are not of the quadrennial variety. Obviously, the qualification makes no sense and is in fact unfair to Nepomuceno and other similarly-situated athletes like billiards’ Bata Reyes and the national dragon boat team that took five gold medals in the small boat division at the recent World Championships in Tampa Bay. Sen. Sotto not only took into account world champions like Nepomuceno and Reyes in crafting his bill but also medalists in the Paralympics, the Asian Paragames and the ASEAN Paragames. In his proposed bill, P5 Million will be given to a gold medalist, P2.5 Million to a silver medalist and P1 Million to a bronze medalist in the Paralympics. Incentives are also earmarked for medal winners in the Asian and ASEAN Paragames.

“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 Sen. Sotto. But what about athletes who are mentally challenged?

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Paralympic athletes fall under five general categories – amputee, cerebral palsy, wheelchair-bound, visually impaired and other physical deformities such as dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. Those who are mentally disabled are not included as they participate in the Special Olympics, not the Paralympics.

When the Special Olympics Philippines (SOP) officials asked for assistance from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) in relation to a national delegation competing at the World Special Olympics in Athens recently, it was explained that mentally disabled athletes are not eligible to receive financial support. That’s because the SOP isn’t accredited by the POC and has no links with Philspada.

Yet, the SOP was founded over 30 years ago – in 1978 and the first World Special Olympics were held in Chicago in 1968. The World Special Olympics are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and all its sporting events follow the rules of the different international sports federations with certain approved modifications. The Special Olympics bar contact sports such as boxing, wrestling and taekwondo. The competitions also disallow chess, shooting and archery.

The late Eunice Kennedy Shriver provided the funds to stage the first World Special Olympics. It is widely known that Shriver conceived of the Special Olympics because her sister Rosemary suffered a severe permanent intellectual disability. She passed away in 2009 but the spirit of the Special Olympics lives on with the inspiring motto “Let me win but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Whenever the Special Olympics are held, courageous athletes compete to deliver the message that “no physical or mental barrier can restrain the progress of the human spirit.”

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Today, the Special Olympics program is a world-wide, non-government organization with 3.5 million athletes from over 180 countries. SOP itself has a directory of 12,500 intellectually disabled athletes and 4,000 volunteer coaches registered in 13 regions all over the country. Statistics show that the Special Olympics platform is the second largest charitable cause that receives assistance in global terms.

Last July, the Philippine delegation of 31 athletes hauled in 22 gold, 11 silver and 17 bronze medals from five sports at the World Special Olympics in Athens. The sports where the Philippines captured gold medals were bocce, swimming, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics and athletics. When the team returned home, no incentives were in store for the medalists, prompting Philippine Olympians Association president Art Macapagal to fork out P170,000 of his own money to reward the achievers. Macapagal’s wife Mariter is the SOP president.

Representing the country in Athens were Marie Margaret Babst, Marie Stephanie Babst, Phoebe Candole, Liza Dayon, Alvin de Chavez, Louie Decolongon, Mcmerill Derrama, Aivie Dunca, Jose Erdao, Magiting Gonzales, Rodney Gutang, Mark Inductivo, Andrew Lim, Cherry Rose Lopez, Carl Macabales, Raymond Macasaet, Maria Manzanares, Vivian Mayhay, John Menoza, Salamiel Montano, Michael Mora, Ryan Mosquera, Roxanne Ng, Benrafi Omar, Bryan Robles, Anna Luisa Se, Marilou Sibayan, Emilda Soriano, Sheila Mae Suniega, Melanie Valdez and Sherlyn Veyra.

While the Philippines appears to turn a blind eye on the Special Olympics, the program is hailed around the world as a significant event. At the recent Athens Games, a slew of luminaries graced the opening rites, including Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver, Dr. Jill Biden, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Dikembe Mutombo, Vlade Divac, Bart Conner, Edwin Moses, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Yuko Arimori, Zhang Ziyi and Donna DeVarona.

Perhaps, Sen. Sotto could insert a provision in his bill to include, aside from paralympians, the intellectually challenged athletes who participate in the Special Olympics as eligible to receive incentives for a medal finish.