Gov't awards cash for first time to Palaro athletes

 MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine government for the first time is giving cash incentives to gold medalist student athletes in the ongoing Palarong Pambansa (National Sports Fest) to further encourage them to do their best in sports, the Department of Education (DepEd) said Tuesday.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said that individual athletes who will win an official 2013 Palarong Pambansa gold medal will be entitled to a P3,000 cash reward.

For gold medalists in team events that have less than five members, each member shall also receive P3,000.

In team events that have more than five members, each player will get P1,000 pesos.

All individual or team record-breaker athletes will receive a cash reward of P3,000.

Official 2013 Palarong Pambansa gold medalist refers to athletes who win a gold medal in regular Palaro events and not in demonstration sports, special games, and other events which do not earn corresponding points in the Palaro official tally.

About 10,000 student athletes from 17 regions are participating in the 18 sports during the weeklong annual event being held now in Dumaguete City in central Philippine province of Negros Oriental.