Malacañang visit awaits SEA Games medalists

HANOI — Medal performers in the Southeast Asian Games traditionally visit President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang and present the rewards of their remarkable feat that made the country proud.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said it won’t be any different once medal-winning athletes from Team Philippines come home from the ongoing 31st SEA Games being held in this Vietnamese capital.

Filipino athletes who captured medals in the SEA Games are entitled to receive cash incentive from the government under Republic Act No. 10699 also known as the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.’’

Under the law, an individual gold medalist from the SEA Games will get P300,000 as cash bonus while a silver medal and bronze medal are worth P150,000 and P60,000, respectively.

“But knowing the President, it’s his style to give additional cash bonuses to the athletes aside from what has been provided for by law once they visit him in Malacañang,” said Ramirez.

Ramirez is likewise positive that Sen. Bong Go has been monitoring the progress of Filipino athletes, who have now claimed one gold medal courtesy of pencak silat’s Mary Francine Padios, and six silver and 10 bronze medals a day after the formal opening of the Games.

“In the midst of the (COVID-19) pandemic, our athletes are very fortunate after Congress has appropriated a big amount of money to finance their training, their needs and all these foreign exposures. Thank you to our senators and congressmen for supporting our athletes,” said Ramirez.

The PSC bankrolled the participation of the 980-strong Philippine contingent, including 641 athletes and 210 coaches from 38 sports to the tune of P232 million. The government’s budget for the SEAG covers the plane tickets, hotel and billeting and allowances of athletes and coaches, among others.

“Our athletes are very, very fortunate that the government has been helping, the President is very supportive and of course we are also thankful to the private sector for giving them additional incentives,” said Ramirez.

Since the SEA Games is an integral part of the national team’s preparation for the Asian Games and the coming 2024 Paris Olympics, Ramirez said it is only proper to give athletes the opportunity to show their abilities and become outstanding athletes in the future.

“We are expecting that this will be a great exposure going to the Asian Games up to the Olympics just like what we did last time,” said Ramirez after Team Philippines performed well in the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 SEA Games on the way to clinching the country’s first gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.