Bill Granting Bigger Incentives For National Athletes Now A Law – Angara

Senator Sonny Angara has lauded the enactment of a law that would raise the amount and broaden the coverage of incentives, as well as improve the benefits, granted to national athletes, coaches and trainers.

Republic Act 10699, which repeals RA 9064 or the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001, aims to increase the amount of cash incentives given to winning athletes, coaches and trainers, and to include athletes with disabilities in the grant of benefits and incentives.

“It’s high time we recognize our outstanding athletes with disabilities, which is why we included them among the national athletes deserving of incentives should they win in international competitions. Likewise, we wanted to recognize and give justice to our winning national athletes by increasing the amount of prizes and benefits for them to receive,” said Angara, chairman of the committee on games, amusement and sports, and the sponsor and one of the authors of the recently enacted law.

For the Olympic Games, the gold medalists will be granted P10 million, the silver medalists P5 million, and the bronze medalists P2 million each, while for the Asian Games, the gold medalists will be entitled to P2 million cash incentives, the silver medalists P1 million, and the bronze medalists P400,000 each.

As for the SEA Games, the gold medalists will get P300,000, the silver medalists P150,000, and the bronze medalists P60,000 each.

For team events with five or more participants, each member will get 25 percent of the cash incentives provided for the individual medal winners.

Apart from regular major competitions, medalists of world-level championships held every two years or with at least 45 countries participating and of Asian-level competitions held every two years or with at least 25 countries participating will also receive cash incentives.

“Filipinos love sports so it is but proper for our government to amply recognize and reward the achievements of our athletes. Winning medals and competitions at the international level is usually the result of years of hard training by both athletes and coaches, and they fully deserve any reward under our new law,” the lawmaker said.

Furthermore, the bill seeks to grant every national athlete, coach and trainer 20-percent discount on transportation, hotels and other lodging establishments, restaurants, and purchase of medicine and sports equipment for their actual and exclusive use.

Winning national athletes will also be entitled to scholarship benefits in the form of full tuition fees in state colleges and universities.

“We thank the President, the legislators and the Philippine Sports Commission for supporting and helping craft the new incentives scheme,” Angara said.

senate.gov.ph