Aside from those provided under the law, the country’s medal winners in the just concluded 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam are expected to receive more incentives from Malacanang, according to national team chief of mission Ramon Fernandez.
Fernandez said Sen. Bong Go has requested a list of Filipino medalists in the Vietnam SEA Games that he will forwarded to President Duterte for more bonuses.
Fernandez, also a commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, bared this yesterday before he flew back from Hanoi, where he led officials in representing the country in the closing ceremonies.
He said this is in keeping with the practice of Duterte to award more incentives on top of what is due under Republic Act 10699, the incentives law, to the medalists who are expected to call on the Chief Executive shortly at the Palace.
Fernandez recalled that medalists in the Tokyo Olympics led by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who won a breakthrough gold medal, and in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games also received more incentives from Duterte.
The country’s standard-bearers garnered 52 gold, 70 silver and 104 bronze medals to finish fourth overall in Vietnam.
Gymnast Carlos Yulo emerged as the best athlete of the Philippine delegation by bagging five gold and two silver medals in men’s artistic gymnastics, with Fil-Am Aleah Finnegan sharing the spotlight with a pair of mints and two silvers in women’s artistic gymnastics.
With an individual gold worth P300,000, silver P150,000 and bronze P60,000 under RA 10699, Yulo is expected to receive close to P1.8 million in bonuses. Finnegan is set to get more than P600,000.
The dancesport pair of Ana Leonila and Sean Mischa Arana will receive P900,000 each for the three golds they clinched in the standard tango, fox trot and all-five dances.
Bowler Merwin Tan, billiards ace Rubilen Amit, and Kim Mangrobang, who swept the women’s triathlon and duathlon events, will each receive P600,00.
Dancesport partners Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen and Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo earned P300,000 for the gold and silver each pair waltzed away with at the Long Bien District Sporting Hall in Hanoi.
Reigning US pool champion Carlo Biado, who took the 10-ball mint, men’s 9-ball king Johann Chu, fencer Samantha Catantan, wushu exponent Agatha Wong and Fil-Am swimmer Chloe Isleta are sure to pocket P450,000 apiece for the winning a gold and silver each in their respective disciplines.
Fernandez said the PSC will be informed in a few days when the courtesy call of the Philippine contingent on President Duterte will be scheduled at Malacañang.
