Gawilan bats for equality

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NOT that he is being ungrateful, but para swimmer Ernie Gawilan is looking forward to the day when incentives awarded to national para athletes like him will be equal to those given to able-bodied ones for their outstanding feats in international play.

“Hindi naman po iba ang bandilang dinadala namin. Kung ano po ‘yung niri-represent ng mga able-bodied athletes ganun din naman po ‘yung sa amin,” Gawilan said yesterday in the online Goal Diggers Youth sports podcast organized by marketing outfit Xmplar.

“Sana nga maisipan ng ating mga namununo na maging ganun,” added the Tokyo Paralympian, who took home two individual gold medalss, one silver medal and a relay bronze in the recent 11th Asean Para Games in Surakarta, Indonesia.

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He was among the standouts of the national contingent that garnered an all-time best of 28 gold, 31 silver and 46 bronze medals on the way to finishing fifth overall in the medal standings.

Under Republic Act 10699, the revised incentives law, Gawilan will net a total of P382,500 for his accomplishments in the regional meet, or half of what able-bodied national athletes earned for the same feats in the Southeast Asian Games.

Under the law, national para athletes get P150,000, P75,000 and P30,000, respectively, for gold, silver and bronze medals won, compared to P300,000, P150,000 and P60,000 for regular national athletes in the SEA Games.

THE Davao City native, who was born with virtually no arms and legs, said he had little complain considering the progress and recognition that para athletes are getting now compared to the past.

“Kung babalikan natin ang nakaraan mas may improvement na po ngayon sa aming mga para athletes sa bansa. Naabutan ko pa ‘yung panahon na hindi kami gaanon pinapansin,” Gawilan said.

A triple gold medalist in the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, he remembered receiving a monthly stipend of P5,000 a month for three months of training before competing in the Asean Para Games.

“Salamat sa Philippine Sports Commission, kaming mga national para athletes ngayon tumatanggap na ng allowances regularly na hindi kagaya ng dati,” he noted. “Mas happy na rin po ako dito, kasi nu’ng nakaraan kahit anong bonus ang ibigay sa amin, okay na.”

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