MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission on Friday handed out a little over Php1.5 million in cash incentives to differently abled athletes who took home medals in last month's Southeast Asian ParaGames in Myanmar.
PSC commissioner Jolly Gomez was on hand to distribute the incentives along with Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled president Mike Barredo in Friday's simple rights at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
"It's the government's reward to our athletes for making the country proud," said Gomez, who turns 54 Saturday but celebrated her special day Friday with a heartwarming play from Tanghalan Pilipino and a hearty lunch.
Thrower Marites Burce was among the first ParaGames medalists who received their cash rewards and she personally accepted the P50,000 incentive from the government's sports-funding agency for her two gold medals in javelin and shot put.
Prudencia Panaligan, for her part, received P35,000 for the gold she snared in the 100-meter dash and a bronze in the 200-m.
A gold is equivalent to P25,000, a silver P15,000 and a bronze P10,000.
Chess also got a windfall as it took home a total of six gold medals and a handful of silver and bronze medals.
Henry Lopez and Sander Severino each took home three gold medals – for two individual and one team event – while partially blind Menandro Redor snared a couple of golden performances also in chess.
"Next to athletics, we're the second best performer with six golds," said International Master Emmanuel Senador, who coaches the differently abled chess team.