Duterte raises athletes’ allowance by P100K

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday gifted each one of 19 Filipinos competing in the Tokyo Olympics an additional allowance of P100,000.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez said the request for additional support was presented before the Senate Committee on Sports headed by Sen. Bong Go.

It’s on top of the $1,000 allowance all of them will receive from the PSC for just being there in the quadrennial event.

Members of the Philippine Paralympics team will receive the same amount.

“I thank the President because he approved  our appeal to increase the allowances of our athletes in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics,” said Go.

“I expect us to get gold. We wish them good luck  and I trust in our capability to win and bag a gold medal for our country,” he said.

“Our athletes deserve this additional show of support. Thank you President Duterte sa lagi niyong suporta sa ating mga atleta,” said Ramirez.

The national government, using people’s money, has already spent P2 billion since  2016 with a one goal in mind – to end the country’s long search for an elusive Olympic gold medal.

“We can see the sincere care of the President for our athletes, grassroots to elite ito.  He is the only president who never missed any Palarong Pambansa, consistently recognized the acheivements of our athletes by always inviting them to the Palace and sacrificed standing for three straight hours to award the incentives of our elite athletes,” Ramirez added.

The cash incentive awaiting the gold medalist has now reached P33 million.

Paralympics-bound Filipino athletes will have a fair share of the bounty as the Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation (MVPSF) has earmarked additional cash incentives for any medal in the quadrennial event.

The MVPSF through chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and president Al Panlilio will reward P5 million for a gold, P2.5 million for a silver and P500,000 for a bronze in the Paralympics slated Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

That is the same amount the government will shell out to Filipino Paralympics medalists through the Expanded Athletes Incentives Act.

In all, a Paralympic mint is now worth P10 million, silver P5 million and bronze P1 million.