Change has truly come.
National athlete Hidilyn Diaz is set to receive at least PhP 5,000,000 in government incentives after ending the 20-year medal drought of the Philippines in the Olympics, early Monday morning.
Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, was passed in congress and signed by then-President Benigno Aguino III last November 13, 2015. The Act expanded the incentives and benefits of National athletes and their coaches.
In the said Act, national athletes and other athletes who are not officially or currently members of the national training pool but who have otherwise represented the country in international sports competitions, who win gold, silver and bronze medals in international sports competitions shall be entitled to cash incentives in the following amounts:
2.i Five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) for Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games
For the 25-year-old Zamboanga-native, she will have a three-year window to claim this incentive before it is considered waived. Moreover, this amount will certainly increase with endorsements coming from privately-funded corporations.
