Filipino athletes got another million-peso reason to shoot for the 2018 Asian Games gold.
Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong Wee pledged an additional PHP 1 million to a Filipino gold medalist, bringing the total cash windfall to PHP 6 million.
The additional incentive goes with the PHP 1 million assured by businessman-sportsman Dennis Uy through his Siklab Pilipinas Sports Foundation; the PHP 2 million cash bonus from the Philippine Olympic Committee; and the PHP 2 million that the government has promised through Republic Act 10699, which expands the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.
The government is also putting up a bonus of PHP 500,000 for a silver medalist and PHP 300,000 for the bronze achiever.
Silver medalists will also have an additional bonus of PHP 500,000 from the Siklab Foundation, on top of the government offer of P1 million and the POC incentive of PHP 500,000.
For the bronze winners, the foundation offers PHP 250,000, to go with the government bonus of PHP 400,000 and PHP 300,000 from the POC.
With so much support coming in for elite athletes, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said they can now focus on their work in grassroots sports development and leave the elite program to the Philippine Olympic Committee and the national sports associations.
“I am expecting the hard work on grassroots to greatly affect us. We will continue to do this. Because by strengthening the grassroots, we will strengthen the elite athletes,” said Ramirez.
