Party-list pushes for retirement benefit

IN ITS effort to improve the lives of athletes, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list is pushing for the granting of a one-time cash retirement to also include handicapped or differently-abled athletes, trainers and coaches.

The party-list led by Representative Mark Sambar, together with world boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao, is pushing for the proposed grant of a P250,000 one-time retirement cash incentive in filing House Bill 939. The bill also covers non-cash incentives for retiring athletes.

Sambar said while the law allows government to grant cash and non-monetary benefits to national athletes of up to P100,000, they noticed differently-abled athletes get nothing despite representing the country in international competitions.

Sambar and Pacquiao said HB 939 will amend Republic Act 9064 to include para-athletes, persons with disabilities, their coaches and trainers, to be included in the sports retirement incentive program.

Under HB 939, Southeast Asian Games winners will receive P200,000 for gold and P100,000 for silver. Asian Games gold medal winners will receive P250,000.

Just like the rest of the national athletes, athletes with disabilities, their coaches and trainers will also be entitled to retirement benefits and Philhealth insurance coverage.

However, athletes with disabilities will no longer be entitled to benefits and privileges in combination with similar benefits under RA 9442, also known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

Under the measure, upon reaching the retirement age of 55, a lifetime monthly pension of at least P20,000 will be given to individual winners or P15,000 to each member of a team.

Winners of both individual and team awards will only be entitled only to individual incentives.

He said the fund will be drawn from the net cash income of Pagcor to be remitted directly as a special account to the National Sports Development Fund of the Philippine Sports Commission. (Roderick Osis)