WHILE Davao medalists in the just-concluded 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games were waiting with the rest of Team Philippines for President Rodrigo Duterte at MalacaƱan Palace yesterday, December 18, they already shared their plans on what to do with the cash incentives they will be receiving.
Republic Act (RA) 10699, also known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, cites that the SEA Games gold, silver and bronzes medalists will receive P300,000, P150,000 and P60,000, respectively, from the National Government through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
President Duterte was also set to award additional bonus to the medalists - P250,000 (gold), P150,000 (silver) and P100,000 (bronze).
The POC also pledged to give P200,00 for individual gold medalist, P50,000 for silver medalist and P30,000 for bronze winner.
Davao City's men's sambo 82 kilograms champion Chino Sy Tancontian, who also turned 19 yesterday, said, "Magpapakain po ako sa street people hehehe kasi po kasama sa prayers ko yun parang nag-pledge po kasi akong if I win the gold as my thanks I'll give out something to help others po," he told Sun.Star Davao in a recent Facebook interview.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Sports Science college freshman, who subdued Gary Chow of Singapore in their SEA Games finals match at the Angeles University Foundation in Angeles City, Pampanga, also plans to buy a car but his coaches, relatives and friends advised him to invest in something or start up a business.
Tancontian's elder sister Sydney, for her part, said she would save her cash incentives. "Pang fund narin ng mga future competitions ko," she said. She copped a bronze in women's kurash event.
Women's boxing featherweight gold medalist Nesthy Alcayde Petecio, also Aiba Women's World Boxing Championships 2019 champion, said, "Para sa akong pamilya og sa pagpahuman sa among balay (It will be for my family and for the completion of our house renovation)." She was pertaining to their house in Barangay Tuban, Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur.
SEA Games newbie women's arnis live stick gold medalist Jezebel Morcillo, meanwhile, said she would help her family, particularly his father Jolly who tills their corn and rice farm in Sultan Kudarat.
"Naa nami pampalit ug similya sa mais ug humay, dili na mag-utang akong Papa sa financier, tapos makapaayo na pud mi sa among balay sa Davao (We could now buy rice and corn seeds without having to take loans from financers and we could repair our house in Davao)," she said in a separate chat.
SEA Games rookie Sonny Wagdos, a father of one, said his financial problems will now be solved. "Pang savings napud (I'll also save some of my incentives)," the men's 5,000-meter run champion Wagdos added.