PSC to release cash incentives for Asiad medalists

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will hand out on Friday the promised cash incentives for all medal winners in the recently concluded 16th Asian Games. Team Philippines collected 16 medals – three gold, four silvers and nine bronzes – in the two-week long Asiad held in Guanzghou, China. Aside from the 16 athletes that won medals, all Philippine team members and their coaches under the PSC will also receive cash incentives in time for the holiday season. A total of P9.5 million in cash incentives will be given. Based on RA 9064 or the Sports Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001, gold medal-winning athletes in the Asian Games will receive P1 million each. Silver and bronze medals are worth P500,000 and P100,000 each, while the athletes' coaches will get half of those amounts. The money will come from the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). But the PSC said it is willing to shoulder the cost to allow athletes to get their cash incentives early. The PSC is inviting President Noynoy Aquino to personally give away the checks. “We are hoping to give out the incentives during the First Friday Mass (at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall). But we’re still waiting to see if the President is available. If not, we might postpone it to a later date, because we feel it right for the President to personally hand out the rewards," said PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia. Friday's event will also be a send-off for the Philippine delegation that will compete in the Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman and the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China, which opens next week. Bowler Engelberto Rivera, boxer Rey Saludar and cue artist Dennis Orcollo accounted for Team Philippines’ three gold medals. Silver medalists were Annie Albania (women’s boxing), Warren Kiamco (9-ball billiards), Miguel Luis Tabuena (individual golf) and the Philippine men’s chess team composed of grandmasters Wesley So, Joey Antonio, John Paul Gomez, Eugene Torre and Darwin Laylo. Bronze medalists were Ronnie Steeve Vergara and Charlea Lagaras (two in dancesports); Thsomlee Go, John Paul Lizardo, Kirstie Elaine Alora and Paul Romero (taekwondo); Mark Eddiva (wushu); Victorio Saludar (boxing) and Frederick Ong (bowling singles). All athletes and coaches under the PSC will also be receiving P3,000 each in cash incentives, which they will get along with their allowances for the month of December. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV