Asian Games gold medalists get additional P1M bonus

MANILA, Philippines – There’s more in store for the Philippines’ golden girls. 

Asian Games gold-medal winners Hidilyn Diaz of weigthlifting, skateboarding’s Margielyn Didal, golf’s Yuka Saso and the national women’s golf team of Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go are set to receive an additional P1 million on top of their P6 million incentive. 

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Butch Ramirez announced on Wednesday, September 5, that President Rodrigo Duterte is set to add a P1 million to the winners’ bonus.

“The Office of the President through the office of SAP (Special Assistant to the President) Bong Go was [telling] me that the President will give P1 million to the gold medalists,”  Ramirez said in a press conference at the PSC office.

“For the silver medalists 500,000, and for the bronze 200,000 [will be given],” he added.

Saso, a double gold medalist, is set to receive the biggest cash windfall of P9.33 million in total incentives.

Aside from the P1 million from Duterte, Saso will also receive  P2 million each from the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), P1 million from the Siklab Foundation, P1 million from the Philippine embassy in Indonesia, and P2.33 million from her  share of the women’s golf team bonuses.

Rio Olympics silver medalist Diaz and overnight skateboarding sensation Didal will each get P7 million in total bonuses.

Boxing’s Rogen Ladon of boxing and judo’s Kiyomi Watanabe, the country’s silver medalists in the continental games, will also receive an additional P500,000 on top of the bonus from the government through Republic Act 10699, which expands the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches. 

Ramirez said the PSC is also fast-tracking the certification of incentives for coaches so they can get their rewards. – Rappler.com