The Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party-list on Friday said it may be time to revisit Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, to increase cash incentives for athletes bagging podium finishes in annual world championship tilts.
This, after gymnast Carlos Yulo won gold and silver medals in the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. Yulo won gold in the men’s vault and silver in the men’s parallel bars.
“While we laud the Philippines Sports Commission (PSC) for deciding to still give Caloy monetary bonus for his gold and silver medal finishes in the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, we feel that he deserves to be given the full cash incentives provided for in RA 10699,” PBA Party-list spokesperson Atty. Migs Nograles said.
“He (Carlos Yulo) deserves to be given the full cash incentives provided for in RA 10699.”
“We are thinking of filing a bill to amend the existing law to provide that podium finishes in all world-level competitions staged yearly shall merit cash incentives,” Nograles added.
The PSC has announced it will give Yulo ₱500,000 for his gold and ₱250,000 for his silver finish.
Section 8 of RA 10699 provides that an athlete winning gold in world-level competitions held every two years shall be given ₱1 million, while a silver medal merits P500,000. However, the Artistic Gymnastics world championships is held annually.
Yulo topped the men’s vault with a score of 14.916 and bagged silver in the parallel bars with a score of 15.300.
“With his two podium finishes, the 21-year-old became the first Filipino gymnast to capture multiple world championship medals in a single staging of the tournament.”
With his two podium finishes, the 21-year-old became the first Filipino gymnast to capture multiple world championship medals in a single staging of the tournament.
“A world championship is a world championship, regardless if it is held every year or every two years,” Nograles stressed.
“We look forward to seeing Caloy defend his title next year and hope that he will bring home even more gold medals for the Philippines,” the Davaoeña lawyer added.
