With 54 gold, 35 silver, and 19 bronze medals as of writing, the Philippines is certainly racking up an impressive number of wins in the continuing 2019 SEA Games. But did you know that, aside from glory and a prestigious stylized piece of metal hung around their necks, our Filipino athletes and coaches are actually entitled to a whole lot more?
As signed into law in November 2015, R.A. 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act states that national athletes are to be awarded with additional benefits and incentives if they win in international sports competitions and “bring honor and recognition to the country.”
With regard to the SEA Games, this includes cash incentives amounting to P300,000 for gold medalists, P150,000 for silver medalists, and P60,000 for bronze medalists participating in individual events. As for teams with less than five participants, the same amount of cash incentives will be given per an individual’s win, which will all then be divided among the members of the team. Meanwhile, coaches shall be rewarded with a fifty percent equivalent of their winning participant’s incentives depending on their medal.
The law states that in order to collect their incentives, athletes and coaches must present “a valid identification card, renewable every year, to be issued by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)” along with a written “certification by the individual athlete or team captain for team events, duly attested by their respective national sports associations.”
Other benefits and privileges that may be availed by national athletes and coaches include free medical and dental consultations in government hospitals, a 2% minimum discount on admission fees for leisurely activities such as plays, concerts, movies and the like, and “20%. discount from establishments, transportation services, hotels and other lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation centers ,and purchase of medicine and sports equipment anywhere in the country.”
Athletes and coaches may find a full list of their incentives under Section 4 of RA10699.
