In observance of the Holy Week, the Philippine News Agency’s online news service will be off on March 29, Good Friday, and March 30, Black Saturday. Normal operations will resume on March 31, Easter Sunday.

— The Editors

PH athletes, coaches finally get discount

By Ivan Stewart Saldajeno

May 30, 2020, 4:58 pm

<p>(<em>PSC logo grabbed from its FB page</em>) </p>

(PSC logo grabbed from its FB page

MANILA – The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that all Filipino athletes and coaches would finally get to enjoy a 20-percent discount for all their needs.

On Friday night, the PSC said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Regulation 13-2020, which paves the way for the discount clause to be fully implemented for all athletes.

“We have been looking forward to this and we are thankful that our athletes and coaches will finally enjoy the privilege they deserve,” said PSC chairman Butch Ramirez, whose organization has been working together with the BIR for the discount benefit to be fully enjoyed by local sportsmen.

The discount clause is part of Republic Act 10699, formally known as the "National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act".

The discounts shall be applied to food, medicine, recreation centers, hotels, lodging establishments, and sports equipment purchases.

The PSC has already issued identification cards to national athletes, with booklets similar to those used by senior citizens for their own discounts, to follow.

However, the PSC noted that it would cut the allowances it is giving to the national athletes by half as the country continues to battle the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

“This is a hard decision to make, but one that (is) needed to be done so we can continue caring for our athletes longer,” Ramirez said.

The move was made to preserve the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), which was "considerably diminished because of this health crisis we are now experiencing," he said.

Ramirez, however, assured that "once the NSDF reaches a comfortable level again, allowances will be restored to the present rate." (PNA)

 

 

Comments