President Rodrigo Duterte with sports officials and national athletes at Malacañan Palace in 2019 (Presidential photo)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has given the Philippine athletes joining the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics an additional PHP100,000 each in allowances while at the Japanese capital.
The additional support was approved upon the recommendation of Senate Committee on Sports chairman Bong Go and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
Before that, the PSC had given the athletes an allowance of USD1,000 (about PHP50,000) each.
"Our athletes deserve this additional show of support," PSC chairman Butch Ramirez said Friday, just as the Philippine team's campaign began with rower Cris Nievarez's quarterfinal qualification in the men's single sculls event.
Ramirez thanked Duterte for his continuous support for the Filipino athletes.
The additional allowance would benefit Nievarez; boxers Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial, and Irish Magno; golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan, and Juvic Pagunsan; swimmers Remedy Rule and Luke Gebbie; weightlifters Hidilyn Diaz and Elreen Ando; judoka Kiyomi Watanabe; shooter Jayson Valdez; taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa; pole vaulter EJ Obiena; sprinter Kristina Knott; skateboarder Margielyn Didal; and gymnast Caloy Yulo.
The additional cash incentive also favors para powerlifter Achele Guion, para swimmers Gary Bejino and Ernie Gawilan, para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, wheelchair athlete Jerrold Mangliwan, and discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda. (PNA)
